ANSWER:
No. As a matter of fact, vaccines strengthen the immune system by preparing it to defend against serious disease-causing bacteria and viruses. In contrast, if a child is not vaccinated and then becomes exposed to a disease-causing germ, he may not be strong enough to fight the disease. Additionally, there is a greater likelihood that his ability to fight off a second infection resulting from the "natural disease" will be reduced. For example, a previously healthy child with a measles infection is more likely to develop pneumonia or encephalitis, both of which can become severe enough to cause longterm health problems or even death.

"The immune system is constantly working to protect us from bacteria and viruses in our environment," states Dr. Jeff Duchin, Public Health-Seattle & King County. "Immunizations strengthen our immune defenses against a specific infection. Immunizations do not interfere with our ability to fight off other infections that we are not immunized against."

In fact, vaccinated children have been shown to suffer fewer infections, overall, than unvaccinated children. A study conducted in Germany of 496 vaccinated and unvaccinated children found that "...children who received immunizations against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hib, and polio within the first 3 months of life had fewer infections with vaccine-related and -unrelated [bacteria and viruses] than the nonvaccinated group" (Offit, P. et al, 2002).

A 2002 report published by the Institute of Medicine's Safety Review Committe, revealed a similar conclusion: "...multiple vaccinations do not increase the risk of young children developing various infections, ranging from colds and ear infections to pneumonia and meningitis." (The Safety Review Committee was established by the Institute of Medicine [IOM], an independent expert committee whose purpose is to review immunization safety concerns. The IOM was created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.)

ANSWER:
No. Receiving more than one childhood immunization at the same time does not harm a child's immune system. A review of clinical studies by the IOM in 2002 revealed no association between childhood immunizations and immune system problems. While there is clearly much more to learn about the immune system, some things we do know. Scientific data show that giving a child several vaccines at the same time has no adverse effect on a normal immune system. The immune system of a newborn can recognize and respond to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of different organisms. According to a study published in the January 2002 issue of Pediatrics, scientists estimate that a child could receive up to 10,000 vaccines in one day and still not "use up" his or her immune response. A child receiving 11 vaccines in one day would "use up" less than one percent of his/her immune system (Offit, P.A. et al).

According to William Atkinson, MD, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "The immune system is an extremely capable system. It can manage and respond to literally millions of antigens (foreign substances) at the same time. Take for example, walking outside on a spring day with flowers and trees in bloom. Through your mouth, nose and lungs, your immune system will constantly respond to multiple antigens (like pollen and dust) as it does its work in your bloodstream. In the same way, in daily interactions, you may be exposed to multiple cold viruses and your body will respond successfully. But some infections can cause severe illness and death even in persons with healthy immune systems. We can help the immune system ward off the serious infectious diseases that immunizations can prevent."

ANSWER:
No. Injecting the vaccines is a safe method that has been used for decades. Just as injecting infection-fighting antibiotics for illness is okay, so it is for giving vaccines. Vaccines are not injected directly into the bloodstream. Most vaccines are injected deep into the muscle or into the fat layer just below the skin. In addition, the syringe and needle used for an immunization are sterile and are only used once and then thrown away, so there is no possibility for the spread of infection by getting immunized.

Other methods for administering vaccine may soon become available, (such as by being sprayed into the nose or even eaten with food). The method used to administer vaccine, whether by injection or other route, is tested for safety and effectiveness before it is used in the general population.

ANSWER:
Modern vaccines are extremely effective, but are not perfect. For example, a vaccine that is 90% effective means that one in every ten people who is vaccinated is not fully protected from the disease. Should disease affect a community, those that are unprotected are likely to be infected - which includes those who were not vaccinated and the 10% of people who were vaccinated but for whom the vaccine didn't work. The 10% for whom the vaccine did not work may still have partial immunity; if infected, these individuals may experience a milder form of the disease. Because most diseases that vaccines prevent are transmitted from person-to-person, the more people in a community who are immunized, the less likely that disease will be transmitted and "find" the few that are unprotected.

Most vaccines require more than one dose to reach maximum immunity. Some, like tetanus and diphtheria, require booster doses every 10 years throughout life to continue that immunity.

ANSWER:
No. Many infectious diseases became better controlled as living conditions and hygiene improved, however they remained serious threats due to periodic outbreaks in vulnerable populations. It wasn't until the introduction of vaccines that we saw a dramatic drop in the rates of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Combating diseases often takes a combined approach. Several factors have helped the work of vaccines including:

• better nutrition,
• less crowded living conditions and better sanitation,
• more effective antibiotics and other treatments.

In spite of these advances, vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks still occur because of lack of immunization or incomplete immunization. Diseases like measles and pertussis are highly contagious, regardless of hygiene and living conditions.

Dr. Jeff Duchin, Public Health - Seattle & King County, states, "Immunizations have led to a dramatic decrease in serious childhood infections, such as Hib disease, that could not have been accomplished through improvement in sanitary conditions alone."

ANSWER:
No. Vaccine-preventable diseases can be deadly; they can cause permanent disabilities, such as brain damage from measles or pertussis, liver cancer from hepatitis B infection, or paralysis from polio. And some vaccines (such as tetanus and Hib), are better at creating immunity than natural infection. Vaccines provide protection from disease without risking the serious adverse effects of that illness.