3 common misunderstandings about vaccines

Many mothers are afraid to cause side effects, or think that injecting two vaccines at the same time will be dangerous .

Vaccination at a young age is a simple way to help children increase immunity, prevent disease for a long time. But according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in 2015, the world had 19.4 million babies (accounting for nearly 20%) ignoring basic vaccines.

Many parents remain cautious about vaccination for their children, because of the misunderstandings below:

Vaccines cause side effects

Many parents fear that vaccination can cause children to have adverse health effects, even death. However, vaccines today meet the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and are tested strictly by national health authorities.

The post-vaccination reaction is usually mild and temporary, most commonly a sore arm or mild fever. The risk of injury or death from vaccines is very small, compared to the benefits provided by vaccination.

Injecting many vaccines at the same time will be dangerous

At preventive health facilities, staff can inject 2 doses of vaccine at the same time. This worries parents, whether it increases the risk of side effects or overloads the child's immune system.

Vaccines help prevent many diseases for children.(Photo: Shutterstock).

In fact, each dose of vaccine helps the body make its own immune response and antibodies. According to the American Immunization Practices Committee (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), young children can inject many suitable vaccines at the same time, to prevent many diseases as soon as possible. In addition, saving time and effort for parents.

Vaccines cause autism

This worry comes from a 1998 study, claiming that MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) causes autism in children. However, in 2004, the American Institute of Medicine reported that there is no scientific evidence indicating the link between MMR vaccine and autism. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also released similar results by 2010.

UNICEF said that nearly 30% of deaths in children under 5 years of age are due to infectious diseases. The invention of the vaccine saved the lives of 3 million children worldwide and 750,000 children out of the risk of disability every year.

In Vietnam, the expanded vaccination program also has certain successes. Vaccines completely eradicate smallpox since 1979, eliminate polio in 2000, repel neonatal tetanus since 2005. The program also reduces the number of people suffering from measles to 3,010 times, whooping cough 844 times , diphtheria up to 410 times.

Adequate immunization helps children prevent many dangerous diseases. Parents should consult a health professional and adhere to the vaccination schedule, to increase the protection effectiveness of the vaccine.