Sometimes one public health initiative can have unintended consequences. Could this have happened with the chickenpox vaccine and shingles?

Sometimes it's easy to forget how common many diseases were before vaccines for them were introduced. When the disease is not around, people may not notice as much.

Vaccines are made to protect children and adults alike from a host of diseases. Some of these vaccines may protect against more than the disease they were intended to prevent.

In 2009, there were concerns across the world about the H1N1 flu. It turns out that, overall, death rates from this flu pandemic weren't worse than those of other flu seasons — at least for some.

Most, if not all, cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are 40 different types of this virus. HPV types linked to cervical cancer may be different in women of different races.

It's flu season again, and there are ways to protect your children against the flu. A recent study revealed how serious the flu can be.

For years, health officials have been aiming to increase rates of flu vaccination across the US each flu season. While new data shows that more and more people seem to be getting vaccinated, the rates of the increases are slower than desired.

The main purpose of the flu vaccine is to protect against influenza. But it may offer other benefits as well.

A baby who catches whooping cough often requires hospitalization. Only babies over 2 months old can receive the vaccine for this illness. But  if many others in the community are vaccinated against the disease, that may help protect these young babies from it.

One of the only vaccines that is known to prevent some forms of cancer is the HPV vaccine. Those who might worry about its safety have no reason to fear.