Welcome to the Vaccine Toolkit!
This resource was created to provide education on vaccines and what they can do for you. Watch this introduction video to learn how to use this toolkit:
[ View Vaccine Toolkit Overview text transcript ]
FAQ
Thankfully, vaccines have shown to not cause autism. Many parents are worried about childhood vaccines causing autism after they’re given. Older studies that may have begun this myth were flawed and had faulty results. There have been many new studies done in the last 20 years that have shown no link between autism and vaccines or their ingredients. These studies have looked at common vaccines such as MMR, flu, HPV and Tdap.
Over time, vaccines have showed that they can prevent the spread of disease and have even helped us wipe out some illnesses! Although good cleaning habits, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle can help prevent the spread of disease, vaccines help us to prevent tough diseases such as those that spread through the air. Additionally, vaccines must pass testing before everyone can use them. These tests make sure the vaccine is safe and that they work well. These tests are still done after everyone can use them to make sure the vaccine is always safe and still working.
The ingredients of a vaccine will change for each type of vaccine. These ingredients might have a deadened virus or part of a virus that lets the body prepare for a disease. Most vaccines have parts that help it to work better, guard parts of the virus before it is given and keep harmful germs away. All of these ingredients can be found in the body, in the foods that we eat and products that we use for our health.
Many vaccines may cause soreness, redness and/or swelling where the shot was given. Some may also experience a fever, feel tired or have muscle and joint pain. These feelings go away on their own. These side effects happen because the body may be fighting off the vaccine, which is perfectly normal!
Serious side effects can happen, however, they are very rare. These serious side effects may be due to an allergy to a part of a vaccine. If you have an allergy, it is important to tell your doctor before getting a vaccine. An allergy can show as a rash, hives, itching, fever and/or a runny nose. However, an allergy can also show as swelling of the tongue and throat and a hard time breathing. In this rare case, you should get care as quickly as possible. If you are worried about side effects for a certain vaccine, you may look at Vaccine Information Statements (VIS). These have many details about a certain vaccine that can answer questions you have.
Common side effects usually go away on their own, but you should tell your doctor if you have any. It may help to take over the counter medications to help with pain and soreness and/or to help reduce fevers. Your healthcare provider can help you to select the right medicines to help with these side effects. If you were to have a serious side effect, it is important to see your doctor and discuss your health concerns. If you were to have an allergic reaction, it is very important to call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital for treatment.
The flu vaccine (and any other vaccines) will NOT cause you to get the flu or any other illness. Vaccines have weakened viruses or parts of viruses that will not cause you to get sick. If you are feeling under the weather, it is most likely because of side effects from the vaccine. These will go away on their own or you can take over-the-counter medications to help you to feel better. Talk with your local pharmacist about how you are feeling, and they can help pick out over-the-counter medications with you!
If you do get the flu after getting a flu vaccine because it take some time for the vaccine to work in your body and you may have gotten sick between that time. Flu vaccines are not 100% effective and their effectiveness can change each year. They protect against the most common strains, but you might catch a different one. Even if you get the flu, the vaccine can make your illness less severe and shorter. Also, everyone’s body reacts differently to vaccines, so some people might still get sick.
Many studies have been done on these vaccines that looked at infertility and these studies have shown that vaccines are safe to use in those who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. There is no proof that shows that common vaccines (such as COVID-19, flu and HPV) cause or change fertility. Those who have received vaccines have also had children afterwards. It is much more harmful to catch the disease, and vaccines can stop this from happening. Getting a vaccine before or during pregnancy can also provide protection to the developing baby.