4 Myths about vaccines

Vaccines protect children of dangerous and life-threatening diseases that, although they are now rare, are precisely thanks to that vaccination. Failure to administer to children implies subjecting them to a unnecessary risk both on a personal and community level.

1. Diseases have been eradicated by hygiene, not by vaccines

The improvements in the hygienic conditions contribute of course to diminish the appearance of certain diseases that appear in a cyclical way. However, it has been shown that the introduction of mass vaccination has been a turning point and Have decreased drastically the disease cases against this vaccine, thanks to it many.

Likewise, the diseases against which has been vaccinated in more recent times they have experienced a decrease in cases, for example, Haemophilus influenza B or meningococcus C. While in countries where has stopped vaccinating against certain infections cases have increased significantly, as was the case with pertussis in Japan or Sweden.

2. Vaccines can cause serious side effects, illness, or be deadly.

Vaccines they are very safe and the side effects they can have are very small if they are compared with the health benefit of prevention. For example, the triple bacterial vaccine (DTP) can cause mild encephalitis in 1 in every million vaccinated, while any of these three diseases causes the death of 1 in 200 children and severe encephalitis with sequelae in 1 in 1,000 . A false relationship between the DTP vaccine and sudden infant death emerged a few years ago, but long-term studies have scientifically disproven that claim.

3. Some vaccines have been linked to an increase in serious diseases

There is a belief that vaccination is related to the appearance of certain diseases such as autism, cancer, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis ... It is said that the cases have increased since he was vaccinated, but, in reality, could not be demonstrated that there is no relationship between vaccination programs and the prevalence of certain diseases. What happens is that diagnostic methods have improved and now cases are detected that previously could go undiagnosed. Likewise, the increase in life expectancy makes certain diseases such as Alzheimer's or dementias more prevalent today than a few decades ago.

4. Receiving multiple vaccines at the same time can be dangerous

Exposing a child to several antigens at the same time does not put too much strain on the immune system. They are constantly exposed to antigens during childhood; moreover, any school child is exposed to colds, laryngitis, otitis, gastroenteritis and other mild infectious diseases in a higher proportion than the antigenic exposure that vaccination supposes.