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Multiple vaccinations

Will the vaccines work as well together as they will when given separately?

Not using them together would mean leaving your baby vulnerable to one or more of the diseases. And there's no reason to take that risk. Babies do not experience more side effects when more than one vaccine is given at a time.

Does my baby really need all of these shots?

Vaccines protect against those germs. And since babies are most at risk for vaccine preventable diseases and their effects within the first two years of life, it's important to protect your baby as soon as possible.

It's just like: Buckling up your kids in the car — but only half the time. Not getting all of their shots at the same time is like taking a chance by not strapping them in a car seat for the first six months of life. It is important to protect them at all ages—that's what vaccines given together do.

Will multiple injections overwhelm my baby's immune system?

Before a vaccine containing more than one antigen is approved for use testing is done to make sure that the immune system response to the combination vaccine is similar to the response to single antigen vaccines.

What is an antigen? Antigens are anything foreign that your body has not encountered before. The most common antigens are viruses and bacteria. Vaccines use a safe amount of specific antigens (usually dead ones) to let your body's immune system develop the right antibodies to fight them.