Viral post claims that childhood vaccines are unsafe and unnecessary

A widely-circulated blog post falsely claims that routine childhood vaccines have few benefits and many serious side effects. The article argues that vaccines are unnecessary because childhood diseases are no longer a threat and repeats myths about the safety of many vaccines.

Recommendation: Trending blog posts promoting false claims about the safety and necessity of routine vaccines for children may discourage patients from vaccinating their children against dangerous diseases. Messaging may emphasize that decades of research support the safety and importance of childhood vaccines and have consistently shown no link between any vaccine and serious safety concerns. As recent measles, whooping cough, and mumps outbreaks have shown, drops in routine immunization coverage pose a real threat, especially to infants and those who can’t be safely vaccinated. Explaining that vaccines have higher safety standards than almost any medical intervention and that all vaccines undergo rigorous safety trials is recommended.