Knowing a vaccine's type helps us to know how to administer the
vaccine correctly. There are seven general rules to remember when
administering vaccines of different types.

General Rules

1. The more similar a vaccine is to the natural disease, the better the immune response to the vaccine.
2. Circulating antibody has more effect on the immune response to live attenuated vaccines than on the immune response to inactivated vaccines.
3. All vaccines can be administered at the same visit as all other vaccines.
4. Live attenuated vaccines generally produce long-lasting immunity with one or two doses. Inactivated vaccines generally require three or more doses and may require periodic boosting to maintain immunity.
5. Increasing the interval between doses of a multidose vaccine does not diminish the effectiveness of the vaccine. Decreasing the interval between doses of a multidose vaccine may interfere with the antibody response and protection.
6. Adverse reactions following live attenuated vaccines are similar to a mild form of the natural disease. Adverse reactions following inactivated vaccines are mostly local, and may occur with or without fever.
7. There are only two permanent contraindications to vaccination:
1. Severe allergic reaction to a vaccine component or following a prior dose of vaccine. (Do not give another dose of that vaccine.)
2. Encephalopathy without a known cause occurring within 7 days of a dose of a pertussis-containing vaccine. (Do not give another dose of a pertussis-containing vaccine.)
3. Rotavirus vaccine (both RV5 and RV1) is contraindicated in infants diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID)