Date last reviewed:
Thursday, Dec 05, 2024
Information
Key points
- Children receive multiple vaccines at the same time to protect them from serious diseases as soon as possible and when they are most at risk.
- It is safe for children to receive multiple vaccines during one visit, and it does not overload their immune system.
- To reduce the number of injections, some vaccines are combined into a single shot, known as combination vaccines. These vaccines are safe and have side effects similar to those of individual vaccines.
Children often receive multiple vaccines during one visit. This helps ensure they are protected from several serious diseases early in life when they are most at risk of becoming seriously ill.
There are many important benefits to receiving multiple vaccines at once:
- Early protection: Vaccines are given early in life when children are most at risk of getting sick or seriously harmed by diseases.
- Less pain: Studies show that getting several vaccines at the same visit can actually be less painful than spacing them out over multiple visits.
- Fewer appointments: It means fewer trips to the clinic and fewer periods of pain and discomfort, which may help reduce anxiety about needles.
Is getting multiple vaccines at once safe?
Yes, it’s safe to receive several vaccines at the same time. Research shows that getting multiple vaccines in one visit doesn’t cause more side effects than getting them at separate appointments.
Some parents worry that a baby's immune system can't handle multiple vaccines, but that’s not the case. When a baby gets multiple vaccines, only a small part of their immune system is activated for a short time. In fact, scientists believe that a baby’s immune system could handle thousands of vaccines at once if needed.
Vaccines actually help strengthen babies' immune systems by providing protection against serious diseases. Babies are constantly exposed to germs from the air, food, and objects they touch. The immune challenges posed by vaccines are tiny in comparison.
Vaccines introduce antigens—usually weakened or inactivated viruses or bacteria or parts of them—that help the immune system recognize and fight specific diseases. The total number of antigens in all vaccines is much smaller than the number of germs babies encounter every day.
Overall, babies and children have similar immune responses whether vaccines are given at the same time or at separate visits.
Fact
Did you know?
Even though children receive more vaccines today than 40 years ago, the actual number of antigens is significantly less, thanks to advances in science.
Combination vaccines
Combination vaccines combine two or more vaccines into one shot. This reduces the number of injections a child needs during a visit while still protecting them from multiple diseases.
Combination vaccines are safe, and their side effects are similar to those of individual vaccines. They work as well as giving each vaccine separately.
Many combination vaccines aren’t available as separate shots. So, if you refuse one part of the vaccine, you won't get the others too. For example, in Canada, the measles vaccine is combined with vaccines for rubella and mumps. If you refuse the measles vaccine, your child will also miss out on protection against rubella and mumps.