Working to prevent disease and keep our community healthy.
Immunizations reduce the risk of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection—savings millions of lives a year. We understand many people have questions about how vaccines are made, how they work, and whether or not there are risks involved. At UChicago Medicine, doctors and researchers at the forefront of vaccine research are here to offer clear, reliable, and up-to-date information you can trust.
Immunizations: what you need to know
Vaccines prevent disease
Immunizations are the best way to protect you and your family against serious diseases. They help prevent severe illnesses like measles, RSV, whooping cough, streptococcal pneumonia, chickenpox, flu, and more.
Vaccines are safe & effective
Before a vaccine is approved by the FDA, it goes through years of testing to prove it’s safe, works to prevent disease, and that its benefits outweigh any potential risks. Once a vaccine is approved, the FDA and CDC continue to monitor its safety.
Your questions answered
To make sure you have the most up-to-date information on immunizations, we have compiled a list of reliable resources to help you make informed decisions for you and your family.
Innovation spotlight
A new type of vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering has shown that it can reverse autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes in lab tests — all without shutting down the rest of the immune system.
Be part of a research study
Volunteers are vital to the development of new treatments and vaccines. Participants help to advance medicine and protect our community from the spread of disease.