Antivax Myth: “My unvaccinated child is no risk to your vaccinated child”

Fact: An unvaccinated child can infect others who are vaccinated or unable to be vaccinated.

Why the Myth Exists

This myth is founded on a couple of misunderstandings about vaccine advocacy. First, that vaccines claim to provide 100% protection, and second that parents who promote vaccines are only worried about their own children.

Examples Found Online

The Real Deal: What the Evidence Shows

Vaccines do not provide 100% protection against disease. Sometimes vaccinated people still catch the disease, though it is typically a milder experience than if they had not been immunized. Most vaccines are shown to be effective about 80-95% of the time.

Children too young to be vaccinated are at risk. There are a variety of other people who cannot be vaccinated for various reasons, such as those undergoing immune suppression therapy, and those with a serious allergy to vaccine ingredients.

Most disease outbreaks are started by unvaccinated people. This typically occurs when vaccination rates for a given region drop below a certain percentage, and herd immunity breaks down. Often, an unvaccinated individual travels to a region with a lower vaccination rate, and brings a disease back home with them.

And vaccine advocates don’t want your children to suffer and die from vaccine-preventable disease either.