Common Misconceptions About Vaccines
The Center for Disease Control has identified six misconceptions that people commonly hold true about vaccines and their effects on human health. They include:
With these misconceptions being prevalent in today's society, there is a need for easy access to accurate and scientifically valid information about vaccines.
- Diseases had already begun to disappear before vaccines were introduced, because of better hygiene and sanitation.
- The majority of people who get a disease have been vaccinated.
- There are "hot lots" of vaccine that have been associated with more adverse events and deaths than others.
- Vaccines cause many harmful side effects, illnesses, and even death.
- Vaccine-preventable diseases have been virtually eliminated from the United States.
- Giving a child multiple vaccinations for different diseases at the same time increases the risk of harmful side effects and can overload the immune system.
With these misconceptions being prevalent in today's society, there is a need for easy access to accurate and scientifically valid information about vaccines.