Many people still doubt the effectiveness of vaccines and their ability to protect humans from dozens of dangerous diseases, the latest of which is the Corona vaccine, the epidemic that has claimed many lives around the world since the beginning of 2020.

The Spanish magazine "hola doctor" says that caution against vaccinations and refusal to vaccinate is caused by myths and fears that have no scientific basis, and have spread widely in recent years.

Here are the most common myths and misconceptions about vaccines:

Vaccine causes autism

After a 1998 study of 12 children, Professor Andrew Wakefield concluded that "the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine" could cause regressive autism.

But various studies in the following years confirmed that Wakefield's conclusions were wrong.

After analyzing more than 1,200,000 children, a study published in the scientific journal "Vaccin" indicated that "vaccines are not associated with the development of autism."

Between 2010 and 2011, experts proved that Andrew Wakefield misused the data so that the study could produce the results he wanted.

According to an investigation by the British Medical Journal, Wakefield planned to profit financially from those findings, and the discovery of the fraud led to the withdrawal of his license to practice medicine in the UK.

Does not help prevent

It is true that vaccines do not prevent infection completely, but they reduce the risk of disease by between 85 and 99%, and vaccination helps to avoid severe complications in the event of infection.

For example, mumps may cause deafness, chickenpox, encephalitis, polio, and permanent paralysis.

side effects occur

Experts stress that all medical treatments - including vaccines - may have side effects, but those effects do not come directly from the vaccine, but rather are the product of the reaction of the immune system.

Symptoms that may appear after vaccinations include pain at the injection site, fever, headache, and fatigue.

After vaccination for the first time, the body recognizes the components of the vaccine and is ready to receive future vaccinations.

Also, the dangerous effects of vaccines are rare, and their proportion does not exceed one case in a thousand, or even one case in a million.

contain mercury

Some vaccines contain thiomersal, an organic compound extracted from mercury that is used as a preservative to prevent contamination with bacteria or fungi.

Opponents of vaccination believe that this compound is harmful to health, and can remain in the body for a long time.

The main reason for this belief is the confusion between methyl mercury found in nature and ethyl mercury found in vaccines.

Normally, the body gets rid of ethyl mercury faster and the chances of it accumulating in the body are less.

Based on these concerns, the Public Health Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and laboratories that produce vaccines agreed to reduce use of thiomersal in 1999. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children's vaccines no longer contain this substance since 2001.

sudden infant death syndrome

People have circulated another old myth that the diphtheria and whooping cough vaccine increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, but science has not yet proven any link between these two factors, but rather it has been shown that the vaccine is able to reduce this risk, according to the immune safety review: Vaccinations Sudden unexpected death in infants.

Mild illnesses do not need a vaccine

Some diseases can be prevented through vaccinations, even if they are not dangerous, in order to protect against complications that may result from infection.

The World Health Organization confirmed that some childhood diseases can cause serious complications and be fatal;

Epidemics such as influenza are responsible for between 3 and 5 million cases of serious illness, and cause between 290 and 650,000 deaths annually.

Take more than one vaccine at the same time

Studies are done to check for negative body reactions before a person receives more than one vaccine, and children are often more susceptible to viruses and bacteria from the environment than to the antigens found in vaccines.

pregnant woman vaccination

According to the National Immunization Information Network, some vaccines are not used during pregnancy, but others are completely safe and do not harm the fetus.

The antibodies produced by the mother's body thanks to vaccinations are transmitted to the fetus, protecting it from diseases during the first months after birth.

Since this protection lasts only a few months, the child must receive the appropriate vaccinations to immunize him.

Vaccination for children only

Many realize the importance of vaccines to children's health and are often surprised to learn that they are important for adults, too.

Many adult vaccines are boosters, while some other vaccines are recommended especially in adolescence and adulthood, such as influenza or HPV vaccines.