I know this may be a sensitive topic for some people, and I by no means want to offend anyone. There has been a lot of focus lately on vaccines lately, and I figured I'd share my thoughts. And if you already know this information, sorry! To start I will state that I am pro-immunization. I believe it is vital to the health of our children and children at large to immunize them.
Why we Immunize:
The terms vaccine and immunization are often used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference. The term immunize as defined by the CDC is the "process by which a person becomes protected against a disease." The vaccine is the actual "injection of the killed or weakened infectious organism in order to prevent the disease." (CDC website) This being said, the whole reason we vaccinate our children and ourselves is to make our bodies immune to certain diseases. When we immunize our children (and ourselves), we can eventually eradicate certain diseases such as with small pox. To go to the CDC website and review this more in-depth, click here. There are some kids who for various reasons can't be immunized (such as immunocompromised kids), and these kids rely on what is called herd immunity. When we have enough kids who are vaccinated our kids as a whole (or herd) are immunized and the diseases can't find a way into the herd. Without this herd immunity, these at risk kids would be in severe danger from these vaccines.
Why parents are afraid to vaccinate:
There are many different reasons I have heard from people about why they don't want to vaccinate their children. The most common are that the vaccines are not safe, that they can cause severe reactions, and that they can cause autism. Over the years there have been numerous studies on the safety of vaccines. Time and time again they have been show to be safe and effective. Parents often cite the use of mercury as being questionable. Though mercury was proven to be safe in the doses used, (there were trace amounts used, like less than what is found in some seafood) it is no longer used. In 1999 it was eliminated from routine childhood vaccinations as a precautionary measure.
As far as severe reactions, there is a possibility, but it is very rare. On the CDC website there is a place to report any severe reactions. If your child ever did have a severe reaction such as not being able to breath, take them to your Doctor immediately, and report the reaction. Again, this is very rare.
The last issue is probably the most controversial. Back in 1998 there was a man named Dr. Andrew Wakefield who published a study claiming that the MMR vaccine caused autism. Since that time there have been other celebrities and such who have claimed that vaccines caused their child to "get" autism. To debunk any and all those myths, there have been multiple studies specifically on the link between autism and vaccines, and it has been shown that vaccines do not cause autism. Also, Dr. Andrew Wakefield was investigated by the British Medical Journal and was found to have falsified his research. Here is a link to the article in CNN back in 2011 here Also, here is a link to the American Academy of Pediatrics website that breaks down the general flaws in Dr. Wakefield's study. here
In Summary:
There are many different reasons for not vaccinating a child. Some are legitimate reasons, and some are hype and scare tactics. As I said before, I firmly believe that we in general should be vaccinating our kids. When your doctor is recommending that you vaccinate, listen to them. They have years of training and research backing them up. If for whatever reason you don't trust your doctor, then find one you do trust! And when you hear people talking about vaccines, and what they can and can't do or cause, take a second to look at the situation. Most of these people have no background in medical anything!
Sorry for the long post, but this has been on my mind lately and I'm always surprised by how misinformed some people are.
I think this is so important. The risk of a child having a severe reaction to a vaccine is so much less than the risk of getting these terrible diseases. I think we have been so far removed from what these diseases are like that we forget what polio, measles and rubella looked like. Also, I'm glad you mentioned the herd immunity too, I think most people aren't aware of that.
ReplyDeleteI think you summed it up very well! It is frustrating as a parent of a newborn when so many have opted out of vaccinations, because there are many vaccinations a newborn can't have yet. Typically they could be safe because of herd immunity like you talked about, but we're having a huge problem with pertussis (whooping cough) in WA because of so many people opting out and herd immunity is not as strong as it once was. I wish people would take a few minutes to become better informed like you have!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Michelle. I completely agree with you and wish that some of my friends felt the same! If we look at the history of our world, so much good has come from immunizations! They are a great advancement in medicine and I feel like the benefits are taken for granted by vaccine opposers. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle. I know a lot of people who choose not to immunize their kids, and I don't know/understand all of their reasoning, but I feel grateful for the medical advances that help us avoid devastating diseases. My grandpa who turned 91 yesterday was a pediatrician who saw lots of children die from these diseases. Our pediatrician now told me that the reason we give vaccines at certain times, even when they are babies, is because those are the ages that the diseases would be most dangerous and life-threatening if contracted by the child. I thought that was interesting. I have a sweet friend in my ward who is 30 years old but mentally like a child, but has some mental disabilities that developed after a high fever and sickness from an immunization when she was little. Even her parents encourage immunization and had their other children immunized because the risk is so small. Something to think about!
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