Are babies better off skipping their vaccines?

In an interview on the Sean Spicer show, cardiologist Peter McCullough claims that the childhood vaccine schedule is too rigid, that healthy babies are better off skipping or delaying vaccines until later in life, that the hepatitis B vaccine is unnecessary for newborns, and that vaccine companies push early shots mainly for profit and convenience rather than for children’s health.

Babies are subjected to more challenges to their immune system at birth than they will be in the entire immunization schedule. Keep in mind that the amount of any ingredient in vaccines is very small–smaller than what a child will encounter naturally through living and breathing and eating, and as this study of aluminum in vaccines shows, they do not accumulate in a child’s body to toxic levels.

Because millions and millions of children have followed the vaccine schedule, scientists have been able to conduct studies showing that the schedule is safe.

While Hep B is sexually transmitted, it’s not only sexually transmitted. It is also passed vertically from mother to infant during birth. The tweet claims that mothers are tested so babies aren’t at risk, yet 1,000 infants get Hep B in the US every year. Hep B infection can lead to chronic Hep B. Chronic Hep B can last a lifetime and lead to serious illnesses such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. The younger you are when you get hepatitis B, the more likely it will become chronic. There is no cure for hepatitis B, but vaccines can prevent it.

The widespread implementation of Hep B vaccination programs, including the birth dose, has led to significant reductions in Hep B worldwide. By immunizing newborns, the goal is to achieve a high vaccination coverage rate and create a population with decreased Hep B transmission, ultimately reducing the burden of related diseases.