Debunking Myths About Vaccine Safety

Source: National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)

As the respiratory season gets underway and immunization guidance continues to shift, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is helping to debunk vaccine myths and misinformation. The following information is from a NFID Respiratory Season News Briefing.

MYTH: There isn’t enough information about the safety of vaccines.

REALITY: There is an enormous amount of scientific evidence supporting vaccine safety, reviewed by panels of experts. These reviews cover data from all age groups and special populations, ensuring that recommendations are grounded in the latest and most reliable research.

“There are a number of systems in place that are monitoring both safety and the effectiveness [of vaccines] … The Vaccine Integrity Project was really looking at a focus on evidence and what we did particularly for this season was to align a group of nationwide experts in virology, epidemiology, clinical practice and research methodology to do a massive review …

We reviewed all the peer reviewed literature where these three viruses or the disease were mentioned. It started with 17,000. It was winnowed down to a review of almost 600 that were teased out to look at, the vaccine efficacy, vaccine safety code administration, epidemiology and virology among each of the different populations here: Pediatrics and obstetrics. Other population included adults, older adults and immunocompromised.

So, you can imagine the complexity of all this. But that was the basis on which the evidence review was developed so that the medical societies, in addition to the other ways that they looked at this evidence, could use that as the basis for making the recommendations that they have.” – Bruce Gellin, MD, MPH (Vaccine Integrity Project), during the NFID Respiratory Season News Briefing.

Vaccines in Children

MYTH: Kids are resilient and don’t need COVID-19 vaccines.

REALITY:  While children are often resilient, they are not immune to the risks of COVID-19. Kids, including those without underlying health conditions, can still get seriously ill, be hospitalized, or experience long-term complications from the virus.

“We really did want to emphasize the importance of getting those younger children vaccinated, because their risk of hospitalization is actually similar to the risk of hospitalization for older adults 50 to 64. And I’ll say we also highly endorse ACOG’s recommendation for COVID vaccination during pregnancy. Because those infants under six months of age have hospitalization rates similar to adults 65 to 74 years of age.” – Sean O’Leary, MD, MPH (AAP), during the NFID Respiratory Season News Briefing.

MYTH: Kids can’t get the flu and COVID-19 vaccine together.

REALITY: It is safe and effective for children to receive the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same visit. Studies show no increased risk and no reduction in effectiveness when vaccines are administered together.

“When vaccines are studied, they’re put into common use, they’re studied in combination to make sure that they’re safe to give, to make sure that they don’t cause one vaccine not to work as well as it should. And so, we’re confident that when we give vaccines at the same time that they’re both effective and they’re safe. – Sean O’Leary, MD, MPH (AAP), during the NFID Respiratory Season News Briefing.

“The idea that kids can get too many vaccines at once is really basically a myth. The main problem is the public’s like, ‘We don’t like, you know, nobody likes shots, right?’ But it is perfectly safe to give multiple shots in a single visit.” – Sean O’Leary, MD, MPH (AAP), during the NFID Respiratory Season News Briefing.

Vaccines in Pregnancy

MYTH: Babies aren’t at risk for severe COVID-19.

REALITY: Babies under 6 months are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, yet they’re too young to be vaccinated. Pregnant mothers can protect their babies by getting vaccinated and passing antibodies to their newborns.

“The data suggests that children less than 6 months of age have a high rate of severe illness and literally moms are the only people who can really protect them with those passive antibodies because they [children less than 6 months of age] can’t be vaccinated yet.” – Laura Riley, MD (ACOG), during the NFID Respiratory Season News Briefing.

MYTH: A pregnant mother getting sick with the flu isn’t serious for the baby.

REALITY: Flu during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth and complications that can have lifelong consequences for the baby. Vaccination reduces these risks, protecting both mom and baby from serious outcomes.