This news story is also available in Spanish.
Summer is wrapping up and the excitement of back-to-school prep is underway. As a parent and a pediatrician, I know that timely immunizations are as much of an essential as school supply shopping and a first day of school outfit. All public and private California schools require immunizations for children before entering school.
Vaccines are an essential step to protect your child against preventable and unnecessary illness — even before they are of school age. Children younger than 2 years old, in particular, are at higher risk of developing complications from the flu even if they have not had any other health conditions before.
This time of year, many of the families I treat have questions around why they should get their children vaccinated, the safety of vaccines and the ideal schedule for vaccinations. The most important thing to remember: When everyone participates, we all get strengthened immunity. Here are eight of the most common vaccine myths.
- Aren’t children born with strong immunity?
Babies receive some passive immunity to diseases from their mother, which lasts about three months. After that period, they are extremely vulnerable to illness. Vaccines help build immunity safely and train your child’s immune system to protect itself from harmful diseases. Some vaccines require a booster or several doses to provide the best protection. A good example of this is the flu vaccine: Each year, we get an update designed to fight new strains of the virus, as they mutate quickly.
- Doesn’t the flu shot give you the flu?
Not only does the flu shot not give you the flu, it is the absolute best protection against the flu. Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every year. According to the CDC, flu vaccines either contain inactivated virus (meaning the virus is no longer infectious) or a particle designed to look like a flu virus to your immune system. Side effects like soreness, headache and nausea can occur, but only last a day or two.
There are several reasons why someone who got the flu shot might still get sick:
- They were exposed to the virus during the two weeks when the body is developing immunity.
- They were exposed to the virus before getting the shot, but symptoms had not yet shown up.
- They were exposed to a strain of the virus not in the shot. In this case, symptoms will be much milder and the recovery will be faster.
- Will vaccines cause autism?
No. Vaccines do not cause autism. In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ran nine different studies and found no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Won’t natural exposure to diseases strengthen my child’s immune system?
No, vaccines were developed to help our bodies train to fight disease. Young children are particularly vulnerable to common diseases like the flu, measles and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). A study in 2022 found that children who received the flu vaccine had a reduced risk of illness due to flu complications. In this year alone, nearly 90% of flu-related deaths were in children who had NOT been vaccinated.
- Do I have to stick to the recommended vaccine schedule?
The timing of vaccine administration is set to a specific schedule to keep your child healthy. The timing is based on the age of your child and the earliest and optimal time to offer protection for your child’s body. Some vaccines require more than one dose, and the spacing between those doses is important. Talk to your child’s pediatrician about what’s best for your child. There are rare exceptions when the schedule should be altered, such as if your child has a chronic condition.
Check out the recommended schedule for vaccines approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC.
- Can my child just get one vaccination at a time?
Again, this vaccine schedule is set for a specific reason, to keep your child safe and healthy. These recommendations are set by medical experts, doctors, vaccine experts, scientists and public health professionals. The amount of active ingredients in each vaccine is a tiny amount — your child is exposed to much more in their regular environment every day. All the vaccines recommended to be given together have been tested together and are safe for children.
- If everyone else is vaccinated, do I really need to vaccinate my child?
Yes. Vaccines are most powerful when everyone who can, gets them. Diseases like measles and polio, and more recently chickenpox, were virtually eradicated because vaccines created herd immunity. We’re seeing these viruses return, however, as people choose to not vaccinate. These illnesses can be severe and even deadly — I urge everyone to consider the risks and possible lifelong side effects that can come from skipping these vaccinations.
- My child is healthy and strong. Why should I get them vaccinated?
Vaccines not only protect the person receiving them, but other more vulnerable people around them. This includes aging family members, like grandparents, and others who may be immunocompromised. When you stay up to date with vaccinations, you are helping to protect your loved ones — and the loved ones of others.
Following the immunization guidelines is a simple way to start your child off on the path to long-term health. I do this with my own children, recommend it to my patients, and encourage everyone to work with their pediatrician to build their child’s immune system and stop the spread of preventable diseases.
If you think you or your child is having an allergic reaction to a vaccine, please contact your healthcare provider.
HealthyChildren.org Resources
CDC Resources
Information for Parents and Caregivers