Vaccine Resources Vaccine Fact Sheet
Vaccines: Know the Facts
Vaccines are safe, effective, and vital for preventing disease. Get the facts you need to stay informed and protected — read the FAQ below for more information.
Vaccines provide the early instructions for your child’s immune system to recognize and prevent serious diseases. Vaccines contain a tiny amount of a weakened or dead germ, which then teach the body to create immunity without causing the disease itself.
The primary component of vaccines are antigens. Antigens are harmless, extremely small parts of a virus or bacteria that train a child’s immune system to make antibodies to recognize and fight disease. Think of an antigen like a “wanted poster” – it shows a child’s immune system what the germ looks like so it knows to stop the real germ if it ever shows up.
In addition, vaccines include very small amounts of other ingredients to help improve the immune response, prevent contamination or assure vaccine quality.
Children are naturally exposed to many of the ingredients found in vaccines—such as aluminum — through their environment, food, water, and even their own metabolic processes. Decades of research demonstrate that the tiny and carefully controlled amounts of each vaccine ingredient are safe and do not cause harm. Vaccines go through extensive testing before they’re approved for use. Even after they are licensed, vaccines continue to be closely monitored to ensure they remain safe.
Vaccines have different components: antigens, stabilizers, preservatives, adjuvants, and trace ingredients. Each component plays an important role in helping to create an immune response. We know that hearing the chemical names in vaccine ingredients might be unexpected, but they are well-studied and used in very small, safe amounts.
Newborns are more at risk for serious illnesses caused by viruses and bacteria. Vaccines protect them from dangerous diseases like whooping cough, meningitis, measles, and polio. Thanks to medical advances, babies today get more vaccines than in the past—giving them broader protection. Simply put, vaccinated babies are safer from contagious illnesses than ever before.
Babies’ immune systems are built to handle a lot from the moment they are born. Compared to the thousands of germs babies encounter daily, vaccines contain only a tiny amount of antigen, or piece of the germ. Studies have shown that even when multiple vaccines are given at once, they do not overwhelm a child’s immune system.
Vaccines are timed to provide protection to your child when they are the most vulnerable. Their immune system is developing and that puts them at risk for diseases, which can be dangerous to children, especially when they are infants. By getting the vaccines on the schedule, it ensures that your child’s immune system can respond effectively and that they get the strongest level of protection at the earliest possible age. If you have concerns, talk to your pediatrician to make sure you give your child the best protection possible to preventable illnesses.
The vaccine schedule is designed to protect babies and children. Delaying or spacing out vaccine doses leaves children unprotected when they need it most— when they’re at the greatest risk for severe illness, hospitalization or even death from certain diseases.
If you have more questions about vaccine ingredients or vaccines in general, talk to your child’s pediatrician. They are your best source for trusted, up-to-date information.
The extensive team of experts at Texas Children’s want the best for your child. You can feel confident knowing that the science is clear – vaccines are a safe and effective choice to protect your child.