Get Ready Mailbag: Should I worry about vaccines?

Welcome to another installment of the Get Ready Mailbag, when we take time to answer questions sent our way by readers like you! Have a question you want answered? Send an email to getready@apha.org.

My child just started school and is required to be up-to-date on vaccines. I’ve seen a lot of posts on social media lately warning of the dangers of vaccines. Should I be concerned?

We understand your concern. After all, we all want the best for our children. With so much information — and sometimes incorrect information — available today, it can be hard to know who to trust. The bottom line is: Vaccines are safe.

There is a 1 in a MILLION chance of getting a serious reaction to a vaccine. Vaccines are studied and constantly monitored by scientists to make sure they’re safe. You may have read that vaccines cause autism, but scientific studies have continually disproven this.

Vaccinating your child is critical to protecting them against dangerous, possibly deadly, diseases. These can include the flu, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, pneumococcal disease and pertussis (also known as whooping cough).

Check out Get Ready's video on herd immunity:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HarcDwj03-0&t=5s

Getting their shots also helps protect their classmates, friends, relatives and others in the community. This is because vaccines work based on something called herd immunity. When enough people are vaccinated, the entire community is less likely to get sick. Researchers have found that for a very contagious disease, like measles, it takes 90-95 percent of the population to be vaccinated to protect the entire community.

We hope this information helps to put your mind at ease. You can find out what vaccines your child needs by speaking with their doctor. You can review CDC’s recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule. If your child has missed any vaccines, your healthcare provider can use the catch-up immunization schedule to get them back on track.

Remember: Vaccines aren’t just for kids. As a parent or caregiver, make sure you’re caught up on your shots too. That way you don’t pass along diseases to young children. You can find out more about by reviewing the CDCs adult immunization schedule.