Immunizations and side effects from vaccines
Side effects
Some people question the safety of immunizations for children. Although minor discomfort sometimes follows vaccine injections, research does not support claims that immunizations put a child at any significant risk for harmful side effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carefully evaluates all vaccines for safety. U.S. federal law requires health professionals to report any reaction following an immunization to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). Only two vaccines—the 1976 swine influenza vaccine and the old rotavirus vaccine in 1999—have ever been recalled because of safety concerns.
Side effects from vaccines are generally minor, if they occur at all. Reactions may include a sore arm from the injection, a slight fever, and fussiness in children. More serious side effects occur very rarely. The risk of a serious complication from a disease is far greater than the risk from the vaccine.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA continue to study vaccines. Although the risk of problems from vaccines is already extremely low, these agencies watch for any reports of rare or unexpected reactions.
Exposure to mercury
In the past, Thimerosal, a mercury-containing compound, was added to vaccines to prevent bacterial growth. In 1999, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) responded to concern about this additive's safety and set a goal to have it removed from all U.S.-manufactured vaccines. Even though recent studies have found no scientific proof linking autism or any other condition with thimerosal, all routinely recommended childhood vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market contain either no thimerosal or only trace amounts.1
The FDA publishes a summary of all vaccines that are given to children and how much, if any, thimerosal the vaccines contain.1
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: May 29, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics | |
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