Dos and Don'ts of Vaccinations

Dos

Vaccines that your child gets at school 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 are 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 two or three days
  • reduce or even get rid of some diseases – if enough people are vaccinated

Don't

Vaccines that your child gets at school 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