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9 VACCINE MYTHS THAT WON’T GO AWAY  
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Jess Steier, Aimee Pugh Bernard and Amy Gragnolati
November 30, 2025
Unbiased Science
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_ Confusion around vaccines comes from the sheer volume of
conflicting claims people encounter every day. And when misinformation
spreads faster than evidence, straightforward explanations become
essential. Here, we address common vaccine myths. _

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MYTH 1: “TOO MANY , TOO SOON.”
​​It’s understandable for parents to wonder whether the
recommended schedule exposes infants to “too many” vaccines early
in life. But the immune system is built to handle an enormous number
of antigens [[link removed]] —
viruses, bacteria, and other substances that trigger the immune system
— at once. And infants encounter far more antigens from everyday
activities, such as touching surfaces, breathing, and eating, than
they do from vaccines.

The immune system also constantly renews itself. Billions of new
lymphocytes
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and specifically B cells and T cells
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are produced each day. These cells are the ‘special forces’ of the
immune system that recognize and respond to pathogens (disease-causing
microorganisms). On any given day, the body has trillions of B cells
and T cells, each capable of recognizing different pathogens. The
sheer capacity of the immune system and the continual turnover of
immune cells mean vaccines cannot “overload” or exhaust immune
function.

Every new vaccine is tested within the context
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of the existing schedule to ensure that giving multiple vaccines
together is safe and effective. Delaying vaccines doesn’t reduce
risk. It simply leaves children unprotected for longer and has been
associated with higher rates of vaccine-preventable diseases.

MYTH 2: “IT’S SAFER TO WAIT UNTIL KIDS ARE OLDER.”

The vaccine schedule is designed to protect children before they are
likely to be exposed
[[link removed]]. Providing protection
in advance means the immune system is ready if and when a child
encounters the pathogen. Waiting until children are older leaves them
unprotected during the period when severe disease is most likely to
occur.

Delaying vaccines
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also increases risk for infants who are too young to be vaccinated and
for immunocompromised children who rely on high community coverage for
protection.

MYTH 3: “THE SCHEDULE IS DRIVEN BY PHARMA PROFIT.”

Vaccine schedules are created by ACIP
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on Immunization Practices, an independent panel of medical and public
health experts), not vaccine manufacturers. ACIP members cannot work
for vaccine companies or hold relevant patents.

​​Additionally, ACIP recommendations are based on peer-reviewed
clinical trial data that are publicly available. The meetings where
vaccines are discussed and voted on are open to the public and
livestreamed, making the decision-making process transparent.

Note: The process described above reflects how ACIP has historically
operated. But in June 2025, all ACIP members were removed
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and replaced with new appointees
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has announced plans to review aspects of the childhood vaccine
schedule. Many scientists and medical organizations — including the
American Medical Association
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American Academy of Pediatrics
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and Infectious Diseases Society of America
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— have raised serious concerns about whether the new committee has
the expertise to provide evidence-based guidance.

MYTH 4: “VACCINE MANUFACTURERS CAN’T BE SUED.”

Vaccine companies aren’t exempt
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wrongdoing. The federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
[[link removed]] (VICP) was created in 1986
to ensure that individuals experiencing rare vaccine injuries can be
compensated without affecting vaccine access. From 2006 to 2023 alone,
over 5 billion vaccine doses were administered, with about one
individual being compensated for every 1 million vaccine doses.

Since the program started, VICP has awarded close to 5.5 billion
dollars
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in total compensation. Importantly, compensation does not require
proof that a vaccine caused an injury. Claims are decided on a ‘more
likely than not’ standard, ensuring families can receive support
even when causation remains scientifically uncertain.

VICP doesn’t protect companies from being prosecuted for wrongdoing.
Vaccine manufacturers can still be sued
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or penalized for negligence, violation of manufacturing standards, or
failure to warn of known risks. For example, vaccine manufacturer
Chiron
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had its factory license suspended after its flu vaccine was found to
be contaminated in 2004.

MYTH 5: “VAERS IS PROOF THAT VACCINES CAUSE HARM.”

VAERS (the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) is a monitoring
system run by the CDC and FDA. Anyone — including clinicians,
manufacturers, and members of the public — can submit a report
documenting _any_ health event that occurs after vaccination. The goal
is to detect early safety signals
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patterns that might warrant further investigation.

Because anyone can report anything, VAERs data doesn’t show whether
a vaccine actually caused the reported event. It captures _any_ health
event that occurs after vaccination, even those unrelated to the
vaccine itself. A person could report a fever, a rash, or even an
injury, such as stubbing a toe, if it occurred after receiving a
vaccine.

Determining whether a vaccine actually causes an adverse event
requires additional research, such as comparing rates of the event in
vaccinated vs. unvaccinated individuals
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MYTH 6: “IMMUNITY FROM INFECTION IS BETTER THAN IMMUNITY FROM
VACCINES.”

In some cases, immunity from infection may be stronger
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and longer-lasting compared to immunity from vaccines. But in other
cases, this isn’t true — vaccine-induced immunity is actually more
protective and longer-lasting against pathogens like human
papillomavirus (HPV), Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV, causes chickenpox),
and hepatitis B, to name a few. And COVID-19 vaccination has been
shown to reduce the risk of long COVID
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a benefit that infection alone doesn’t provide.

