The risks of not getting vaccinated

Not getting vaccinated involves risks, both for the unvaccinated person and the community. The main risk for the unvaccinated person is suffering from infections against which they have no protection, and which may be serious.

Thanks to the high rates of vaccination coverage we have in Catalonia and Spain, many infections are very rare in our environment. However, this does not mean that they have been eradicated, and isolated cases or even outbreaks may still occur. The low incidence of these diseases means health professionals are often not used to diagnosing them. This can delay diagnosis which may worsen the course of the infection, as well as delaying measures to isolate the case, which in turn increases the chance of transmission to others.

The main risk to the community is that the infection will be reintroduced and spread. This is particularly dangerous for people in risk groups who cannot be vaccinated (due to an allergy to vaccine components or other contraindications) or those who, despite being vaccinated, have a reduced response to vaccines due to a weakened immune system (for example people with HIV or cancer, bone marrow transplant recipients, or those undergoing treatment with immunosuppressants, among others). It is also dangerous for infants who are not yet fully vaccinated.