Start with clear vaccine information.
This page is for the public, families, adults, schools, community organizations, social workers, and anyone looking for plain-language vaccine information.
ACIC connects users with credible medical, scientific, public health, and local resources about vaccines, vaccine-preventable diseases, and questions to discuss with a healthcare professional.
How vaccines work
Use these resources when someone wants the basic science: what vaccines do, how the immune system responds, and why vaccination helps reduce the risk of serious disease.
AAP: How Vaccines Work
Plain-language explanation of how vaccines teach the immune system to recognize and respond to specific viruses or bacteria.
CHOP Vaccine Education Center
Complete, reliable vaccine information across the lifespan from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
WHO: How Vaccines Work
Global public health explanation of how vaccines work with the body’s natural defenses to build protection.
Vaccines and the diseases they help prevent
People often ask why a vaccine matters if they have never seen the disease. These resources connect vaccines to the diseases, complications, and protection they are designed to address.
CDC: Vaccines and the Diseases They Prevent
Disease-by-disease vaccine information for infants, children, adolescents, adults, and people with different risks.
HealthyChildren Immunization Resources
Family-facing vaccine information from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
VaccineInformation.org Vaccine Basics
Public-facing vaccine basics from Immunize.org’s patient and public education site.
Good starting points by audience
Use these when someone needs a clear first step rather than a technical source list.
For Families: AAP Recommended Schedule
Family-facing guidance on when children and teens should receive recommended vaccines.
For Adults: NFID Vaccine Recommendations
Evidence-based U.S. vaccine recommendations across the lifespan, organized for adults and families.
Across the Lifespan: CHOP Vaccine Timetable
Plain-language vaccine timing information from birth through adulthood.
Questions people may not ask out loud
These are the places to send people when the question is not just “what vaccine,” but “why this, why now, and how do I know this is credible?”
Vaccine Questions & Safety
ACIC’s page for vaccine safety, ingredients, monitoring, common concerns, and trusted vaccine conversations.
Vaccine Schedules
ACIC’s page for current schedule resources for children, adults, pregnancy, and family-facing education.
Local help in Allegheny County
Clear information matters, but people also need a place to go. These local resources connect vaccine education to vaccine access, health screening, care connection, and public health services in the Pittsburgh region.
ACHD Immunization Clinic
Allegheny County Health Department clinic information for childhood and adult immunization services.
Pitt Vaccination & Health Connection Hub
Pittsburgh-based vaccination, health screening, and care connection resource serving the University community and neighbors.
Local Vaccine Access & Pennsylvania Resources
ACIC’s local and state resource page for vaccine access, immunization records, PIERS, VFC, and Pennsylvania tools.
Sources and standards
ACIC curates vaccine resources for healthcare professionals, public health partners, coalition members, and community users. Sources are selected for credibility, relevance, and usefulness to the topic, population, and clinical or public health question.
This page is a source directory and public-facing resource hub. It does not replace individualized medical advice or clinical judgment. Users should talk with a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical questions.
Last updated: May 2026