IMMUNISATION

Things you need to know about vaccines

Vaccines:

Do

• protect you and your child from many serious and potentially deadly diseases
• protect other people in your community – by helping to stop diseases spreading to people who cannot have vaccines
• undergo rigorous safety testing before being introduced – they’re also constantly monitored for side effects after being introduced
• sometimes cause mild side effects that will not last long – some children may feel a bit unwell and have a sore arm for 2 or 3 days
• reduce or even get rid of some diseases – if enough people are vaccinated

Don’t

• do not cause autism – studies have found no evidence of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism
• do not overload or weaken the immune system – it’s safe to give children several vaccines at a time and this reduces the amount of injections they need
• do not cause allergies or any other conditions – all the current evidence tells us that vaccinating is safer than not vaccinating
• do not contain mercury (thiomersal)
• do not contain any ingredients that cause harm in such small amounts – but speak to your doctor if you have any known allergies such as eggs or gelatine