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| |    Myth: The Immune System Can be Overwhelmed by Vaccines by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. Myth: My child's immune system can be overwhelmed and weakened by too many vaccines. Fact: The immune system can handle many vaccines at once, and vaccines strengthen, not weaken, your child's immune system. Parents often are concerned that because their babies are so small, their immune systems won't be able to handle many germs or vaccines. The fact is that medical experts estimate the immune system can recognize and effectively combat hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of different organisms. Vaccines strengthen your child's immune system by stimulating it to produce protective immune factors. This is true even for newborn infants. On the other hand, some natural infections can weaken your child's immune system; I have seen this happen many times. A particularly striking example of how one infection can make a child more likely to develop another is the risk of serious strep infections with chickenpox. Children with chickenpox are more likely to become infected with dangerous (flesh-eating) strep bacteria than other children. This complication of chickenpox may cause severe disability or even be fatal. Similarly, children with measles are more likely to develop ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis, and tuberculosis. Adapted from National Network for Immunization Information (NNii) Copyright 2000, and the National Immunization Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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