Thinking about skipping shots? Doctors debunk those rumors

The Benefits of Vaccines

Childhood vaccinations help prevent children and medically vulnerable people from getting deadly diseases, like polio, measles and whooping cough. It also reduces the likelihood that viruses like the flu and COVID-19 will cause serious illness or death.

“The data is clear. Shots save lives,” says Dr. Bradley Bradford, president and founding pediatrician of Pediatrics by the Sea in Delray Beach. “It’s the safest and most cost-effective thing pediatricians do. It works, and we know it.”

Vaccines Side Effects

Some parents choose to delay their child’s vaccinations or space them out instead of following their pediatrician’s immunization schedule in an effort to avoid side effects, but Dr. Fox advises against this.

“Vaccinations have not been studied this way,” she says. “We don’t know how the immune system will respond. We don’t know if the child is getting the protection they need. The recommended schedules are backed by research. Spacing them apart is essentially playing Russian roulette.”

It’s natural for parents to seek out information about their children’s health care, but it’s important to learn from reputable resources because the internet and social media are rife with misinformation. The U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and resources provided by renowned healthcare facilities like Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Education Center, are a great place to start. 

You should also discuss your concerns with your family pediatrician. “It’s our job as pediatricians to give parents information to make the best decision for their child,” Dr. Fox-Levine emphasizes. “Vaccines prevent illness and death. Period.”