Fact Or Fiction

Too Many, Too Soon

FACT: The vaccine schedule and combination of vaccines has been researched to be safe and effective.”

Some parents wonder whether an infant’s tiny body is able to safely handle the number of vaccines he or she receives early in life. The truth is that your child's immune system is stronger than you think, and there is no need to fear that vaccinating on schedule will overwhelm the immune system.

From the minute they’re born, a child is exposed to hundreds, even thousands, of new germs in the form of fungi, bacteria and viruses. Babies’ immune systems are designed to protect them from these bacteria and viruses that challenge the immune system daily. The vaccines given in the first two years of life are “a raindrop in the ocean” of what a baby’s immune system fends off every day.

In fact, your child is exposed to more antigens (any substance that causes the immune system to produce antibodies against it, such as a virus or bacteria) in his or her environment than in all his or her vaccinations combined. The total number of immunological components in all of a child’s vaccines is slightly less than 160, compared to the millions of pathogens (or disease-causing agents) we encounter every day by simply eating, breathing, and living our lives.

While your child’s immune system is strong enough and prepared to handle these daily challenges and the immune response triggered by vaccines, there is no telling what effect an infectious disease will have on their body. A young child’s natural immune system is not strong enough to fight off diseases like measles or meningitis, which is why we vaccinate at such an early age.

More shots, fewer antigens
It’s true - children today get more shots than their parents did when they were kids. But this is actually a good thing! It means we are able to protect babies from even more disease than ever before.

Figure 1

Year

Number of Vaccines

Possible Number of Shots by Age 2

Possible Number of Shots at a Single Visit

1900

1

1

1

1960

5

8

2

1980

7

5

2

2000

11

20

5

2014

14

26

5

When your child is vaccinated following the CDC recommended vaccine schedule, he or she will have immunity to 14 diseases by the age of two in as little as 18 shots if using combination vaccines, or as many as 26 shots if using individual antigens.

And while children today receive more vaccines, today’s vaccines contain fewer antigens. This is important because our immune system sees antigens, not shots. The combination of vaccines given today in early childhood are much less of a challenge to a child’s immune system than the combination of vaccines given in the 1980s and 1990s.

1900

1960

1980

2000

Vaccine

Proteins

Vaccine

Proteins

Vaccine

Proteins

Vaccine

Proteins/

Polysacc

Smallpox

∼200

Smallpox

∼200

Diphtheria

1

Diphtheria

1

Total

∼200

Diphtheria

1

Tetanus

1

Tetanus

1



Tetanus

1

WC-Pertussis

∼3000

AC-Pertussis

2–5



WC-Pertussis

∼3000

Polio

15

Polio

15



Polio

15

Measles

10

Measles

10



Total

∼3217

Mumps

9

Mumps

9





Rubella

5

Rubella

5





Total

∼3041

Hib

2







Varicella

69







Pneumococcus

8







Hepatitis B

1







Total

123–126

Figure 2. Antigens by Vaccine, 1900-2000

Not every immune cell responds to each pathogen
The immune cells in our bodies are specific to different pathogens. The combination of all the immune cells in each of our bodies results in a tremendously large collection of cells that can combat any pathogen that comes our way. If you take this a step further, this means that for every pathogen introduced into the body, whether in a vaccine or through exposure in everyday life, only a handful of specific immune cells will actually respond.

The CDC recommended schedule is designed to offer the best and safest protection
You may have heard of “delayed” or “alternative” schedules that space out a child’s vaccines. While a compromise to the CDC recommended schedule may sound appealing, it’s important to know that these alternative schedules are not based in science nor have they been tested and reviewed for safety. In fact, there is no medical benefit to spreading out vaccines. Clinical studies show no decrease in the risk of adverse reactions when doses are delayed. Additionally, research shows that delaying the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine until after a child is 15 months old may raise his or her seizure risk.

The CDC recommended vaccine schedule is specifically designed to protect children when they are most at risk. Scientists and doctors have invested countless hours into making sure the childhood vaccine schedule is safe and effective. These experts determine each vaccine’s dose timing using two factors. First, it is scheduled for the age when the body’s immune system will respond best. Second, it is balanced with the need to provide protection to infants and children at the earliest possible age. The experts created the recommended schedule because it yields the safest and most protective results for the health of your child, your family, and the community.

Share this page with a friend

1. From:
2. To:
3. Subject:
4. Message: