National Children's Vaccination Day | Vaccines have serious side effects and will affect children's IQ development? These rumors are really harmful

April 25, 2024 is the 38th National Children's Vaccination Day in my country. The publicity theme of this year's National Children's Vaccination Day is "Act together to vaccinate and protect the entire life cycle."

Vaccination is the most economical and effective means of preventing and controlling infectious diseases, and is of great significance to protecting the lives and health of the people. However, in recent years, various statements about children's vaccines have been circulated on the Internet, making it difficult for parents to distinguish the truth from the false, and they are confused. For example: "Vaccines have great side effects and will affect the development of children's IQ", "Class II vaccines are not very effective and need to be paid for by the child, so there is no need to vaccinate children", "Vaccines will destroy children's immune system"... Are these statements accurate? Today we will answer them one by one.

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Myth 1

Rumor content: Giving multiple vaccines at one time will overload the child’s immune system. It is better to give fewer vaccines to avoid damaging the child’s own immune system.

Analysis: FALSE! Giving multiple vaccines at the same time or giving a combination vaccine is more convenient and will not cause adverse reactions to the child's immune system.

In daily life, the types and quantities of microbial antigens that children are exposed to far exceed the amount of antigens during vaccination. Vaccination with multiple vaccines or combined vaccines at one time will not only not increase the burden on their immune system, but can sometimes stimulate and enhance the immune effect due to the synergistic effect of antigens. In addition, it can also reduce the frequency of going to the hospital and save time. However, if you really have doubts, you can consult a doctor before preparing for vaccination and follow the doctor's advice.

Myth 2

Rumor content: Vaccines have serious side effects, which can affect the development of children’s IQ and even cause death.

Analysis: False! Generally speaking, vaccination is safe and serious side effects are very rare.

The chances of serious harm from vaccine-preventable diseases are much greater than the chances of harm from vaccines. Serious side effects of vaccines are rare, and even if there are adverse reactions, most are mild and temporary, such as arm soreness, redness and swelling at the injection site, mild fever, loss of appetite, etc.

Myth 3

Rumor content: If the baby has an allergic constitution, he cannot be vaccinated.

Analysis: False! "Allergic constitution" is not a contraindication to vaccination.

Vaccines usually have contraindications. If there are corresponding contraindications at the time of vaccination, it is not suitable for vaccination. If not, most of the time, it can be vaccinated.

It should be noted that contraindications are divided into two categories: one is to postpone vaccination, and the other is absolute contraindications. If a child is severely allergic to a known vaccine component, or has experienced laryngeal edema, anaphylactic shock, or other severe systemic allergic reactions due to vaccination in the past, it is contraindicated to continue to receive the same vaccine.

Some vaccines have special contraindications. For example, influenza vaccines may contain trace amounts of chicken embryo protein, so people who are allergic to eggs cannot get the influenza vaccine. Parents should consult a doctor before taking their children for vaccination.

Myth 4

Rumor: Measles, mumps and rubella vaccines can cause autism in children.

Analysis: FALSE! There is no scientific evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism. The MMR vaccine is safe and effective in preventing diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella.

The claim that the MMR vaccine can cause autism comes from a foreign study many years ago. In 1998, a British scholar, driven by profit, published a paper in the top international medical journal The Lancet, claiming that the study proved that there may be a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. However, the study was later confirmed to have serious errors many times, and The Lancet retracted the paper.

Myth 5

Rumor content: The combined vaccine for preventing diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis and the vaccine for preventing polio can cause sudden neonatal death syndrome. Parents must be cautious and it is best not to give their children these vaccines.

Analysis: False! According to current research, there is no causal relationship between the two.

It may be that the time of vaccination of these vaccines overlaps with the time of sudden infant death syndrome, which has led to misunderstanding. In fact, this situation is called coincidence in medicine, that is, death from sudden infant death syndrome and vaccination occur at the same time, but the cause of sudden infant death is not due to vaccination. Death may occur even if there is no vaccination.

It is important to note that all four of these diseases are fatal, and infants may face a great risk of death or severe disability if they are not vaccinated.

Myth 6

Rumor content: Baby’s own immunity is better and more reliable than vaccine immunity, so there is no need to rely too much on vaccines.

Analysis: False! The body's own immunity can indeed provide a certain degree of immune protection, but this comes at a high price.

Because people need to be infected and cured of a disease before they can produce "antibodies" to the corresponding disease, but many diseases, once contracted, may lead to serious complications, and may even cause disability or death. For example, smallpox may cause pneumonia; polio can cause paralysis or disability; and severe measles can lead to complications such as measles pneumonia and measles encephalitis.

Vaccines allow us to not only avoid diseases but also have antibodies against diseases to protect our bodies. Using natural immunity instead of vaccine immunity is playing a joke on life.

Myth 7

Rumor content: Generally, important children's vaccines are free, and Category II vaccines are useless and require out-of-pocket expenses, so there is no need to vaccinate children.

Analysis: False! Category II vaccines are also necessary.

Vaccines are divided into two types: planned vaccines and unplanned vaccines. Planned vaccines (Class I vaccines) are included in the national immunization plan and are free vaccines that must be administered to babies after birth.

Unplanned vaccines (Class II vaccines) are self-paid vaccines and the country does not have mandatory requirements for them. However, Class II vaccines are an effective supplement to immunization program vaccines. They prevent some common diseases, such as varicella vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, etc. These vaccines are also very beneficial for improving the baby's immunity. Therefore, parents are advised to vaccinate on demand and scientifically according to the specific situation of the child and the doctor's recommendation.

Myth 8

Rumor: Vaccines will damage children’s immune system, so give them as little as possible.

Analysis: False! Vaccines will not reduce children's immunity, but can enhance their body resistance.

Before being approved for public use, vaccines must pass rigorous clinical trials and will only be officially marketed after their safety and effectiveness have been proven.

In addition, vaccines are made from inactivated or attenuated microorganisms. After vaccination, they stimulate the human immune system to produce resistance substances and "remember" this foreign microorganism. When the human body encounters this foreign microorganism again, the immune system will follow the original memory, quickly identify and produce more resistance substances.

In other words, vaccination can increase the body's immunity to specific diseases and will not have adverse effects on the child's own immunity.

References

[1] Will the MMR vaccine cause autism? Experts refute the rumor: It’s fake! http://v.people.cn/n1/2021/0930/c432795-32243527.html

Review | Zhang Yu, Researcher, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Doctor of Medicine, Master's Supervisor