FAQ - Immunizations
By Erynne DeVore, BSN, RN
Immunizations have been a hot topic for nearly a couple decades, amplified by the Covid pandemic and subsequent vaccinations. My professional (and personal, as a mom) experience is primarily working with pediatric immunizations but I hope these things to consider will apply across the lifetime.
Who can we trust? With so much misinformation and information online, and even sometimes mixed messaging from government officials, it can be tricky to know where to go for information. My first recommendation is to ask your providers. They’re most likely going to recommend the CDC and for kids, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) schedule. Those are two websites that might be helpful, as well. Avoid using .com websites for research (anyone can make a .com website!)
What about side effects? Long term side effects are very rare from immunizations, and the effects of any disease we are immunizing against are also a significant factor to consider. Short term reactions are a little more common - things like injection site soreness, possible fevers, etc. These are immune responses - the body recognizes the immunization as a possible threat and reacts to it as such (mildly), so if you come into contact with the disease itself your immune response remembers and is prepared. If you or your child has a less common but more severe reaction (vomiting, high fever, rash, etc.) please contact your provider, or ask them prior to the administration what you should do should those arise. Most of the time you’ll simply be told to monitor for worsening or new symptoms, and it’s good for your provider to make a note in your chart of such reactions. You can read about the vaccines, the diseases they protect against, possible side effects on VIS sheets - online here, and your provider should give you one when you receive a vaccine.
Should we take ibuprofen or Tylenol? A common complaint is soreness at the injection site, which generally (again, ask your provider) can be treated with Tylenol, or Ibuprofen if over 6 months old. Most providers recommend not giving ibuprofen or Tylenol before the immunizations (as we don’t want to suppress the immune response for effectiveness) and to wait until later to do so if discomfort arises.
I’ve been sick, should I get a vaccine? This answer can vary slightly person to person but the general answer is you should not get a vaccine if you’ve had a fever in the last 24 hours, or significant sick symptoms (if a after an illness there’s a lingering cough or runny nose, it is most likely fine to get an vaccine then, but be sure to report your symptoms first).
I want to spread out my child’s vaccines, because I don’t want to overload their system. Which ones do you recommend? Parents are often frustrated when healthcare professionals do not answer this question directly. We don’t tell you what vaccines you should or shouldn’t get because they are *all* recommended, and the schedule is already spaced out as research indicates is appropriate. That said, your provider absolutely should be able to tell you risk factors, outcomes, etc. for the diseases themselves to help you make an informed decision if it is different than the recommended schedule.
Are vaccines linked to autism? No. Research has shown this repeatedly. There are stories online of mostly one year olds getting vaccines and then some time later regressing in developmental skills. What is important to remember about regression, is if it’s going to happen, it will most likely be around the age(s) where kids happen to be receiving multiple vaccines *regardless of if they get the vaccines or not.* It can be very scary for parents who hear these stories and claims, but one thing that helps some parents is to remember the diseases you’re protecting your children against with these vaccines have significant symptoms or “side effects” themselves, and are often deadly.
My child isn’t sexually active, so they don’t need the HPV vaccine, right? Won’t that just send a message that it’s ok if they have sex? This is a common misconception. HPV is sexually transmitted, but the vaccine is most effective if administered before one is sexually active. This is why the first dose is offered between 9-11 years old. It is a two dose series (with six months in between) unless both doses are not given before one turns 15, then it becomes a three dose series. It is possible for HPV to develop into cancer, most commonly cervical cancer for girls and throat cancer for boys. Depending on the child’s age and the nature of the conversation, the most appropriate information I’ve found to tell kids about this vaccine is that it helps prevent certain cancers.
I hope this answers some questions about vaccines, and at the very least gives you some starting points for research or questions to ask your providers.