War Related Illness and Injury Study Center
Multiple Vaccinations
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Service members may receive multiple vaccinations as they prepare for deployment. Some vaccinations are given routinely while other vaccinations are given to protect against specific diseases when service members are deployed to high risk areas. Some Veterans have health concerns about receiving multiple vaccinations at one time.
Research has shown that vaccines are very effective in protecting people against certain diseases. A number of studies have examined the effects of giving various combinations of vaccines simultaneously. These studies have shown that the recommended vaccines are as effective in combination as they are individually, and that such combinations carry no greater risk for adverse side effects.
In 2000, the Institute of Medicine examined the issue of multiple vaccinations, and concluded that multiple vaccinations did not increase the risk of getting certain diseases or infections in children. Currently, there are no studies that show that multiple vaccinations result in any type of illnesses or symptoms among service members. However, one of the research difficulties is the lack of detailed information about which service members received which vaccines in which time sequence. As a result, more research is needed.
If you are concerned about possible health effects related to multiple vaccinations, the Department of Defense has a Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network * to address these health concerns.
Disclaimer
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