Fact: Vaccinations do not increase the risk of allergies.

Possible links between vaccinations and allergies have been investigated in multiple scientific studies.

Myth: “Vaccinations cause allergies.”

In the last 30 years, many new vaccines have been developed, recommended, and administered to protect against diseases that can have severe con­se­quen­ces. At the same time, more people are suffering from allergies than in the past. It is rea­son­able to assume that the two develop­ments could be connected. Since allergies can signi­ficantly impact the quality of life of affected individuals, it is an under­stand­able worry. For these reasons, numerous scientific studies have investigated possible causes for the develop­ment of allergies. In particular, well-designed studies have been unable to establish any link between vac­ci­na­tions and allergies. There is even isolated evidence suggesting that vaccinations might offer temporary protection against developing new allergies.

Various explanations for the increased occurrence of allergies in recent decades remain under discussion. The most widespread theory is the “hygiene hypothesis”. According to this, our increased day-to-day awareness of hygiene and cleanliness leads to reduced contact with pathogens (mainly bacteria, fungi, and viruses), parasites, and pollen. The immune system then reacts disproportionately to normally harmless irritants, thus leading to more allergies.

In fact: Vaccines do not cause allergies. Various hypotheses exist to explain the increased occurrence of allergies, but vaccinations can be ruled out as the cause of allergies.