Vaccine Safety

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can natural infection or a healthy lifestyle be effective alternatives to vaccines?

Answer: Vaccines create immunity to specific diseases without causing the suffering of the disease itself. Children do develop immunity to many different germs through their everyday exposure to these infections. However, the diseases we can prevent with vaccines kill and disable children. For some diseases (e.g. tetanus and meningitis) the vaccine creates stronger immunity than natural infection does. Boosting the immune system in general through herbs or vitamins does not offer specific protection from the viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases. For infants, breast-feeding offers protection against some infections, such as colds, ear infections and diarrhea, because the infant receives immune-boosting proteins in the mother's milk. Despite its many benefits, however, breast-feeding does not protect infants from the specific diseases we can prevent with vaccines. Vaccines also use a natural mechanism to keep us healthy by taking advantage of our natural immune response. A vaccine stimulates antibodies so that if we are exposed to that specific virus or bacterium in the future, our immune system can mount an effective attack.

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