Do vaccines “use up” or overload the immune system in infants or children?
No. Infants and children are bombarded with germs every day in the air they breathe and the food they eat, but their immune systems are able to handle these exposures. Vaccination does not overburden a child’s immune system; rather, it strengthens even the young infant’s developing immune system. The vaccines that are recommended for all children use only a small portion of the immune system’s “memory.” In fact, an additional study since the report adds support to this conclusion. Scientists estimated that based on the immune system’s capacity to respond, a child could theoretically get 10,000 vaccines in one day and still not “use up” his or her immune response or ability to respond. The same study found that although more vaccines are recommended for children today than in the past, children are actually exposed to fewer antigens (the substances that produce an immune response) in vaccines than ever before due to advances in chemistry and vaccine production technology.
Related Questions
- what is being done about the thimerosal content of less commonly administered vaccines and other biological products given to infants, children, and pregnant women?
- Why doesn the FDA recall all thimerosal-containing vaccines intended for use in infants and small children?
- DO VACCINES OVERLOAD THE IMMUNE SYSTEM?
