Getting your child ready for back to school often is a hectic time. Along with shopping for school supplies, shoes, and clothes, you most likely have a pile of forms to fill out – including your child’s vaccination record.

Why do we need vaccines?
“To help keep infectious diseases away from kids, schools have vaccine programs in place,” says Susan Pharo, MD, a board-certified pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente Colorado. “Colorado requires parents to provide their child’s immunization record on or before the first day of school.” The Colorado Department of Health has recommended immunization schedules for children ages 0 to 6 and children ages 7 to 18. If your child has fallen behind, it also has a catch-up schedule.

Just a few generations ago, smallpox, polio, and other infectious diseases claimed thousands of children’s lives each year. Thanks to the introduction and prevalence of vaccines, parents no longer have to worry about smallpox and polio. And many other preventable diseases, such as measles, pertussis, and diphtheria, have been significantly reduced.

How vaccines work
When children receive a vaccine, they get a tiny amount of a weakened or dead form of the organism that causes the disease. While this amount is not enough to give them the disease, it is enough to motivate their immune system to make antibodies that recognize and attack the organism if they are ever exposed to it again.

Today, vaccines suppress many infectious diseases. However, if your child has not been vaccinated, he or she remains at risk. When many people in a community are not vaccinated, diseases have a greater chance of reemerging. “Unfortunately, because many diseases have become so rare, some people have become less interested in the benefits of vaccines and more interested in their associated risks,” Dr. Pharo says.

Do vaccines have side effects?
“Parents want to do what is best for their child. But it is important to understand the differences between a vaccine’s real risks and those that are myths and misperceptions,” Dr. Pharo continues. “Research shows the benefits far outweigh the risks.”

Despite their safety, vaccines sometimes cause reactions, which usually resolve within a day or two. Some children may experience a low-grade fever, soreness, or redness at the immunization site. Others may appear fussier than usual or have difficulty sleeping. In extremely rare instances, a fever above 104 degrees may occur. Also, about one child in a million may have a severe allergic reaction to an immunization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Understanding the myths
“We study databases from health care organizations throughout the country, involving extremely large populations, and have found that adverse reactions to vaccines are extremely rare,” says Jason Glanz, PhD, a researcher with Kaiser Permanente Colorado Institute for Health Research.

Glanz and his colleagues work on a project known as the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project, funded by the CDC. Glanz and colleagues also work on a grant funded by the National Institutes of Health to research vaccine acceptance. Their most recent study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed unvaccinated children are 23 times more likely to get infected with pertussis (whooping cough) than those who are immunized. This research helps parents and physicians more thoroughly understand the benefits and risks of vaccines.

“The number of parents refusing immunizations appears to be increasing in the United States,” Glanz continues. “While some are concerned about their child’s safety, others mistakenly believe that children are no longer at risk for certain diseases. If immunizations continue to decrease, more disease outbreaks could occur, striking those not immunized.”

Track your child’s vaccines
“As a mom myself, I know keeping track of immunizations can be a challenge,” Dr. Pharo says. “If your child is a patient at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, you can log on to My health manager to check your child’s online medical records, schedule an appointment, or e-mail your child’s pediatrician with any concerns.” For more information on vaccines, you can also call the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Immunization Program at 303-692-2650.

To learn more about vaccines and their safety, visit kaiserpermanente.org.