If an individual in the family has certain high-risk medical conditions, then vaccination might be even more important. For example, some children lack a functioning spleen due to genetic conditions, such as sickle cell disease, or from spleen surgery after a car accident. These children are at higher risk of becoming infected with certain bacteria such as HiB, pneumococcus, or meningococcus. In this circumstance, you would want to provide an extra level of protection with the appropriate vaccine.
Alternatively, someone in your family may have a weakened immune system from chemotherapy or certain medical conditions. Such a person would become much sicker than the average patient if he or she were to catch certain infections, and yet this person’s compromised immune system might preclude vaccination. In this situation, close family members and other caretakers should be vaccinated in order to prevent passing infections on to the affected relative.