It can be hard to find credible, trustworthy information on immunizations. Here are some links to resources that we use everyday!
The Human Immune System and How it Works from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Vaccine Safety from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
How Vaccines are Made, Approved, and Recommended from the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
History of Vaccines from the World Health Organization
How Vaccines Work from the World Health Organization
Want to find more resources? Search the Vaccine Safety Net for up to date and accurate information!
Remember, you can tell if a website is accurate by asking a few simple questions:
- What is the source of the information? If the source uses numbers or quotes, where do they come from?
- Who manages the website? Is there someone responsible for looking it over and making sure the information is correct?
- Why are they publishing this information? It takes time and work to manage a website! Is the publisher hoping to get something from you in return?
- How current is the information? Can you tell when it was published or last reviewed?
- What letters are at the end of the website address? (In the United States, websites run by governments end in “.gov” and websites run by universities end in “.edu” In general, .gov and .edu websites are trustworthy. Organizations or for-profit companies will end in “.org” or “.com” They may still be trustworthy, but make sure to check extra closely!)
And you can always talk with your healthcare provider if you’re unsure about what you find or if you have questions!
For more tips on evaluating health information, check out this guide from the National Library of Medicine!