Vax Facts Friday 2.27.26
Q: Why are multiple doses of some vaccines necessary?
A. The vaccine doesn’t work for all people after one dose.
B. Frequent outbreaks of disease are circulating in the community.
C. Doctors prefer to give multiple doses of those vaccines.
D. Increasing doses works the best.
The correct answer is A. The vaccine doesn’t work for all people after one dose.
Multiple doses may be necessary for a few reasons. First, some people may not respond to a single dose. Varicella vaccine is an example. Second, some vaccines require multiple doses to become protective. DTaP vaccine is an example. Babies need all three doses (2 mo, 4 mo, and 6 mo) to gain protective immunity. Third, immunity may wane, requiring additional doses to “remind” the immune system of the pathogen. The fourth and fifth doses of DTaP vaccine (at 15 to 18 months and at 4 to 6 years) are examples.
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