Vaccination is the best way to protect your child and other children at school or day care from serious, often deadly infectious diseases. Most side effects from vaccination are mild, such as soreness, swelling, or redness at the injection site. Some vaccines are associated with fever, rash, and achiness. Serious side effects and allergic reactions are rare. Vaccines are an important and effective health intervention for children and are therefore studied for safety more than any other medication. 

Vaccines are widely acknowledged as one of the most successful medical advances and save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Since the discovery of antibiotics, no other health intervention has had such a profound impact on global health. Vaccines work by imitating infections in the body, allowing the immune system to develop antibodies against that specific disease. When these antibodies have developed, future infection and associated complications, can be prevented. Our body’s defences are often stronger the second time they are challenged than the first time.