Skip to content

Top Navigation

Parents Parents
  • GETTING PREGNANT
  • PREGNANCY
  • BABY NAMES
  • BABY
  • TODDLER
  • BIG KID
  • FUN
  • HEALTH
  • PARENTING
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAY
  • News
  • THE STAY AT HOME GUIDE
  • SHOP
  • OUR MAGAZINES
  • MORE

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Your Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Parents

Parents Parents
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      Find a chore your kid loves to do, and start a habit of wanting to help out that'll last a lifetime. Read More Next
    • Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Parenting is so much easier with good pals. Learn to overcome friendship hurdles and bond with women who get you. Read More Next
    • How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      I’m a pediatric sleep specialist who has seen it all, and I’m here to tell you that it’s not too late to get your child to (happily) stay in his own bed all night long. Read More Next
  • GETTING PREGNANT

    GETTING PREGNANT

    See All GETTING PREGNANT

    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant Every Day of the Month

    When sex coincides with your most fertile ovulation days, you'll increase your chances of getting pregnant. Get to know each phase of your cycle to make conception faster and easier.
    • Ovulation
    • Reproductive Age
    • Maximizing Your Fertility
    • Pre-Pregnancy Health
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Dealing With Infertility
    • Genetics
  • PREGNANCY

    PREGNANCY

    See All PREGNANCY

    Signs of Approaching Labor: How to Tell Your Baby is Coming Soon

    Anxiously awaiting your baby’s arrival? Learn to recognize the first signs of labor approaching, which signal that your little one might make an appearance soon.
    • Signs of Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Week-by-Week
    • Giving Birth
    • Labor & Delivery
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Due Date Calculator
    • Pregnancy Complications
    • Fetal Development
    • Gender Prediction
    • Baby Showers
  • BABY NAMES

    BABY NAMES

    See All BABY NAMES

    These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2020

    Curious which baby names stole the show this year? From new classics like Noah to tried-and-true faves like Ava, here are the top boy and girl names of the year so far, plus more naming trends to consider.
    • Baby Girl Names
    • Most Popular Names
    • Names by Origin
    • Twin Names
    • Baby Boy Names
    • Names by Religion
    • Celebrity Baby Names
    • Baby Name Quizzes
  • BABY

    BABY

    See All BABY

    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    Caring for a baby with a wet or dry cough? Listen for wheezing, hacking, or barking first, then read on to find out what's normal and when it's time to worry.
    • Newborn Care
    • Crying Baby
    • Health
    • Baby Development
    • Safety
    • Gear
    • Breastfeeding
    • Diapers
    • Sleep Issues
    • Feeding
    • Nursery
  • TODDLER

    TODDLER

    See All TODDLER
    • Preschool Activities
    • Behavior & Discipline
    • Toddler Development
    • Milestones
    • Potty Training
    • Starting School
    • Health
    • Safety
    • Childcare
  • BIG KID

    BIG KID

    See All BIG KID

    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school.
    • Education
    • Health
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Bullying & School Problems
    • Child Development
    • Safety
    • Manners & Responsibility
  • FUN

    FUN

    See All FUN

    17 Budget-Friendly Kids’ Birthday Party Ideas

    A fun celebration doesn’t need to cost a pretty penny. Throw a memorable bash with these clever cost-cutting kids’ birthday party ideas.
    • Birthdays
    • Indoor Activities
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Printable Coloring Pages
    • Kids' Entertainment
    • Best Toys
    • Holidays
    • Family Vacation Ideas
  • HEALTH

    HEALTH

    See All HEALTH

    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    Here’s everything you need to know about the disease that originated in Wuhan, China.
    • ADD & ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Autism
    • Cold & Flu
    • Coronavirus and COVID-19
    • Cough
    • Down Syndrome
    • Emergency Aid
    • Fever
    • Medication & Vitamins
    • Obesity
    • Rashes
    • Stomach Aches
    • Vaccines
  • PARENTING

    PARENTING

    See All PARENTING

    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    Everything you need to thrive at home as a family.
    • Positive Parenting
    • Parenting Style
    • Celebrity Parents
    • Family Dynamics
    • Divorce
    • Home
    • Adoption
    • Just for Mom
    • Money
    • Toy Recalls
    • Stroller Recalls
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Family Recipes
    • Baby Food
    • Toddler Finger Food Recipes
    • Hints & Tips
    • Healthy Eating
    • Birthdays
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Meals
    • Food For Pregnant Women
  • HOLIDAY

    HOLIDAY

    See All HOLIDAY

    6 Easter Egg Science Experiments for Kids

    Smarten up your annual Easter tradition with these easy, educational egg dyeing ideas.
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
  • News
  • THE STAY AT HOME GUIDE
  • SHOP
  • OUR MAGAZINES

    OUR MAGAZINES

    See All OUR MAGAZINES
    • Parents
    • Parents Latina
    • Ser Padres
  • MORE