And regardless, the path to immunity is much safer with vaccines
[[link removed]]. We can’t predict who
will have a mild case of vaccine-preventable diseases and who will
become severely ill. Vaccines provide immunity without the risks of
the diseases themselves.

MYTH 7: “SCHEDULES DIFFER BETWEEN COUNTRIES, SO THEY MUST BE
ARBITRARY.”

Schedules differ among countries
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for various reasons. Vaccine administration timing depends on several
factors, including when children in that region face the highest risk.
Healthcare access also varies among countries and helps determine the
vaccine schedule.

MYTH 8: “ALUMINUM IN VACCINES IS TOXIC.”

Aluminum salts
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are used as adjuvants in some vaccines. These are substances that help
the immune system respond more effectively
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Injecting aluminum directly does indeed enter the bloodstream, whereas
aluminum in food and water is mostly not absorbed. But the amounts in
vaccines are far below established safety thresholds, have been shown
to be safe, and are formulated so
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don’t flood the bloodstream.

Large studies, including a nationwide study in Denmark involving over
1.2 million children, show no association
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aluminum-containing vaccines and autoimmune, allergic, or
neurodevelopmental conditions.

MYTH 9: “VACCINES ARE LINKED TO AUTISM.”

The concern that vaccines are linked to autism often comes from a
place of wanting to understand why autism occurs. But decades of
research across multiple countries, researchers, children, and vaccine
types all point to the same conclusion
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vaccines don’t cause autism.

So why does the myth persist? Partly because autism symptoms often
become apparent [[link removed]]
around the same age at which children receive early childhood
vaccines. This can create an illusion of a link
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even though a wide range of research doesn’t support this.

Additionally, the original claim connecting the MMR vaccine to autism
came from a 1998 paper that was later retracted for ethical violations
and scientific wrongdoing
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involved only 12 children, relied on misrepresented data, and was so
deeply flawed that the lead author lost his medical license in the
United Kingdom
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But by the time it was retracted, the myth had already taken hold.

For information, check out the 20+ studies, reviews, and papers on
this topic:

* No evidence for measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine-associated
inflammatory bowel disease or autism in a 14-year prospective study
[[link removed](98)24018-9/abstract]
(1998)
* Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological
evidence for a causal association
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* Mumps, measles, and rubella vaccine and the incidence of autism
recorded by general practitioners: a time trend analysis
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* A Population-Based Study of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
Vaccination and Autism [[link removed]]
(2002)
* Neurologic Disorders After Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination
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(2002)
* Age at First Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination in Children With
Autism and School-Matched Control Subjects: A Population-Based Study
in Metropolitan Atlanta
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(2004)
* No effect of MMR withdrawal on the incidence of autism: a total
population study [[link removed]] (2005)
* On-time Vaccine Receipt in the First Year Does Not Adversely
Affect Neuropsychological Outcomes
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* Increasing Exposure to Antibody-Stimulating Proteins and
Polysaccharides in Vaccines Is Not Associated with Risk of Autism
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(2013)
* Number of antigens in early childhood vaccines and
neuropsychological outcomes at age 7–10 years
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* Vaccines are not associated with autism: An evidence-based
meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies
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(2014)
* Autism Occurrence by MMR Vaccine Status Among US Children With
Older Siblings With and Without Autism
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* Association Between Influenza Infection and Vaccination During
Pregnancy and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder
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* Prenatal Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis Vaccination and
Autism Spectrum Disorder [[link removed]]
(2018)
* Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccination and Autism: A Nationwide
Cohort Study [[link removed]] (2019)
* Maternal Influenza A(H1N1) Immunization During Pregnancy and Risk
for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Offspring: A Cohort Study
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* Safety of vaccines used for routine immunization in the United
States: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis
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* Aluminum-Adsorbed Vaccines and Chronic Diseases in Childhood: A
Nationwide Cohort Study
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_For a detailed analysis of several of these studies, check out __this
article_
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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Having questions about vaccines doesn’t make someone
“anti-vaccine” - it makes them human. We’re all trying to make
the best decisions for ourselves and our families, often while sorting
through a flood of conflicting information. The goal of this guide is
to offer clear, evidence-based answers to the questions people are
actually asking.

But accurate information only helps if it reaches people. If you found
this useful, please share it - and share credible content from other
science communicators doing this work. In a landscape where
misinformation spreads fast, sharing evidence-based resources is one
of the most powerful things you can do.

If you’d like to support this work, please consider a paid
subscription to our Substack. You can also make a tax-deductible
donation to The Center for Unbiased Science and Health
[[link removed]] (CUSH), our nonprofit that funds
educational initiatives like this one.

Thank you for reading, for asking questions, and for caring enough to
seek out the evidence.

Stay Curious,

Unbiased Science

_WANT TO SUPPORT OUR WORK? Please subscribe to our Substack and share
our content. Everything we write stays free forever—we believe
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us spend more time on deep-dive investigations like this one,
following the data wherever it leads._

_Jess Steier_ [[link removed]]_, DrPH, is a
public health scientist, host of Unbiased Science, and quirky and
empathetic science communicator._
_Aimee Pugh Bernard_ [[link removed]]_, PhD,
is an immunologist, educator, science communicator and science
advocate_
_Amy Gragnolati_ [[link removed]]_, PharmD, is a
health communicator who delivers clear, useful and evidence-based
health information._
 

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