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Common questions about vaccines.

Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines are extremely safe and getting safer and more effective all the time as a result of medical research and ongoing review by doctors, researchers and public health officials. Vaccines must meet the strict safety standards of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are approved. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) closely monitor each vaccine’s safety as long as it is in use. Serious adverse effects from vaccines are extremely rare. The chance of serious complications (including death) from the diseases that vaccines prevent is many times higher.

Is it better to be naturally infected rather than vaccinated?
No. Diseases cause suffering and, in some cases, permanent disability or death. Vaccines protect from the disease without risking the serious adverse effects of that illness.

If vaccine-preventable diseases have been virtually eliminated from the United States, why do American children need to be vaccinated?
Although many of these diseases have the potential to be eliminated, outbreaks of diphtheria, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases still occur.

Children who are not vaccinated against measles are up to 35 times more likely than immunized children to catch the disease.

Without protection from vaccines, the vaccine-preventable diseases that have nearly been eliminated are likely to return. Thousands of children and adults will become sick, some will have long-lasting health problems and some will die.

Many other countries do not have the same levels of immunization that we have achieved in the United States, and they continue to have disease outbreaks. Therefore, we must all remain protected with vaccines because dangerous diseases largely under control in the United States are only a plane ride away.

Who decides which vaccines should be routinely recommended?
After a new vaccine is reviewed and licensed by the FDA, several committees of experts consider for whom the vaccine should be recommended. The committees of experts include: the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the CDC, the Committee on Infectious Diseases (COID) of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Are infants too young to get vaccinated?
No. Quite the contrary. Infants need to be protected with vaccines because they are particularly vulnerable to infections.

As with all vaccines, those recommended for infants have shown to be safe and effective during extensive studies conducted before the vaccines are recommended for use.

Does giving a child multiple vaccines for different diseases at the same time increase the risk of harmful side effects?
No. Only vaccines that have been shown to be safe and effective when given together are given at the same time. When new vaccines are evaluated, they are given along with all of the recommended childhood vaccines. Therefore, during the process of testing a new vaccine candidate, the integrity of the immune system and side effects from the additional vaccines are assessed.

When it can be done safely, multiple vaccines are given in one shot as a combination vaccine. This reduces both children’s discomfort by reducing the number of shots they receive, as well as the number of office visits required.

In addition to combination vaccines, a number of vaccines may be given separately but during the same office visit. Giving multiple vaccines at one time keeps children safer by protecting them against more diseases sooner.

Source: The National Network for Immunization Information.