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Were studies proving vaccines harm children hidden?

The Claim:

A video featuring former vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan claims that vaccines harm children’s immune systems, that studies proving this have been hidden due to fear, and that more evidence will soon come out showing the dangers of vaccines.

The Facts:

We all know that vaccines actually train the immune system to recognize and fight harmful germs without making you sick. When you get a vaccine, your body learns how to defend itself so that if you ever come into contact with the real virus or bacteria, you won’t get seriously ill.

Research shows that vaccinated kids are just as healthy as unvaccinated kids and are not more likely to get other infections.

More importantly, studies are not rejected from publication due to fear of punishment but because they do not meet scientific standards. There is no single organization that controls all scientific journals. Journals are published in different countries and follow independent review processes. No single government or agency oversees all of science, and decisions about which studies get published are made by experts based on the quality and accuracy of the research.

For example, JAMA’s acceptance rate is just 12% of article submissions, while Lancet’s is 5%. When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses and not zebras.

Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.

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