    MORE

    • Newsletters
    • Contests
    • ParentsIRL
    • Adulting
    • First Year Playbook
    • Celebrate Your Way

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Your Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Vaccines
  4. Where 11 Celebrity Parents Stand on Vaccinating Their Kids

Where 11 Celebrity Parents Stand on Vaccinating Their Kids

By Serena Kappes
April 06, 2016
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Photo credit (L to R): Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images, Helga Esteb/Shutterstock, Jerod Harris/Getty Images.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage parents to vaccinate their kids to protect them from harmful diseases, and we fully support this stance. Celebrities can have some pretty irksome opinions on the subject, though. Wondering where your favorite celeb mom stands? Read on.
Start Slideshow

1 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Kristen Bell

Credit: Helga Esteb/Shutterstock

Kristen Bell chose to vaccinate her children, but not before doing extensive research: "I decided facts were my friends. I couldn’t rely on word-of-mouth, friend-of-a-friend information," she wrote in a column for The Huffington Post in 2015. "I wanted the truth." She went on to write that she learned vaccines do contain disease particles, but they are dead or severely weakened. "The immune system is far more effective when it knows how to identify and fight off what doesn’t belong. Vaccines are like a wanted poster hanging in the saloon. They train the bartender to spot the bad guys and kick them out," she wrote. "As to the benefits of vaccinations, it has been proven; they work. That’s enough for me to climb up on a soap box, make some ugly cardboard sign in my garage, and let other mothers know that it’s safe, important, and bigger than emotion: It’s the truth."

1 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Jennifer Garner

Credit: Tinseltown/Shutterstock

When her first daughter, Violet, was 2, mom-of-three Jennifer Garner was the national spokeswoman for the American Lung Association's "Faces of Influenza" education campaign. "I want to help make sure that all moms across the country understand that influenza is serious and that vaccination should be a family priority," said the actress, who emphasized that mothers play a key role in the health of their families. "It is our natural instinct to take care of our families and keep them protected. This includes talking to our doctors about whether influenza vaccination is right for ourselves and our loved ones."

RELATED: The Truth About the Flu Vaccine

2 of 11

3 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Julie Bowen

Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Julie Bowen, the mom of three who plays Claire Dunphy on Modern Family, had a trusted source to go to when she was deciding to vaccinate her kids: "I spoke with my sister, who is an infectious disease doctor—and then also with my own doctor and my pediatrician, who said to me: 'By not vaccinating your children, you're putting them at serious risk.’ That was it for me," she said in an interview with WebMD. "Once I made that decision, there were a few tears—mostly mine—but now all three boys are on regular vaccination schedules."

3 of 11

Advertisement

4 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Tia Mowry

Credit: Helga Esteb/Shutterstock

Keeping her family healthy is a top priority for Tia Mowry, actress and host of the Cooking Channel's Tia Mowry at Home—especially during flu season. "One thing that I make sure that my family is aware of is flu prevention and getting vaccinated annually," she told Parents.com. "The flu can really take a huge toll on the entire family, and we all know that once a mom is down or sick, it's like instant chaos." 

And the flu can lead to other complications in children and adults that can make you sicker. "About one-third of cases of pneumonia are caused by respiratory viruses, the most common of which is influenza," Mark N. Simon, MD, Chief Medical Officer of OB Hospitalist Group, tells Parents.com. "The CDC notes that 80 percent of cases of pediatric flu [historically] are children who weren't vaccinated." Plus, he adds, "people who get the flu after being immunized tend to have a milder case and recover quicker."

4 of 11

5 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Kristin Cavallari

Credit: Fashionstock.com/Shutterstock

Kristin Cavallari stirred up controversy when she admitted during an appearance on Fox News in 2014 that she hadn't vaccinated her son Camden. "At the end of the day, I'm just a mom. I'm trying to make the best decision for my kid," the reality star and shoe designer (who also has son Jaxon and daughter Saylor with football star husband Jay Cutler) said when she later defended her decision on Watch What Happens Live. 

Vaccinating children to protect them against life-threatening diseases can cause mild, short-term side effects, such as redness and swelling at the injection site, fever, and rash, says Neal Halsey, M.D., a pediatrician and director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore. But the most serious risks, such as severe allergic reactions, are far rarer than the diseases vaccines protect against. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the risk of a serious allergic reaction from most vaccines is one in 1 million doses.

5 of 11

6 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Credit: Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images

Former Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar has made it her mission to kick pertussis' butt. "Having children is the greatest gift anyone's ever given me, and if I can help protect anyone else's gift, then it's not just my pleasure, but it's my responsibility to do it," the mom of two told Parade.com in 2013 when she partnered with the March of Dimes and vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasterus in “Sounds of Pertussis,” a campaign for adults to get their TDaP (tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) booster shot. 

