Vaccinations Specialist

Are vaccinations necessary?

Every child born in the U.S. since 1979 has lived free of the risk of contracting polio from another American. This is due to the ongoing immunization efforts against polio. For parents who want the best health for their children, immunization is essential. Besides polio, many other diseases are vaccine-preventable. This not only protects your child, but it can also protect others, such as infants too young to be fully immunized against a disease. If an older sibling caught that disease, it could be passed on with deadly implications. Immunization makes financial sense too, preventing down-time for working parents who would otherwise need to care for their sick children.

Are children’s vaccinations safe?

Yes. An unvaccinated child has a far greater health risk, than those who receive vaccines. Vaccines do not cause autism, brain damage, seizures or multiple sclerosis, regardless of unfounded claims in the media. Vaccines receive years of testing for both effectiveness and safety before being released for public use. While it’s possible in some cases for a child to exhibit mild symptoms of the illness the vaccine prevents, that’s part of the process of helping a young body build immunity to more serious cases. The injection site may be red and sore for a few days, but beyond that, reactions are rare.

What about mercury exposure in children’s vaccines?

Simply put, there isn’t any, except for some flu vaccines shipped in multi-dose vials. Thimerosal, the compound of mercury used in vaccines, is a preservative that prevents microbe growth. It protects against any organisms that may transfer into multi-dose vials. Two additional vaccines use thimerosal in the manufacturing process, but it’s removed later, before the vaccine is finished.

In 1999, despite the fact, there was no indication that thimerosal caused problems, the United States Public Health Service required the removal of as much mercury or mercury compounds from vaccines as a precautionary measure. Childhood vaccines now use single-dose vials so the thimerosal isn’t needed.