Are there too many vaccinations?  Will they overload the immune system?

Although it can seem like children are scheduled to get a lot of vaccinations, especially their first two years, this is only a drop in the bucked compared to the total of what their immune system is doing.  People are exposed to antigens every day.  Antigens are items that the immune system may respond to.  This includes viruses and bacteria that the immune system is designed to fight off, as well as pollens, animal dander, and foods to which certain individuals develop “allergies”.  An infant’s immune system is responding to new antigens every day.  Vaccinations intentionally introduce another handful of antigens.  The infant’s immune system is equipped to respond to these antigens or vaccines would not be so effective.                         

Why are vaccinations given to such young infants?  Aren’t their immune systems too immature to handle vaccinations?

An infant’s immune system is working even before they are born.  An infant’s immune system is only relatively weaker than an adult’s because it has not previously been exposed to as many things and thus does not have a memory response to as many antigens.  For anyone, adult or infant, the initial exposure to a particular virus is usually the most serious.  On the first exposure, the body is not able to respond rapidly to the virus and thus it is able to get established in the body.  It then takes more effort for the body to clear the infection.  This results in fevers, rashes, malaise, and the other effects of viral illness.  After the initial infection the immune system forms a “memory”.  Certain cells in the body are made that recognize certain proteins on that particular virus.  If that virus in encountered again, the body can respond rapidly and the individual either does not get as ill or does not get sick at all. Repeated exposure often leads to a less severe illness each time.  This is why many vaccinations are given two or three times, usually several months apart.  Each exposure reinforces the immune response and makes is more effective. Vaccinations are designed to take the place of that initial infection – the one causing the most illness – so that the body can respond more effectively if the virus is encountered again.