The Benefits of Childhood Vaccines (& Yes, They’re Safe)

Content medically reviewed by Sharnell Valentine, MD

As a parent, you want to do everything you can to keep your child safe, healthy, and well. One key tool to help you do that? Childhood vaccines.

Vaccines have been around for centuries. They were first developed in the late 1700s and became more common in the 1900s. New innovations have led to the creation of vaccines against many previously common—and often deadly or disabling—illnesses.

Those same innovations have helped researchers create vaccines that are both effective and safe. 

“We now have a full slate of vaccines that can protect kids from infections that would have been serious or even life-threatening in the past,” said Dr. Sharnell Valentine, pediatrician at Essentia Health. “By getting your child the recommended childhood vaccines, you are helping to keep them healthy and well.”

How We Know Childhood Vaccines Are Safe

Social media and the internet are filled with misinformation and disinformation about childhood vaccines. The reality is that vaccines for children are safe. Before they can be used in the United States, vaccines go through rigorous testing to ensure they offer health benefits without harm.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states it this way: “Currently, the United States has the safest vaccine supply in its history.” The CDC goes on to note that millions of children safely receive vaccines each year and that the most common side effects are mild injection-related pain or swelling.

Two common misconceptions about childhood vaccines are that there’s a connection between vaccines and autism and that the childhood vaccine schedule can overload a child’s immune system. Both assertions have been proven wrong by years of testing and in-depth research. are that there’s a connection between vaccines and autism and that the childhood vaccine schedule can overload a child’s immune system. Both assertions have been proven wrong by years of testing and in-depth research.

There is no relationship between vaccines and autism, and vaccines do not overload the immune system. In fact, childhood vaccines have the opposite effect on the immune system. Vaccines contain antigens, which rev up a child’s immature immune system and trigger it to build antibodies that protect against disease.

“More than a dozen countries—including the United States, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Japan, Finland, and Australia—have conducted large, independent studies examining whether the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is linked to autism,” Dr. Valentine said. “The result has been consistent and reassuring: no credible evidence shows a connection. The global consensus reflects decades of rigorous research involving millions of children, reinforcing the safety of this essential vaccine.”

Childhood Vaccines: Prevention Is the Name of the Game

Vaccines protect children and adults from many different infections, including those that were quite dangerous in the past—think diphtheria, whooping cough, or measles. Routine vaccination protects against these and other diseases, keeping them from causing significant illness, hospitalization, or even death.

In some cases, vaccines have completely eradicated disease. That’s the case with smallpox, which was eradicated worldwide in 1980. In the United States and many other countries, vaccination also helped eliminate polio, a deadly infectious disease that can cause disability and brain damage.

There’s a saying that “prevention is the best medicine.” That’s because preventing an illness or injury is easier, safer, and less risky than treating one after it occurs. The recommended childhood vaccine schedule can help you keep your child safe from many diseases, including – 

• Chickenpox (varicella)
• Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis)
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Hepatitis A and B
• Human papillomavirus
• Measles, mumps, and rubella
• Meningococcal disease
• Pneumococcal disease
• Polio
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Rotavirus

In addition to these vaccines, which are given once or in multiple doses during childhood, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend children receive a flu shot each year. Your child’s pediatrician or another health care provider may also recommend updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccine at regular intervals.

The When and Why of the Childhood Vaccine Schedule

The Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule was created by pediatricians and infectious disease experts, and it is regularly reviewed and approved by the AAP, the CDC, and other leading health organizations.

Health experts recommend this schedule because it offers children optimal protection against disease. Having children vaccinated as infants, for example, provides them with important antibodies to protect against certain diseases before they are ever exposed.

Delaying vaccinations to “spread them out” can create gaps in your child’s protection against disease, leaving them vulnerable to infection. A young child’s immune system isn’t fully developed, which makes vaccination especially important—being exposed to disease during that time can be life-threatening.

Vaccines offer protection for a certain amount of time. The recommended childhood vaccine schedule takes into consideration the age at which a child should receive the first dose of a vaccine, whether additional doses are needed, and, if so, when.

Protecting Your Child Now … and in the Future

When you think about childhood vaccines, you probably think about keeping your kids safe from illnesses during childhood. These important vaccines certainly do that, boosting the immune system and offering protection against many different diseases that can cause serious illness.

The benefits don’t end in childhood, though. When you have your child vaccinated, you’re also protecting them as an adult. The HPV vaccine, for example, protects against the human papillomavirus, a common infection spread through intimate contact. Some strains of HPV cause genital warts, while others can cause cancer, including anal cancer, cervical cancer, throat cancer, penile cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer. Receiving the HPV vaccine beginning at age 9 can help the body create antibodies to protect against these cancers.

The hepatitis B vaccine can also help prevent cancer, since infection with chronic hepatitis B increases the risk of developing liver cancer. Babies receive their first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth, with two additional doses by the time they’re 18 months. This childhood vaccine can offer lifelong protection against serious health issues.

“If infected with hepatitis B in the newborn period, an infant has a 90% chance of developing chronic infection, and about 1 in 3 will eventually develop cirrhosis or liver cancer,” Dr. Valentine said. “Following the vaccination schedule provides the greatest good for the most vulnerable ages.” 

If you’re hesitant about any vaccinations or have questions about the timing, it’s a great idea to bring your questions to your child’s next well visit. Just as you trust your provider with your child’s nutrition, growth, and development, they can guide you through making the decision to vaccinate your child on the recommended schedule.

“As pediatric specialists, our goal is to create a safe, respectful space for these conversations,” Dr. Valentine said. “Once we know the root of a parent’s worry, we can walk through it with compassion, clinical expertise, and trusted resources to help them make a confident, informed decision.”