Yes. Vaccines are very safe. Millions of children are safely vaccinated each year. The United States has had a safe and effective child vaccination program for more than 60 years.

Vaccines should start early in life, before children are exposed to serious diseases. The vaccination schedule helps protect your baby from diseases that can cause pain, disability or even death. See the immunization schedules for more information.

Depending on the vaccine, it can take several doses to build immunity and prevent disease. Every dose of a vaccine is important to protect against infectious diseases that can be especially serious for infants and very young children.

Evidence suggests that changing the vaccination schedule is not a good idea. Think of each shot like a dose of preventive medicine. If your baby misses a shot, he hasn’t had all the protection he needs and may still be at risk for disease.

Our health system has safely followed a multi-dose vaccination schedule for a long time. The CDC even has tips for making the visits less stressful.

Vaccines, like any medication, may cause some side effects. The most common are very mild, such as pain or swelling at the injection site. Side effects typically only last a couple of days and are treatable. For example, you can apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth on the sore area to ease discomfort.

No scientific studies or reviews have found a relationship between vaccines and autism. The CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other leading health organizations would not recommend them if this were a risk.

Yes, children can usually get vaccinated even if they have a mild illness like a cold, earache, mild fever, or diarrhea. You can discuss this with your doctor.