Myths and Facts about Childhood Immunizations

Myths and Facts about Childhood Immunizations

As a parent, there aren't too many things that feel worse than bringing your smiling child into the doctor's office for a routine vaccination. Your child's happy day is going to be changed by a quick stick with a sharp needle, and not even a cartoon character Band-Aid® can make it better.

It's nearly impossible to explain to a young child that immunizations are needed to keep him healthy. Plus, the pages you are given to sign listing possible reactions to the vaccination can be pretty scary. Here is a brief guide to help you separate some of the myths from the facts:

MYTH:

My child might have a bad reaction to the vaccination.

Fact:

Most reactions are very mild and last only a few hours. Symptoms might include fever, fussiness, and discomfort at the area of injection.

Note: Some parents report that their children have had high fevers and other severe reactions form the DTP vaccine. In rare cases, children may be allergic to it and it is therefore very important that doctors be informed of any allergies you child may have. The cause of this is believed to be the pertussis (P) component of the vaccine and not the diphtheria (D) or the tetanus (T). For children who have had severe reactions, talk to your doctor about the Td version of the vaccine, which might be more appropriate for your child.

MYTH:

My child might develop the disease that the immunization is supposed to prevent.

FACT:

Disease caused by vaccination is very rare. For example, for every 2.4 million doses of the oral polio vaccine given in the United States, there is about one reported case of polio - that's fewer than 10 cases each year. It is also believed that most of those children had some other illness that weakened their immune systems and allowed them to become infected by the polio.

MYTH:

Vaccines contain bacteria or viruses that can make my child sick.

FACT:

Vaccines do contain bacteria or viruses, but the amount injected in a vaccine is tiny compared to the amount that enters your child's body every day through regular play with other children or sucking on fingers and toys. Each immunization contains either a dead or a weakened germ that causes a particular disease. Your child's body practices fighting the disease by making antibodies that recognize the germ. That way, if your child is ever exposed to the actual disease, the antibodies are already in place and her body knows how to fight it.

MYTH:

if all of the other children in school are immunized, then I don't have to immunized my child.

FACT:

it's true that your child's chance of catching a disease is low if everyone else is immunized. But if you are thinking about skipping vaccinations, then other people likely have thought the same. Each child who is not immunized gives diseases one more chance to spread. This actually happened between 1989 and 1991 when an epidemic of measles broke out in the United States, leading to a sharp jump in the number of deaths and children with permanent brain damage.

MYTH:

I can't afford the cost of the vaccination.

FACT:

Vaccines are available free of charge to every child in the United States. If you would like information about where to find free vaccinations in you Michigan county, call 1-888-76-SHOTS. In any state, parents can call 1-800-232-2522(English) or 1-800-232-0244(Spanish).

For more information contact your local health department or physician.

Shiawassee County Health Department

110 East Mack Street

Corunna, Michigan 48817

(989) 743-2355

1-800-859-4229

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