Should You

Vaccinate Your
Kids?

Parent concerns about vaccines

and autism:
1. Too many vaccines overwhelm the
immune system causing autism.
A study of more than 1,000
children published in the
Journal of Pediatrics found
NO increased risk of autism.
A study published
in
Pediatrics found NO benefit
delaying vaccines and NO
negative long-term effects of
babies being vaccinated
timely.
2. The measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
combination vaccine causes autism.
A study published in Lancet
looked for an increase in the
number of autism diagnosis
after the MMR vaccine was
used. NO link was found.
The journal Vaccine reviewed
the study published in Lancet
and NO link was found.
The British Medical Journal
published a similar study
where
NO
supportive
evidence was found.
3. The preservative thimerosal used in
vaccines causes autism.
A study of 467,000 children
compared
children
who
received thimerosal present
vaccines and children who
received thimerosal free

vaccines for a link between

thimerosal and autism. NO
link was found.
Another study of 14,000
children found NO evidence
that exposure to thimerosal
caused autism or other
negative outcomes.
Pediatrics published a study
that found autism diagnosis
increased after thimerosal
was removed from vaccines.

Most common side effects of vaccines:

1 out of 4 children MAY develop a
fever, redness, swelling or tenderness
at the injection site.
1 out of 12 children MAY have a
loss in appetite.
1 out of 14 children MAY have
tiredness.
1 out of 3 people MAY have a
headache.
1 out of 20 people MAY develop a
rash (MMR).
1 out of 75 people MAY have
swelling in the neck (MMR).

Vaccines are under

continuous safety monitoring.
This monitoring has proven
vaccines to be safe and
effective in preventing serious
disease.

of Pediatrics. These are reliable

sources.
2. Who wrote it? Reliable sources
include doctors or nurses who
practice in childrens health.
3. Was the article written within the last
5 years? There may be newer more
accurate information available if the
article is older than 5 years.
4. How large was the study group? The
larger the group, the more reliable
the study results

Complications of Measles disease:

Rash, cough, ear infections, pneumonia,
brain damage, death
Complications of Mump disease:
Fever, muscle pain, deafness, meningitis,
painful swelling of testicles or ovaries
Complications of Rubella disease:
Rash, arthritis, fever, pregnant women may
miscarry or the baby may have serious birth
defects if contracted while pregnant

Other reliable
resources for parents:

Complications of Diphtheria disease:

Breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure
Complications of Hib disease:
Meningitis, pneumonia, infections in the
blood, joints, bones, and the covering of the
heart, brain damage, deafness

American Academy of Pediatrics

(AAP)
www.aap.org/immunization/famili
es/families.html
1-847-434-4000

Complications of Hep B disease:

Liver damage, cancer, chronic infection
Complications of Polio disease:
Permanent paralysis, death
Complications of Whooping Cough
disease:
Severe cough, difficulty breathing, rib
fractures, weight loss, pneumonia, death

Tips for determining if a source of

information is reliable:
1. Is it published in a medical journal?
Examples include Advances in
Pediatrics, European Journal of
Pediatrics, and American Academy

Vaccine Education Center

www.chop.edu/vaccine
Immunization Action Coalition
www.immunize.org