In the U.S., the whooping cough vaccine is administered as part of the recommended immunization schedule for children. Children should be given the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine at least five times (at 2, 4, and 6 months, once between 15 and 18 months, and once between 4 and 6 years old). Teens, beginning at 11 to 12 years of age, and adults can receive a whooping cough vaccine called Tdap. 

"Every person can say, 'Oh, I wanted to go visit my friend's newborn, but I had a cold so I didn't go.' Well, why would you also potentially expose them to something they can't fight? And the best way to stop the spread of pertussis is with the Tdap booster," Gellar says.

6 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Mayim Bialik

Credit: Helga Esteb/Shutterstock

Mayim Bialik of Blossom fame was reported to have not vaccinated her two sons but in 2015, she tweeted "dispelling rumors abt my stance on vaccines. i'm not anti. my kids are vaccinated. so much anger and hysteria. i hope this clears things up [sic]." 

In a 2012 interview with NPR, she said: "We researched every single vaccine, and we spoke about each individual vaccine with our pediatrician. We went to the CDC sources.The number of vaccines that you and I received when we were kids is a third or a fourth less than what kids get now." 

Parents born in the 1970s and '80s were vaccinated against eight diseases. A fully vaccinated 2-year-old today, on the other hand, can beat back 14 diseases. So while kids now get more shots—especially since each vaccine usually requires multiple doses—they're also protected against almost twice as many diseases.

Related: 8 Reasons Parents Don't Vaccinate (And Why They Should)

7 of 11

8 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Amanda Peet

Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock

"It was pretty scary," Amanda Peet told People in 2012 about daughter Molly contracting whooping cough when she was 8 months old. "It took a long time to figure out what was wrong. No one would think it's whooping cough." The frightening situation prompted Peet (whose daughter was too young to receive her third recommended doses of the pertussis vaccine) to become a spokesperson for Every Child by Two, an organization that encourages vaccinations. The mom of three also became a global advocate for the UN Foundation's Shot@Life program, which works to provide vaccines for measles, pneumonia, diarrhea, and polio in developing countries. "The thing that moves me is that we have a cure for these diseases. We have the medicine—we just have to get it to the children."

8 of 11

9 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Salma Hayek

Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Actress and humanitarian Salma Hayek has worked on behalf of eliminating maternal and newborn tetanus, a life-threatening disease that can be contracted during childbirth. "The thought of losing a child to a disease which can be easily prevented seems unbearable, especially when it is within our power to prevent it," said the mom to daughter Valentina and Unicef ambassador, who became the spokesperson for the the Pampers-UNICEF 'One Pack = One Vaccine' campaign in 2008. "If you knew how to help save a child's life, what could stop you?"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that healthy children get vaccinated against 14 diseases by age 2 (with boosters later for some), along with an annual inoculation against the flu. 

9 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Alicia Silverstone

Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty Images

In her 2014 book The Kind Mama: A Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Birth, and a Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning, Alicia Silverstone explained her anti-vaccination stance. "While there has not been a conclusive study of the negative effects of such a rigorous one-size-fits-all, shoot-'em-up schedule, there is increasing anecdotal evidence from doctors who have gotten distressed phone calls from parents claiming their child was 'never the same' after receiving a vaccine," she wrote. 

"Parents often have a hard time reasonably assessing the risks involved because they've never had any experience with many of the diseases that vaccines prevent," Parents advisor Ari Brown, M.D., a pediatrician in Austin, Texas, and author of Baby 411, told Parents.com. "But I've seen children with serious cases of measles, mumps, and whooping cough, and I have seen a child die from chicken pox. I promise you that these are diseases you don't want your child to get."

10 of 11

11 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Jenny McCarthy

Credit: D Dipasupil/Getty Images

Jenny McCarthy, whose son Evan was diagnosed with autism in 2005, has famously been a vocal critic of vaccines. In a 2010 interview with Frontline, McCarthy blamed her son's condition on the the MMR shot he received as a baby, among other vaccines.

This theory has been widely disproven. According to the CDC, there is absolutely no link between vaccines and autism. Experts believe that the association between the MMR shot and autism is almost certainly coincidental. Children get their first dose of the MMR vaccine at 12 to 15 months, the age at which autism symptoms typically become noticeable, says Dr. Offit. 

11 of 11

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 11 Kristen Bell
2 of 11 Jennifer Garner
3 of 11 Julie Bowen
4 of 11 Tia Mowry
5 of 11 Kristin Cavallari
6 of 11 Sarah Michelle Gellar
7 of 11 Mayim Bialik
8 of 11 Amanda Peet
9 of 11 Salma Hayek
10 of 11 Alicia Silverstone
11 of 11 Jenny McCarthy

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Parents

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • From Our Sponsors this link opens in a new tab
  • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Parents.com is part of the Parents Network. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.parents.com

View image

Where 11 Celebrity Parents Stand on Vaccinating Their Kids
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.