Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMyths and MisconceptionsChildren at RiskImmune Deficiency RisksAllergy Risks
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Myths and Misconceptions
Children at Risk
Immune Deficiency Risks
Allergy Risks
Immunization protects you and your child from vaccine-preventable diseases as well as everyone around you. This is becauseherd immunitydictates that if most people are immune to a disease, the risk of community transmission is diminished in addition to the incidence of disease and illness.
Even people who refuse vaccination or don’t believe in herd immunity benefit from community-wide vaccination as the risk of infection decreases.However, if a large sector of the population does not get therecommended vaccines,diseases thought to be eliminated can begin to return. This is the case withmeasles, which was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 but is now recurring in pockets throughout the country.
Jiaqi Zhou / Verywell
One of the classic myths among anti-vaccine proponents is that unvaccinated children pose no risk to the public because most people are vaccinated. The underlying assumption is that if harm is done, only the unvaccinated individual will be affected.
As the recent measles outbreak has shown, this is not the case. In fact, as the spread of measles continues in the United States, others who might otherwise be safe are beginning to be affected.
This includes the following:
Outbreaks like these affect everyone in a community, even those who do not get sick.
In 2011, there were 107 confirmed measles infections in the United States. To contain the outbreaks, local and state health departments had to spend between $2.7 and $5.3 million, according to a 2014 study published in the journalVaccine.
Among the groups who are most at risk of theanti-vaccine movementare infants and children who are too young to be vaccinated. These are often children of parents who fully intend to get them vaccinated but simply can’t because of their age.
This is an especially big problem withpertussis (whooping cough)as infants don’t begin to achieve full protection from theDTaP vaccineuntil their third shot at 6 months.In the California pertussis outbreak of 2010, 10 infants died, nine of whom were less than 2 months old.
Among some of the other vaccine-preventable diseases that younger children may get during gaps in their vaccination schedules:
Younger children are also at risk forpolio,rubella, andmumpsuntil they are old enough to be vaccinated.
CDC Recommended VaccinationsThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following vaccinations before the age of 2:COVID-19Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP)Haemophilus influenzaetype BHepatitis AHepatitis BInactivated poliovirusInfluenzaMeasles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)Pneumococcal conjugateRotavirusVaricella (chickenpox)Note that these are recommended vaccines. However, states, schools, and employers mayrequire certain vaccines.
CDC Recommended Vaccinations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following vaccinations before the age of 2:COVID-19Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP)Haemophilus influenzaetype BHepatitis AHepatitis BInactivated poliovirusInfluenzaMeasles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)Pneumococcal conjugateRotavirusVaricella (chickenpox)Note that these are recommended vaccines. However, states, schools, and employers mayrequire certain vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following vaccinations before the age of 2:
Note that these are recommended vaccines. However, states, schools, and employers mayrequire certain vaccines.
Children and adults with weak immune systems may be at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases for different reasons. Some areimmunocompromisedand cannot receive certain vaccines (particularlylive vaccines) because the vaccines can end up causing illness. Others are unable to achieve the same immune protection following vaccination due to an underlyingimmune deficiency.
In either instance, the lack of an intactimmune systemplaces these individuals at greater risk of infection and illness than those with a robust immune response.
There are at least 180 different primary immune deficiency disorders (rare, genetic disorders that impair the immune response) and many secondary ones (likeHIV,organ transplants, and cancers likelymphomaandleukemia) that can place a child at an increased risk of infection.
One example involved a toddler with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). According to the CDC report, a 4-year-old child with ALL developed complications from a chickenpox infection 22 days after exposure despite being vaccinated against the disease. She died several days later due to multi-organ failure.
There are also situations where a child may be old enough to be vaccinated and has a strong immune system but still can’t get some or all of their vaccines.
Although uncommon, a life-threatening allergic reaction may preclude some children from getting or completing a vaccine course. For example, if a child has had a life-threatening reaction to the antibiotic neomycin, they would likely be allergic to the polio vaccine, chickenpox vaccine, and MMR vaccine.
Unlike children whose parents refuse them vaccines, these kids have true medical exemptions to getting vaccinated.
Summary
Vaccines are effective. Even so, an aversion to vaccines places the wider community at risk of diseases that should be fully under control.
If you are unsure whether you or your child needs vaccines or vaccine boosters, speak with your healthcare provider.
Vaccinations Healthcare Provider Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
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16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
McDermott A.Core Concept: Herd immunity is an important-and often misunderstood-public health phenomenon.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021;118(21):e2107692118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2107692118
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American Academy of Pediatrics.CDC: Rate of unvaccinated toddlers increasing.
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Hill HA, Elam-Evans LD, Yankey D, Singleton JA, Kang Y.Vaccination coverage among children aged 19–35 months — United States, 2017.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.2018;67:1123-8. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6740a4
Immune Deficiency Foundation. (2013)IDF Patient & Family Handbook for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, Fifth Edition.Towson, Maryland: Immune Deficiency Foundation USA.Medical Advisory Committee of the Immune Deficiency Foundation.Recommendations for live viral and bacterial vaccines in immunodeficient patients and their close contacts. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Immune Deficiency Foundation. (2013)IDF Patient & Family Handbook for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, Fifth Edition.Towson, Maryland: Immune Deficiency Foundation USA.
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