The benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks

Concerned about the potential risks of childhood vaccinations? Pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, MD, explains how vaccines help protect the health of children and the rest of the community.

Transcript

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[MUSIC PLAYING] Let me reassure you that vaccines are safe.

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Hi. Dr. Altmann here with a tip about vaccines. Recommended vaccinations for children include tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis,

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also known as whooping cough, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella, also known as German measles, meningitis, pneumonia, and chickenpox.

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These are vaccine preventable diseases. And before the vaccines were developed, they claimed thousands of lives annually.

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Still, many parents are concerned about the safety of vaccinations. Let me reassure you that vaccines are safe.

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There may be minor side effects, such as soreness at the injection site, but the benefit vastly outweighs the dangers of catching the disease.

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Refusing to vaccinate has consequences. In 2010, more than 21,000 cases of whooping cough occurred

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in the US, and 22 children younger than 1 died. When children don't get their vaccinations,

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their health and everyone else's is at risk. But since there's no easy way to tell for whom the vaccine didn't work, every one should get vaccinated so the disease never

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takes hold in a community. Widespread vaccination even helps those 5% of people whose vaccines aren't effective

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avoid infection. It also protects those who are too young to be vaccinated, such as newborns, and those who are unable to get vaccinated,

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such as a child receiving chemotherapy for cancer. If you have questions about vaccinations for your child, talk to your pediatrician.