Immunization

Safe vaccines, healthy children

It's normal for parents to have a lot of questions about immunization. Be assured, though, that vaccinations in Canada are incredibly safe. You might be interested to know that:

  • Serious adverse reactions are rare. The dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases are many times greater than the risks of a serious adverse reaction to the vaccine.
  • Health authorities around the world take vaccine safety very seriously. Expert committees in Canada investigate reports of serious adverse events.
  • There is no evidence that vaccines cause chronic diseases, autism or sudden infant death syndrome.

In this topic

Facts and fictions

Over the years, myths and misunderstandings have surrounded vaccines. Here are a few you should know the truth about.

Tips for parents

Immunization has saved the lives of more babies and children than any other medical intervention in the last 50 years. It is the safest and easiest way to protect your child from a wide range of preventable diseases.

Protect your child from common diseases

As a parent, one of the most important things you can do is have your child immunized against the following 13 vaccine-preventable diseases.

Autism and vaccinations

There is no link between vaccines containing thimerosal and autism or other behavioural disorders.

Your baby's first immunization

Immunization needles may cause your baby mild pain, but it goes away very quickly. Here are some ways to make it easier on both of you.

Misconceptions about vaccine safety

Misconceptions about the safety of vaccines may cause you to delay or avoid immunizations. Vaccines protect against a number of preventable diseases like measles, whooping cough, and influenza (the flu). Avoiding immunizations puts you, your children, and your community at risk.