Abstract
The World Health Organization has named vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten threats to global health in 2019. The reasons why people choose not to vaccinate are complex, but lack of confidence in vaccine safety, driven by concerns about adverse events, has been identified as one of the key factors. Healthcare workers, especially those in primary care, remain key influencers on vaccine decisions. It is important, therefore, that they be supported by having easy access to trusted, evidence-based information on vaccines. Although parents and patients have a number of concerns about vaccine safety, among the most common are fears that adjuvants like aluminum, preservatives like mercury, inactivating agents like formaldehyde, manufacturing residuals like human or animal DNA fragments, and simply the sheer number of vaccines might be overwhelming, weakening or perturbing the immune system. As a consequence, some fear that vaccines are causing autism, diabetes, developmental delays, hyperactivity, and attention-deficit disorders, amongst others. In this review we will address several of these topics and highlight the robust body of scientific evidence that refutes common concerns about vaccine safety.
Highlights
Vaccines are among the greatest public health achievements of modern times
Epidemiologic data and biologic data show that cumulative increases in the number of vaccines have no effect on immune function
Facing the large body of safety data demonstrating no link between MMR vaccine and autism, a new concern frequently cited by antivaccine groups is that the number of antigens children are exposed to in the first year of life has an adverse effect on neurodevelopment
Summary
Vaccines are among the greatest public health achievements of modern times. They have saved and continue to save millions of lives throughout the world. Concern about vaccine safety continues to be an important driver of decreased vaccine uptake in most contexts (Larson et al, 2014). This concern is fueled by misinformation and propagated through organized antivaccine groups, social media and celebrity endorsements. Despite a wealth of scientific data supporting the safety of currently recommended vaccines, counteracting false information to convince vaccine hesitant populations continues to be challenging. In this article we aim to discuss the most common vaccine safety controversies, summarize the available data, and highlight some of what we feel are the most important research studies for each topic (Table 1)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
