The Truth About Vaccines

Vaccines are used by doctors to prevent potentially deadly diseases. Vaccines help a person’s body create antibodies against a disease without the person actually having to get the horrible disease. Even though vaccines sound like a wonderful development of modern medicine, some people are skeptical. Many times people are skeptical of vaccines because they do not know the facts about vaccines. There are a lot of myths about vaccines that get passed around from parent to parent. This article will help people to know the difference between the myths and the facts and to understand the truth about vaccines.

Side effects

Is it true that the side effects of vaccines can be more dangerous than the actual disease that the vaccine protects against?

It is a very common myth that the side effects of vaccines are worse than the diseases that a vaccine protects a child against. It is not true. A child can have mild side effects from the vaccines they receive. These side effects can include, but are not limited to, a mild fever, tenderness or soreness of the spot where the shot was given, and swelling or redness where the shot was given. A child may also lose their appetite, they may be fussier than usually, or be tired. Some children may even vomit. Though it is possible, it is very unlikely for a child to have side effects that are worse than the mild ones that are mentioned above.

The diseases are gone

Is it true that since many of the deadly diseases that vaccines protect against are wiped out we no longer need to vaccinate out children?

No. Even though it may seem that many of the deadly diseases are wiped out in the United States that is not a reason that a child should not be vaccinated. Many of the diseases that seem to no longer be spread in the United States are still in other countries. When people from other countries come to the United States, either to visit or to stay, they can spread these deadly diseases to those who have not been vaccinated. Getting vaccinated is the only way for a child to be protected from these deadly diseases.

Autism and SIDS

Do vaccines cause Autism, SIDS, or other disorders?

Parents have a right to be concerned about links between vaccines, SIDS, and other disorders. There have been a lot of myths surrounding this idea. Many times children begin to show the symptoms of autism around the same time they receive the MMR vaccine (which is around one year.) It is easy to think that the two are linked. But a lot of research has been done to find a link between vaccines and autism and SIDS. So far it has been found that there is not a link between vaccines and autism or vaccines and SIDS.

Dangerous preservatives

Do vaccines contain dangerous preservatives?

It is a fact that before now, many of the vaccines given to children did contain a compound called thimerosal. It is used to prevent vaccines from becoming contaminated with bacterial. But thimerosal has now been removed from vaccines. The reason that thimerosal has now been removed from vaccines is because contains ethylmercury which is a form of mercury. High levels of mercury can effect a child’s brain development for the worse. The flu vaccine still contains thimerosal. A parent can ask for a thimerosal-free flu shot for their child.

Since thimerosal has been taken out of vaccines, it has been found that ethylmercury does not seem to cause the same damage that methylmercury can. A body can get rid of ethylmercury faster than it can get rid of methylmercury.