Vaccines for Children: Safe and Highly Recommended
Photo by Edward Cisneros on Unsplash
If the safety factor of vaccines is something you’ve debated about in the past, here is your answer – vaccinations for children have been deemed 100% safe and totally recommended, according to a study that screened over 20,000 scientific titles and 67 papers on vaccine safety. The review appears in the latest edition of the medical journal Pediatrics.
The Safety of Vaccines
Although they have been under scrutiny for the past few years, vaccinations are very safe, posing far less of a health threat than the diseases they prevent. The amount of research and number of trials a vaccine must go through in order to be approved by the FDA is huge and there are very strict guidelines in place to ensure the safety of those taking it.
In fact, in most public schools it is a requirement for children to get vaccinated against preventable and potentially deadly diseases.
Evidence that the meningococcal (Meningitis) vaccine could lead to anaphylaxis – a severe, whole-body allergic reaction – in children allergic to the vaccine’s ingredients. Other studies found the MMR vaccine was linked to seizures. However, these cases were few and far between. What needs to be taken into consideration is that vaccines, like any other medication, are not risk-free. Most medications come with a list of potential side effects and these risks increase if the child has severe allergies.
Adverse Side Effects of Vaccinations
With certain adverse side effects seen in only a fraction of the population, it’s highly recommended and sometimes required by schools for children to receive common vaccinations – vaccines may save your child’s life. For most people, the extent of a vaccine’s side effects are simple redness on or around the injection area and mild pain. The serious side effects of vaccines are extremely rare.
Parents who believe that vaccines actually harm children are, in fact, putting their child at risk. Millions of Americans live longer on average because of the protection vaccines provide. Life expectancy has gone up in the United States by more than 30 years, largely due to the vaccines that have been developed. Infant mortality rates decreased from 100 deaths per 1000 newborns to only 7 per 1000 between the 1900’s and 2000’s. Many parents fear the link between autism and vaccines – however, this has yet to be solidified as a definitely pathway to autism and there is very little evidence of this being a major cause of autism. As of right now, traditional vaccines are highly suggested for all children, especially before the age of 5.
What’s your take on vaccinations? Do you thinm children should get vaccinated, or are you against it? Let us know what you think!
