5 Myths About Vaccinations Busted

The term vaccination dates back to the end of the 1700s with Edward Jenner’s experiments that led to the smallpox vaccine, but the history of the methodology goes back much further. Inoculations can be traced to oral traditions as far back as 1000 AD, and that practice traveled around the globe in the centuries that followed. However far back you go, the method of creating vaccines to fight disease has been essential in saving lives.

You wouldn’t know that to hear the crowds of anti-vaxxers perpetuating misinformation and purposely misunderstanding the way vaccines work and how they continue to be an effective way to treat disease. Whether you have concerns about vaccinations, think they’re outright dangerous, or don’t understand how they work, let’s find out the facts about their benefits, what people get wrong about them, and why.

If you live in the Orangevale or Rancho Cordova, California, area and are concerned about vaccines and their effects, Dr. Andrew Nangalama and his team at American River Urgent Care can help.

Defining vaccinations

Vaccines, also called immunizations, build your body’s defense against viruses and diseases by exposing it to a weakened protein. When your immune system is exposed to the harmless protein from the disease, it creates antibodies to fight it and makes you more resistant to it when it tries to infect you. They’re given in the form of injections, and there are vaccines for many illnesses we get shots for every year, especially around flu season in the fall.

Why they’re so important

Going back as far as the inoculations against smallpox, vaccinations have been instrumental in preventing epidemics and staying ahead of viruses that mutate and take on different strains, like the annual flu shots we get every year. It’s one of the most effective preventives we have against disease, and research is never-ending in avoiding outbreaks and protecting lives. Vaccination has eliminated cholera, diphtheria, malaria, polio, measles, rubella, and yellow fever. 

What people get wrong about them

Here are some myths that we keep seeing about vaccines:

1. They use harmful substances

This is often a reference to thimerosal (due to the mercury it contains) and formaldehyde, which are preservatives used in small doses in vaccines. Neither of these is dangerous in the amounts used, and no studies have ever proven them to be a health risk. 

2. They cause problems in children

This is the most persistent myth that perpetuates the misinformation about vaccines causing autism, but claims have also been made about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This is partly due to the false correlation between when infants get immunized and when the onset of those problems often happens. However, the autism claim stems from a long-since retracted research paper published in 1998 that people are still parroting as fact.

3. They are not tested before approval

Vaccine testing is a complex process, but no evidence exists that any of them has been administered without testing. Side effects are also observed during testing, and just because people experience them and aren’t aware of them doesn’t mean the vaccine was put on shelves without due diligence.

4. The vaccines can give you the disease

This is more of a common confusion stemming from symptoms people experience after a shot that is similar to the disease. For instance, a child can get a chickenpox vaccine and experience a rash indicative of the condition. This is evidence that the body is building immunity; if they had the disease, it would be much worse.

5. Herd immunity is just as effective

This is the idea that if everyone else gets the vaccine, you and your child don’t need it. The problem with that logic is that if enough people accept this as true and don't get immunized, the chances of effective herd immunity are significantly decreased. Getting the vaccine is a benefit for everyone.

Vaccines are often misunderstood, but they are essential to keeping us healthy and avoiding the spread of dangerous diseases. If you need a vaccination, have questions about them, or have other concerns, make an appointment with Dr. Nangalama and American River Urgent Care today.