BABY

Are Babies Getting Too Many Vaccines?

The idea that too many vaccines overwhelm a baby's system is pretty much an urban legend.

babies too many vaccines

Why so many vaccines for babies?

The idea that too many vaccines overwhelm a baby's immune system sounds logical, but it is a myth. No evidence supports this belief, which gained popularity at a time when autism rates and the number of baby vaccines had both risen. But of course, coincidental timing does not prove cause! 

Baby Vaccines: Then vs. Now

While babies do get more vaccines today, they actually do not have more ‘stuff’ injected into their bodies. In 1980, the DPT shot was a blenderised bacteria soup of around 1,000 different illness particles or antigens. And, the polio vaccine babies used to get was a live virus that actually triggered a minute case of the disease to prevent a more serious one. 

Today, newborn vaccines are way, way more purified. The current DPT vaccine contains only three bacterial antigens and the polio vaccine no longer includes any live virus. These advances create a win-win situation: Vaccines guard kids against many more illnesses AND even though the number of vaccines has increased, the number of illness particles being injected into their bodies…is lower than ever before!

What vaccines are given to newborns?

  • Hepatitis B (First Dose)

These newborn vaccines are recommended for babies at 1-2 months old:

  • Hepatitis B (2nd dose)
  • DTaP (first dose)
  • HiB (first dose)
  • Polio (first dose)
  • PCV13 (first dose)
  • RV (first dose)

At 4 months, a baby should receive the following newborn vaccines:

  • DTaP (second dose)
  • HiB (second dose)
  • Polio (second dose)
  • PCV13 (second dose)
  • RV (second dose)

What about a COVID 19 vaccine for babies?

While we are all eagerly awaiting a COVID-19 vaccine, the wait might even longer before we have enough research on a COVID-19 vaccine for newborn babies and toddlers. 

How many newborn vaccines can a baby's body handle?

I often hear, ‘how many vaccines can my baby get at once?’ Some parents worry that a baby cannot handle several vaccines given at once. That is hardly the case. The immune system is a superb, multitasking, fighting machine! Every day thousands of threats strike at our little ones: from bacterial invaders to swarms of viruses to offending dietary proteins, damaged cells, irritating pollen, and even tiny cancers. The ability to thwart many mild attacks concurrently—including tolerating multiple vaccinations—is exactly what the immune system was built to do.

In fact, a new theory suggests that allergies and asthma may be on the rise in part because we have made the world TOO clean. It makes sense if you think about it. Early ‘exercise’ helps a baby's immune system achieve tip-top fighting condition!

Ansvarsfriskrivning: Informationen på vår webbplats är INTE medicinsk rådgivning för någon specifik person eller tillstånd. Den är endast avsedd som allmän information. Om du har några medicinska frågor och funderingar om ditt barn eller dig själv, vänligen kontakta din vårdgivare. Bröstmjölk är den bästa källan till näring för spädbarn. Det är viktigt att mödrar äter en hälsosam, balanserad kost i förberedelse för och under amning. Kombinerad amning och flaskmatning under de första veckorna i livet kan minska tillgången på en mammas bröstmjölk och det kan vara svårt att ångra beslutet att inte amma. Om du bestämmer dig för att använda modersmjölksersättning bör du noggrant följa instruktionerna.


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