Pharmacy Month: Common vaccination myths – debunked

Vaccines are often surrounded by confusion and myths, but we need to understand the truth to keep ourselves, our families and our communities healthy.

Vaccines are formulated specifically to help protect us from serious diseases.

Let’s dive into some of the most common vaccine myths and uncover the facts about vaccines.

We only need vaccines during an outbreak or pandemic

Fact: A vaccination is a practical step to take to help prevent a disease rather than try to treat the disease when it’s running rampant. The goal of vaccinations is to maintain herd immunity; that is, preventing outbreaks before they start.

Vaccines can cause the diseases they are meant to cure

Fact: It’s true that most vaccines contain inactivated or weakened forms of the virus or bacteria they protect against. However, these strains and forms cannot cause the disease. For example, the flu vaccine uses inactivated influenza viruses, so it cannot cause the flu. What will happen after a vaccination is that you may have mild symptoms, but this is usually a sign that your immune system is responding as it should.

Vaccines don’t work because outbreaks still happen

Fact: Unfortunately, no vaccine is 100% effective to completely stop an outbreak. The good news is that when more people are vaccinated, there’s a higher rate of herd immunity - and this is what reduces the likelihood of outbreaks. When vaccination rates drop, the risk of disease outbreaks increases. For instance, when there’s a sudden resurgence of measles in areas with low vaccination rates, it highlights why maintaining high vaccination rates is so important.

Only children need to be vaccinated

Fact: Everyone is vulnerable to a virus outbreak, so vaccines are important for people of all ages, not just children. Many vaccines, like those for influenza, tetanus and shingles are necessary for adults and seniors. It’s also important to keep up with booster doses to keep your immunity strong.

Natural immunity is enough against diseases

Fact: A person’s natural immunity can be very strong, but you could still contract a disease. Vaccines offer a safer way to build immunity. For example, the measles vaccine protects you from getting measles without having to suffer from the disease or its serious complications, like pneumonia or brain inflammation.

Good to know

• Some vaccines are designed to prevent cancers caused by viruses. The HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine, for example, helps prevent cervical cancer and other cancers linked to HPV infection.
• Most vaccines are created using synthetic or artificial methods, but there are some that are made from natural substances. For instance, experts created the yellow fever vaccine from a weakened version of the yellow fever virus and this has helped to prevent outbreaks.
• Vaccines help reduce the need for antibiotics by preventing diseases that would otherwise call for treatment with antibiotics. This is a good thing for the fight against antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria become stronger to resist the effects of antibiotics, making infections harder to treat.
• Vaccination dates back to ancient practices. In China, as early as the 10th century, people used powdered smallpox scabs to create a form of immunity. This early form of treatment laid the groundwork for what we are now familiar with in modern vaccines.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only. Always check with your doctor or medical practitioner about any health concerns, before embarking on any fitness or nutrition programme, or using any medication.