Immunizations in DC

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Q: Why are people worried about moving to the Denmark vaccine schedule?

Denmark’s childhood vaccine schedule includes fewer vaccines than ours. They don’t routinely vaccinate children against chickenpox, RSV, rotavirus, hepatitis A or B, meningococcal, flu, or Covid-19.

This can look appealing to some. But what makes this work in Denmark is everything beneath the surface: universal healthcare, 46 weeks of paid parental leave, near-universal prenatal screening, centralized medical records, and reliable follow-up.

Because of this system, disease burden is low. Take the Hepatitis B infant dose. Denmark screens nearly 100% of pregnant women and follows up reliably to help prevent transmission. In the U.S., 12–18% of pregnant women aren’t tested, and only 35% of those who test positive complete follow-up care. Before the U.S. universal birth-dose recommendations, thousands of U.S. babies were infected annually by family members who didn't know they carried the virus.

Our broader recommendations exist precisely because our system has gaps. What is safe and effective in Denmark does not translate to the U.S. context.

There is a lot of confusing information about immunizations and vaccines right now, enough to make anyone wonder what to believe anymore. Your local physician organization wants to share a few things with you:

  1. Vaccines are safe and effective at protecting people from horrible diseases.
  2. Vaccines are available, very often cost-free, in the DC area.
  3. Physicians and medical practices do not financially benefit from providing vaccines and do not push vaccines for profit, only for the good of the public and their patients.

While your physician or provider can help you determine what immunizations are right for you, this website is a source for you to use for general information.

Two individuals smiling with bandaids and a DC flag

Are Vaccines Safe?

Yes, but don't just ask us.

What's Right and Wrong on the Internet About Vaccines?

  • Wrong - vaccines are not safe or rigorously tested. The real answer - vaccines receive extreme testing and are pulled at signs of concern. Learn more here.
  • Wrong - drug manufacturers don't compare vaccinated and unvaccinated to see if vaccines actually work. The real answer - vaccines have been rigorously studied for decades and we have so much evidence they are safe that we do not need an unvaccinated population to see if they are safe. Plus denying vaccines for deadly diseases to newborns is very unethical and cruel. Learn more here.
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Sources I can trust for information (that won't bore me)

Q: Why do children seem to get so many shots as newborns? Aren't they too many for diseases they won't get?
Children are exposed to diseases everywhere they go. Vaccines need to be given before a child encounters the disease. Waiting until a disease is circulating in the community will not allow for enough time for a vaccine to offer protection.  

Vaccines are the best defense against getting vaccine-preventable diseases at a young age when children are susceptible to serious complications or death from infection. Delaying a child’s vaccines increases the chance that he or she will get sick should the disease enter the community. It is dangerous to keep children from getting their recommended vaccines.  

Children under five are at the highest risk from getting sick from disease because their bodies don’t have enough defenses to fight deadly infections. If a child is vaccinated according to the recommended schedule, they are protected against 14 serious vaccine-preventable diseases by the time they are two years old. 
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