"Vaccines do not weaken, but activate our immune system and prevent 2.5 million deaths a year. Their usefulness is unquestionable". This is what Ignacio López-Goñi, Full Professor of Microbiology at the University of Navarra, says in his book Do vaccines work?a health guide at core topic , published together with the biologist Oihan Iturbide. The goal of the work is to help parents, educators, staff health, journalists and the general public to solve doubts.

The expert, a professor of Microbiology, recalls that vaccines, together with antibiotics and the extension of hygienic practices, have clearly improved the health of humanity, reduced infant mortality and increased life expectancy. "In developed countries, more than 100 million children are vaccinated every year against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, tuberculosis, polio, measles and hepatitis B," he says.

"It is estimated that these vaccines save the lives of five children every minute. And thanks to them, smallpox has been eradicated on the planet, polio is very close to being eradicated and the incidence of diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella has been reduced by 95%," explains López-Goñi.

In his opinion, the reluctance shown by some people to vaccinate their children may be due to the fact that vaccines are the only medication we take when we are healthy, and that is why our tolerance of side effects is much lower: "Vaccines, like any other drug, are not 100% harmless. Their mechanism of action consists precisely in activating our immune system to generate antibodies against the corresponding disease".

This activation, says the author, "causes mild side effects in some cases - such as irritation or a few tenths of a fever - and only in a small percentage - one in a million cases - can it cause serious effects". In any case, he points out that, in general, side effects are always less serious than the disease they prevent. 

"If one person doesn't get vaccinated, they put others at risk."

In this sense, the book Do Vaccines Work? explains thatvaccination is a public health measure that protects individually and also collectively, which is especially important for at-risk groups: children, the elderly and immunocompromised persons: "Vaccines 'break' the chain of transmission of a disease and prevent epidemics. Vaccination protects the community. If you don't get vaccinated, you put the health of others at risk. Hence the importance of maintaining a high vaccination coverage in order to achieve the maximum benefit for everyone.

The authors also explain the origin of the anti-vaccine movements and refute the theories about the supposed relationship of the MMR vaccine with autism or of other vaccines with neurological disorders.