Common questions on immunity and immunisation
State and Territory information:
Are immunisations necessary in these days of good hospital care, good hygiene and clean water supplies?
Can immunisations overload the immune system?
Isn’t natural immunity better than vaccine-induced immunity?
Does homeopathic ‘immunisation’ work?
Do some children get the disease despite being immunised?
Should breast-fed babies get normal immunisations?
Is cot death (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS) caused by immunisation?
Does immunisation cause asthma?
Do vaccines cause cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, allergies, or auto-immune disease?
Does MMR vaccine cause inflammatory bowel disease or autism?
Can vaccines change their form and cause other diseases?
Are immunisations necessary in these days of good hospital care, good hygiene and clean water supplies?
Yes. Many diseases prevented by immunisation are spread directly from person to person so good food, water and hygiene do not stop infection.Despite excellent hospital care, significant illness and death still occur from diseases which can be prevented by immunisation. For example, since Hib vaccines were first available in Australia in 1993, cases of Hib disease in children under five years have declined dramatically, with no change in living standards. There were 396 Hib cases reported in 1992 prior to Hib immunisation but in 2002 there were only 12 cases reported.
Can immunisations overload the immune system?
No. Children and adults come into contact with many antigens (substances that provoke a reaction from the immune system) each day, and the immune system responds to each of the antigens in various ways to protect the body.Without a vaccine, a child can only become immune to a disease by being exposed to infection, with the risk of severe illness. With vaccines, however, the illness, if it does occur, is usually insignificant. Immunisations provide protection (immunity) to diseases in the same way as the natural immunity that occurs when a person catches the disease. However, while the risks associated with the diseases are high, the risks associated with vaccination are low.
Isn’t natural immunity better than vaccine-induced immunity?
Natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity are both natural responses of the body’s immune system. The body’s immune response in both circumstances is the same. In some cases, vaccine-induced immunity may diminish with time; natural immunity, acquired by catching the disease is usually life-long. The problem is that the wild or natural disease has a high risk of serious illness and occasionally death. Children or adults can be re-immunised (required with some vaccines but not all) if their immunity falls to a low level. It is important to remember that vaccines are many times safer than the diseases they prevent.Does homeopathic ‘immunisation’ work?
No. Homeopathic 'immunisation' has not been proven to give protection against infectious diseases. Only conventional immunisation produces a measurable immune response and therefore protection against disease. The Council of the Faculty of Homeopathy, London, issued a statement in 1993, which reads: "The Faculty of Homeopathy, London, strongly supports the conventional vaccination program and has stated that vaccination should be carried out in the normal way, using the conventional tested and proved vaccines, in the absence of medical contraindications."Do some children get the disease despite being immunised?
Yes, it is possible, since no vaccine is 100% effective. A small proportion of those who are immunised will remain susceptible to the disease. However, in the cases in which illness does occur in immunised children, the illness is usually much less severe than in those who were not immunised. The protection levels provided by vaccines differ. For example, if 100 children are vaccinated with MMR, 5-10 of the fully immunised children might still catch measles, mumps or rubella (although the disease will often be milder in immunised children). However, if those same children were not immunised with MMR vaccine, and the children were exposed to measles, most of them will catch the disease with a high risk of complications like lung infection (pneumonia) or inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).Should breast-fed babies get normal immunisations?
Breast-fed babies should be immunised with vaccines that are currently provided free under the National Immunisation Program. Breast milk contains small amounts of antibodies, but it does not produce permanent protection or specific protection against diseases like whooping cough, measles or Hib disease.Is cot death (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS) caused by immunisation?
Despite extensive studies, there is no evidence that immunisation causes cot deaths (SIDS).Deaths do occasionally occur shortly after immunisation but the relationship is thought to simply be a chance association, since cot death tends to happen in babies of 2-6 months of age, whether they are immunised or not. In an American study which compared 400 babies who died from cot deaths with the same number of well babies of the same age, the babies who died were less likely to have been immunised in the previous 24 hours than those who did not die. In other words, immunisation may protect against cot death.
South Australian data shows no association between cot death and immunisation.
Does immunisation cause asthma?
No. There is no evidence that immunisation can cause or worsen asthma. It is especially important that children with asthma be immunised like other children, as catching a disease like whooping cough can make an asthma attack worse.Do vaccines cause cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, allergies, or auto-immune disease?
No. After millions of vaccinations over many decades, there is no evidence to suggest that immunisations cause such diseases. In fact, hepatitis B immunisation greatly reduces the risk of cancer of the liver. Immunisation levels have increased over the past 20 years in most countries but there has been no evidence of an increase of these diseases during this time.Does MMR vaccine cause inflammatory bowel disease or autism?
There is no validated scientific evidence to support the suggestion that MMR vaccine causes inflammatory bowel disease or autism. The onset of autism may appear to be associated with the MMR vaccine because the average age at which parents with a child with autism first report concerns about their child’s development is around 18 months, that is, 6 months after MMR vaccine is given.Can vaccines change their form and cause other diseases?
No. Vaccines definitely cannot change form and cause other diseases. They are only approved for use in Australia if they are safe and effective.Page last modified: 10 October, 2005