Contents:
- Medical Video: The Science of Anti-Vaccination
- What are the hoaxes about vaccines that often circulate?
- "The vaccine is not safe and has adverse side effects"
- "Vaccines are not natural"
- "Vaccines cause autism"
- "Vaccines cause asthma or allergies"
- "Infection is a normal thing, part of a child's growth"
- "Vaccines contain toxic preservatives"
Medical Video: The Science of Anti-Vaccination
Many hoaxes about vaccines are circulating in the community. This misleading news made some people choose not to give vaccines to their children. It is important for you to know the facts of hoaxes that are circulating so that your child remains protected from various diseases.
What are the hoaxes about vaccines that often circulate?
"The vaccine is not safe and has adverse side effects"
Fact: Vaccines are safe to use for humans.
All vaccines that have permission have been tested many times before being allowed to be used in humans. The researcher also always monitors any information obtained regarding the side effects that arise after administration of the vaccine.
Most of the side effects that arise after administration of vaccines are only mild side effects. Suffering experienced by a disease that can actually be prevented by a vaccine is more severe than giving the vaccine itself.
"Vaccines are not natural"
Fact: Vaccines use human's natural response to disease to trigger the human body's defense system. Some people believe that giving a vaccine is not natural, and if someone is infected with the disease directly it will provide a stronger immune system. However, if you prefer to suffer from certain diseases in order to get immunity and not do a vaccine, you have to accept more serious consequences.
Diseases such as tetanus and meningitis can kill you, while vaccines can be well tolerated by the body and mild side effects. With vaccine protection, you also do not need to feel the pain because of diseases to get immunity while avoiding complications that occur due to disease.
"Vaccines cause autism"
Fact: In 1998 there was a study that said that there was a possible relationship between the administration of the MMR vaccine and autism, but it turned out that the study was wrong and was just a fraud. The study was drawn from a journal that published it in 2010.
Unfortunately, this had caused panic in the community so that the vaccine was reduced and an outbreak emerged. There is no scientific evidence that says there is a relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism.
"Vaccines cause asthma or allergies"
Fact: There is no scientific evidence that vaccine administration can cause or worsen asthma or allergies. Instead, those who suffer from asthma or allergies are recommended to get a complete vaccine because diseases such as pertussis and flu can worsen the condition of asthma. In some people, allergies can occur in administering vaccines, but the risk is very low. The incidence of severe allergies is only 1 in one million given vaccines.
"Infection is a normal thing, part of a child's growth"
Fact: Vaccine-preventable diseases are mostly serious and deadly diseases, but thanks to vaccines, they are rarely found. Before giving vaccines, many polio sufferers have to breathe with breathing apparatus, children whose airways are blocked due to diphtheria, or children who have brain damage due to measles infection!
"Vaccines contain toxic preservatives"
Fact: Each vaccine contains preservatives to prevent bacterial or fungal growth. The most commonly used preservative is thiomersal which contains mercury ethyl. Ethyl mercury itself has no adverse effects on health. Toxic mercury is methyl mercury which has a toxic effect on the human nervous system so it is not used as a preservative.
Ethyl mercury itself has been used as a vaccine preservative for more than 80 years and there is no scientific evidence that thiomersal containing ethyl mercury is dangerous.
