Vaccine Risks & Benefits

Childhood vaccination is one of modern medicine's greatest success stories. Vaccines have dramatically reduced the incidence of diseases like whooping cough, tetanus, polio, and meningitis. Despite this success, some parents question the necessity of vaccines, often due to misinformation online.

Disinformation Online A small group, known as the "disinformation dozen," is responsible for most anti-vaccine content on social media. These posts are not fact-checked and often lead parents to second-guess reliable medical advice.

Vaccine Side Effects & Myths

• Vaccines & Autism: A discredited study from the 1990s falsely linked vaccines to autism. Extensive research has shown no causal association.

• Thimerosal & Mercury: Thimerosal, a vaccine preservative, contains a type of mercury that does not stay in the body and is not harmful. Thimerosal has not been used in children's vaccines since 2001.

• Vaccines & SIDS: Studies have confirmed no link between vaccines and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Vaccines may actually help prevent SIDS.

Remember Always verify vaccine information from credible sources like HealthyChildren.org, AAP.org, the CDC, or your child's pediatrician.

For more detailed information, visit the original post by Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, FAAP here.