Immunization

In a Part One, we discussed the emergence of anti-vaccine groups, the connections between alternative medicine and the anti-vaccine movement and the confusion these groups have generated among some parents. In this issue, we will cover some of the more prevalent myths spread by anti-vaccine groups. At least ten misconceptions promoted by these groups can lead parents to question the wisdom of immunizing their children. Although a lengthy discussion of each of these myths is beyond the scope of this brief article, interested readers can learn more about vaccine facts vs. myths by checking http://www.quackwatch.com/03HealthPromotion/immu/immu00.html

Misconceptions

Misconception #1 Vaccines are dangerous, have many side effects and cause various diseases.

Vaccines are actually very safe and are certainly safer than taking one’s chances with the diseases they are designed to prevent. Many anti-vaccine groups use statistics from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) inappropriately to try to demonstrate that the risks of vaccines outweigh the benefits. VAERS is one way in which vaccine safety is monitored. However, this database can include any illness that follows a vaccine in time. Since babies and young children receive a number of vaccines, it is not surprising that many illnesses in children will follow a vaccine in time. This does not mean that the vaccine caused the illness. VAERS statistics are just an important first step in monitoring vaccine safety. They are not meant to be used as raw numbers to imply that a vaccine caused a certain number of adverse events.

Misconception #2 Because of better hygiene and sanitation, diseases had already begun to disappear before vaccines were introduced.

Improved living conditions have undoubtedly had an impact on disease incidence. However, even a cursory glance at the numbers of cases of measles, for example will show a real, permanent drop coinciding with the time of licensure of the measles vaccine. The incidence of other vaccine-preventable diseases show a similar pattern, with cases of Hib meningitis being a very recent example. The Hib vaccine was licensed in 1990 when approximately 20,000 cases were diagnosed per year. By 1993, the incidence had dropped to 1419 cases and today only a handful of cases occur per year. Obviously, hygiene and sanitation have not changed appreciably since 1990, so this cannot account for the drop in disease incidence. If sanitation alone prevented respiratory disease, we would have seen the decrease of all respiratory illnesses, such as colds and flu along with the drop in the vaccine-preventable illnesses.