Is getting the vaccine riskier than getting the disease?

No. For almost everyone, the risks from the diseases are far greater than the risks from vaccines that prevent them. However, there are rare exceptions, such as individuals with serious allergies to some vaccine ingredients, or those who cannot receive live vaccines because of weak immune systems.

 

Vaccine-preventable diseases cause serious illness and complications such as pneumonia, deafness, brain damage, heart problems, blindness, and paralysis, and carry a risk of lifelong disability and death. In comparison, vaccines carry very small risks. The main risks associated with vaccines are side effects, which are almost always minor and temporary. Serious adverse events from vaccines are very rare.

 

It’s important to remember that a choice not to vaccinate is not a risk-free choice. By not vaccinating, you are trading a small risk for a much more serious risk. Learn more.

 

Examine the evidence: Serious side effects are extremely rare.