Check what you know. Answer yes or no to the following sentences about vaccine safety.
| I know vaccines are safe for my child | Yes | No |
| I know it's safe for my child to get more than one vaccine at a time | Yes | No |
| I know every batch of vaccine is tested to ensure its safety | Yes | No |
| I know vaccines do not cause autism, multiple sclerosis, diabetes or other illnesses | Yes | No |
| I know vaccines are monitored for side effects | Yes | No |
If you answered no to any of the above, read on to learn more.
Keep your child safe.
Get all vaccines on time.
By getting all the vaccines on time, your child can be protected from many diseases over a lifetime
Yes, vaccines are safe for your child. Vaccines are made from weakened or dead germs (bacteria or viruses), or parts of the germs, such as proteins and/or polysaccharides (complex sugars). Some vaccines contain instructions that your child’s body uses to make proteins from the germs. Vaccines help your child’s immune system build protection against harmful germs without getting the disease.
Like healthy food and clean water, vaccines help keep your child healthy. All vaccines used in B.C. are approved by Health Canada.
Yes. Making a new vaccine that is safe and effective for your child can take many years. Vaccines must pass many safety tests before they are approved by Health Canada. Before a new vaccine is given to the general population, it goes through multiple phases of clinical trials to ensure the vaccine meets the highest safety and efficacy standards. If there are people who should not receive the vaccine due to safety concerns, this is indicated by Health Canada when they approve the vaccine.
Yes. After a vaccine has been approved for use, its safety is continuously monitored. Every batch or ‘lot’ of vaccine is tested and approved by Health Canada before it can be used. Adverse events (possible side effects) following immunization are reported and reviewed in each province and territory of Canada. These reports are also reviewed by Health Canada and the World Health Organization. Rates of these adverse events are analyzed and every serious event is reviewed in detail.
Yes. The danger from the disease is much greater than the risk of a side effect from the vaccine. Health officials around the world take vaccine safety very seriously. That is why every parent is asked to call their health care provider if any unusual or unexpected side effects happen after their child is immunized.
There is an extremely rare possibility, less than one in a million, of a life-threatening allergic reaction after getting a vaccine. If this happens, it is most likely to occur within minutes of getting a vaccine. This is why you are asked to stay at the clinic or health care provider’s office for 15 minutes after your child has been immunized. If this reaction occurs, your health care provider is prepared to treat it.
Yes. Even when your child gets several vaccines at once, most side effects will be mild and last for only a day or two. Common side effects may include a low fever or soreness at the injection site.
Millions of children in Canada are safely immunized every year. Serious side effects from vaccines are very rare.
No. The best available scientific evidence shows that vaccines do not cause autism, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or other illnesses.
Advances in science have improved how vaccines are made. Newer vaccines contain fewer substances that only stimulate the part of the immune system needed for protection. The best example of such a change is the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine. The ‘whole cell’ vaccine used before 1997 contained about 3,000 proteins and polysaccharides from the whole pertussis bacterium. The vaccines used in Canada today contain only 3 to 5 proteins and cause fewer side effects than the previous ‘whole cell’ vaccine.
For more information on childhood immunization, visit:
Call toll-free in B.C., 8-1-1, or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing to get personalized assistance. Speak to a navigator who can guide you to reliable health information or connect you with a health professional. Translation services are available in over 130 languages.
