Friday Parenting Myth #7

A few weeks ago, I wrote a "myth" about how some people think the flu vaccine casues the flu and one of our readers, Andrea, thought we should do more debunking on vaccines. I asked one of our colleagues, Dr. Scott Goldstein to guest write in this myth. Enjoy!- Daniel Weissbluth

His area of expertise is vaccinations and so here is his "myth":

Myth – Vaccines Are Not "Safe"

Nothing in life is without risk. Every year, people are harmed in unusual and unlikely ways (like slipping on a wet floor, or being struck by lightning). If we define something as "safe" if it is 100% free from danger, then nothing would be safe. While it is difficult to prove that a very rare event that happens after a vaccine (like having seizure or developing a muscle weakness) is due to the vaccine, it is possible that in a very small minority of cases vaccines can cause unusual side effects. There have been cases where vaccines have been directly linked to rare but serious side effects, and in those cases the vaccine responsible has been immediately removed from public use.

If a child does not get a vaccine, their risk of getting the disease the vaccine prevents is much, much higher than any possible risk from getting the vaccine. No vaccine causes death, but every disease that vaccines prevent can.

Every year, 28 people get attacked by sharks, but 4.5 million get bit by dogs. 300 people die in plane crashes, but 34,000 die in auto accidents. Despite this, most of us fear sharks and planes much more than dogs and cars. Fear of extremely rare side effects from vaccines may lead to the much more real possibility of children getting vaccine-preventable diseases.

Both the government and vaccine manufacturers are constantly monitoring reports sent in by health professionals and parents regarding possible issues with vaccine safety. Even vaccines that have been around for decades are constantly being monitored. Vaccines are the safest way to prevent your child from some of the most serious types of illnesses.

Sources : www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety

www.aap.org/immunization/families/saf...

www.vaers.hhs.gov

Filed under: Common Myths