August is National Vaccine Awareness Month.
Remember the great polio scare of 2025?
Of course not! Thanks to vaccines, the deadly poliovirus was eradicated in the United States in 1979.
Vaccines are like the superwoman of modern medicine: they prevent serious diseases, protect society through herd immunity and save countless lives.
But heavy is the vax that wears the crown. Just like the deadly viruses that vaccines protect us from, misinformation is contagious and myths about vaccines seem to have a long lifespan. Between the public’s distrust of healthcare and pharmaceutical companies and misinformation on social media, it can be difficult to know who to trust and which facts are true.
So, let’s clear things up with science.
Here are 5 common falsehoods about vaccines and the facts you need to know.
1. “Vaccines cause autism.”
There is no scientific evidence linking vaccines and autism.
The misinformation may be linked in part to a 1998 British study that suggested a possible link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The study was later retracted by The Lancet in 2011 after the lead researcher admitted that “several elements” in the paper were wrong and he was found guilty of fraud, among other things.
Today, there are more than 25 studies that show no evidence of a link between the MMR vaccine and the development of autism.
2. “As an adult you don’t need any vaccinations.”
Adults also need vaccinations.
Some vaccinations, such as the shingles vaccine, are recommended for people age 50 and older.
And even if you received all recommended vaccinations as a child, some vaccines may become less effective over time and you may need a booster dose.
Other vaccines, including the flu vaccine, are updated annually to provide the best protection against serious illness.
The best thing to do? Talk to your doctor about what vaccinations you may need and when is the best time to get them.
Read: 10 Vaccinations Adults Should Get >>
3. “Vaccines contain harmful, toxic ingredients.”
Hear us out: It’s true that some vaccines contain aluminum and formaldehyde (yes, like formaldehyde on corpses).
But the amount of aluminum and formaldehyde in vaccines is tiny compared to what you are exposed to every day in food, water and air.
Formaldehyde is a natural substance made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and is found in every living thing on the planet. Manufacturers add tiny amounts of formaldehyde during vaccine production to kill viruses or toxins. The vaccine is then purified, leaving only traces of formaldehyde behind. The amount is so small compared to what we already have naturally in our bodies that it is neither harmful nor dangerous.
Vaccines may also contain aluminum salts as an adjuvant, a substance added to boost the immune response. So aluminum salts help your immune system build protection. Without them, the vaccine would not work as it should.
Given that aluminum is found everywhere – in the water you drink, in the food you eat, even in the air we breathe – the small amount in vaccines is considered safe.
See, a lot less scary!
Watch our video: How are vaccines made? >>
4. “You can actually get the disease from the vaccine.”
It is extremely unlikely that a vaccine could cause disease.
For one thing, most vaccines are not live vaccines, meaning they use inactive (killed) germs, bacteria or viral proteins, making it impossible to transmit the disease through the vaccine.
The vaccines that contain live organisms – for example, the chickenpox vaccine – are grown in a laboratory, where the weakened versions of the virus or bacteria eventually lose their ability to cause disease. Manufacturers then select the weakest ones to reproduce and add them to the vaccine.
The vaccine is weak, so your body can use it to build immunity to fight the virus without causing full-blown infection or illness.
Live vaccines may cause mild symptoms such as a rash after vaccination, but this is a sign that the vaccine is working.
5. “Natural immunity is better than vaccine immunity.”
Think of vaccines like a safety bubble for your body. If you receive a vaccine, it will build up immune defenses in a safe and controlled way, without putting you at risk of possible complications from a real infection.
Natural immunity can also produce immunity, but it also means that you are exposed to infections and diseases that can lead to serious illness or even death, as we have seen with smallpox, measles and influenza – to name a few.
Many serious health consequences can be prevented through vaccinations. And vaccination not only helps you, it also helps prevent the spread of deadly diseases and illnesses to other people.
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