Myths and Facts About Vaccinations

You’ll do anything to protect your family, especially the most vulnerable members; and we believe vaccinations are one of the best ways to ward off the most dangerous diseases. Unfortunately, vaccines are constantly threatened by a slew of misinformation regarding their efficacy and their safety for children.

Dr. Fernando A. Porter and our team at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care in Wheaton, Maryland, are here to draw the line between fact and fiction when it comes to vaccinations.

The basics of vaccinations

Before we address the common vaccine myths, we want to establish exactly what vaccinations are and what they aren’t.

Vaccines are either a shot or a nasal spray that gives your body the instructions for fighting off contagious diseases before you ever come into contact with them. Vaccines contain inactive viruses, weakened forms of the virus, or biosynthetic materials, but they aren’t made of full-strength live viruses.

If a live virus is used in the vaccination, it’s an attenuated (weakened) version, so you don’t get sick.

The vaccine introduces these germs into your body and tells your immune system to start building immunity against the disease. Your body creates antibodies which are the specially coded organisms that defend your body against disease.

It might sound like a no-brainer: get a shot, be protected from disease. But we want you to be equipped with the best information when making decisions about your and your family’s health. Here are three of the most common vaccination myths.

Myth 1: Vaccines cause autism

This myth is often the number one reason parents delay or refuse to vaccinate their children. But the link between vaccines and autism isn’t rooted in truth.

This myth started in 1997 when Andrew Wakefield, a British surgeon, published his research on MMR vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, suggesting that they directly correlated with an increase in autism in children.

His claims understandably triggered widespread panic, but the connection has since been debunked. The study lost its credibility due to procedural errors and conflicts of interest. The journal retracted the paper, and Wakefield lost his medical license.

Myth 2: You shouldn’t vaccinate infants

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that infant vaccinations are safe and even recommends vaccinating your children on a particular schedule.

Some parents fear that multiple vaccines at once might overload their baby’s immune system, but the CDC shows that the opposite is actually true. There are many benefits of multiple vaccines, including:

• Fewer doctor visits
• Fewer needle pokes, reducing stress for your baby
• Quick protection for your baby

Before a new vaccine is ever administered to babies, it’s tested for efficiency, safety, and how well it works with other vaccines.

Myth 3: Natural immunity beats vaccine immunity

There are some people who would rather take their chances with a virus or disease and build up immunity through their body’s natural immune system response. But receiving immunity from a vaccine comes with a big advantage compared to natural immunity, chief among them protection from complications associated with the disease.

For example, pneumonia and encephalitis are serious complications of measles. A measles vaccine (included in the MMR shot) protects you from unwanted and potentially serious complications, in addition to the disease itself.

Getting started with vaccinations

We want you to make informed decisions when it comes to your and your family’s well-being. From the traditional infant and child vaccines to the flu shot for adults and seniors, we can help you get back on track with your vaccinations.

If you’d like more information, don’t hesitate to call our office or request an appointment online today.