Content

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Part of taking care of kids is setting them up for a healthy future. Vaccines play a big part in health.

Children get vaccines for illnesses such as diphtheria, rotavirus, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, also called pertussis, and others in the first year of life. If these diseases seem uncommon, it's because vaccines are doing their job.

Still, you might wonder about the benefits and risks of childhood vaccines. Here are answers to some common questions.