April Vax Corner: “Natural” Isn’t Always Safer: How to Guide Vaccine Conversations in the Clinic

By Brian Hunsicker | April 28, 2026

Courtesy of Maria Huang, MD, FAAP, Vaccine Committee Co-chair, Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

The appeal to nature fallacy assumes that natural things are inherently better to human-made alternatives simply because they come from nature. This is untrue, as there are many bad things that come from nature (like hurricanes and viruses) and great things from human innovation (like life-saving vaccines and pasteurization).

This fallacy is appealing because it often is true that natural is better (vegetables are healthier than junk food). When families express preference for doing things “naturally,” they may be falling into this reasoning trap — using the natural label as sufficient evidence of superiority without looking at the actual outcomes.

Examples of this fallacy in action:

  • Natural immunity is better than vaccine-induced immunity.
  • Raw milk is better than pasteurized milk because it’s more natural.
  • Natural remedies like vitamin A are better than the MMR vaccine.

Concern: “I want to do things naturally.”

Response: I understand wanting to support your child’s natural defenses. That’s actually what vaccines do — they work with the immune system to build natural protection, just like getting the disease would, but without the risk of serious complications. “Natural” immunity to measles comes at a potentially devastating cost:

  • Immune amnesia lasting months or even years leaves children vulnerable to other infections for which they were previously protected.
  • Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: a fatal brain disease that can develop years after initial infection. 95% of children with SSPE die within 5 years of diagnosis, and there is no cure.
  • The vaccine provides equivalent protection without these dangers.

References

  • Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD: You Can Know Things.
  • SSPE: an update. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 2010. Gutierrez J, Issacson RS, Koppel BS.
  • Measles. Lancet. 2022. Hübschen JM, Gouandjika-Vasilache I, Dina J.
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