Unvaccinated children experience fewer illnesses and better overall health outcomes than vaccinated children.
This claim is directly contradicted by epidemiological data and the experience of millions of unvaccinated children. Prospective studies and naturalistic cohort comparisons consistently show that unvaccinated children experience higher rates of vaccine-preventable diseases: measles, pertussis, varicella, and others. A 2014 cohort study of unvaccinated children in Oregon showed they had 6-10 times higher rates of pertussis infection than vaccinated children. During the 2019 New York measles outbreak, unvaccinated children comprised the vast majority of cases and hospitalizations. Studies comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children's overall illness rates show vaccinated children have fewer total infections, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer antibiotic courses over time. The perception that unvaccinated children are 'healthier' arises from selection bias: families choosing not to vaccinate often simultaneously make other health-promoting choices (better nutrition, less air pollution exposure, higher socioeconomic status). When researchers control for these confounders, the health advantage disappears, and vaccination emerges as the protective factor. The counterfactual is historically clear: in the polio era, vaccinated populations had dramatically better child health outcomes than unvaccinated populations. Modern anti-vaccine advocates benefit from living in high-vaccination communities that maintain herd immunity, protecting even the unvaccinated.