| Almost everyone agrees that vaccination has been | | | | those who have been vaccinated because their |
| one of the single most effective public health | | | | medical conditions suggest that the disease would |
| measures ever undertaken however it still remains | | | | have serious negative effects, to the potential of |
| one of the most controversial issues facing medicine | | | | getting the disease from those who have chosen not |
| today. We will take a look at these controversies, | | | | to be vaccinated (since vaccinations are not 100% |
| attempting to dispel truly fallacious information and | | | | effective in most cases.) |
| focusing on real issues of concern to families. | | | | Manufacturers are constantly working to reduce |
| Once the efficacy of vaccines became established, | | | | chemical agents in vaccines such as thimerosal. |
| governments rushed to both make vaccines available | | | | Children who are not vaccinated with MMR (Mumps, |
| to the populace and to make vaccination compulsory | | | | Measles and Rubella) are 35 times more likely to get |
| in many cases. In the twentieth century, as | | | | the diseases, which can be severe. Varicella (chicken |
| immunizations for childhood diseases were developed, | | | | pox) can lead to hospitalization and/or death. Polio |
| including diphtheria, measles, mumps and rubella, | | | | vaccination is still important because polio is still |
| vaccination became required for public school | | | | present in developing countries. These diseases are |
| attendance. | | | | rare because of the high degree of immunization. If |
| In 1974, the WHO launched the Expanded | | | | people choose to stop vaccinating, the diseases will |
| Programme on Immunization. Through their efforts | | | | rebound as studies in other countries have shown. |
| the last naturally occurring case of smallpox in the | | | | There is still no credible evidence of a correlation |
| world occurred in Somalia in 1977. | | | | between autism and vaccination. This position is |
| Governmental entities strive to immunize as many | | | | supported by the World Health Organization, the |
| people as possible in order to reach "herd immunity". | | | | CDC, The AMA and the American Academy of |
| Herd immunity takes place when enough people are | | | | Pediatrics. |
| vaccinated to substantially lower the likelihood that a | | | | However, while vaccines are spectacularly successful |
| susceptible person will come into contact with an | | | | in the macro sense, on a person by person, basis, |
| infected person. | | | | vaccines can pose mild to severe risks for side |
| Unfortunately, while the discovery of vaccines has | | | | effects and/or permanent and debilitating damage. |
| probably been one of the single most important | | | | There is a fundamental belief that the government |
| steps in eradicating disease (along with sanitation and | | | | should not be able to force people to submit to |
| antibiotics), there have been and continue to be | | | | unwanted medical interventions. |
| safety issues associated with vaccine administration. | | | | As a result, some people, especially parents of |
| In 1955, two batches of polio vaccine contained live | | | | vaccination-age children, are in favor of NOT TO |
| virus, which caused an outbreak of polio. In the 1970s | | | | VACCINATE and utilize the following arguments |
| a paper was published linking pertussis vaccination to | | | | The U.S. vaccination rate is already way above herd |
| permanent brain damage. The ensuing boycott of | | | | immunity thresholds. |
| vaccinations and slate of lawsuits drove vaccine | | | | Each person or family has the right to make their |
| manufacturers out of the business, creating | | | | own free choice about invasive medical procedures. |
| shortages and a rapid increase in disease incidence. | | | | Recognizing the macro value of vaccination, each |
| The theory was later disproved but the controversy | | | | person or family need the liberty to evaluate their |
| led to the development of the National Vaccine | | | | own situation, particularly with respect to |
| Information Office, the National Vaccine Injury Act, | | | | vulnerabilities, and then choose the best course of |
| which provides some liability protection to | | | | action for the individual. |
| manufacturers and the National Vaccine Injury | | | | Vaccines are actively promoted due to the profit |
| Compensation Fund which provides monetary | | | | motive of manufacturers. When lawsuits related to |
| compensation when a vaccine is proven to have had | | | | immunizations go to trial, pharmaceutical |
| a deleterious effect. In 1976, there was evidence | | | | manufacturers can supply "purchased" experts to |
| that the swine flu outbreak could create an epidemic | | | | plead their case. |
| as bad as the flu epidemic of 1918, which killed | | | | The U.S. Vaccine Compensation Program has paid |
| 50,000,000 people worldwide. Swine flu vaccine was | | | | over 2000 awards (over $1.2 billion) for damages due |
| rushed to the public without adequate testing, | | | | to vaccines including a recent case where the court |
| resulting in about 500 cases of Guillain-Barré | | | | found that simultaneous immunizations caused autism |
| syndrome before the program was cancelled. | | | | symptoms. Children with auto immune diseases are at |
| Vaccines, like any drug or foreign material that enters | | | | greater risk for serious side effects from vaccination |
| the body, can cause allergic reactions, often due to | | | | and should be able to be exempted from |
| the adjuvant, i.e., materials that the vaccine uses as a | | | | participating. |
| vehicle for administration. Side effects such as | | | | The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System |
| localized swelling, fever, crying and more are often | | | | (VAERS), a government-run program that |
| associated with injections. | | | | collects data on adverse events related to vaccines |
| Beyond the concern about specific vaccine problems | | | | receives over 1,000 reports per month, estimated to |
| as described earlier, there is a strong minority of | | | | be approximately 10% of actual events. |
| people who believe that the increasing rates of | | | | Hepatitis B immunization is not worthwhile - the |
| autism and learning disabilities in the U.S. are related to | | | | disease does not even affect children (less than 1% |
| its mandatory immunization program. A good deal of | | | | of all reported victims are under the age of 15) yet it |
| research has been cited on both sides of the issue | | | | carries some risk of adverse effects up to and |
| and there's no clear evidence to either support or | | | | including death. For less dangerous diseases such as |
| completely deny these beliefs. | | | | measles and chicken pox, natural immunity is |
| Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by | | | | preferable because it is 100% effective. |
| impairment of social behaviors and interactions. These | | | | Vaccines contain known toxins and carcinogens such |
| behaviors usually become observable at about | | | | as aluminum and thimerosal. |
| eighteen months. Most vaccinations are given on a | | | | Side effects of the MMR vaccination are similar to |
| schedule that begins at age 2 months, creating a | | | | the disease and can be severe. Varicella side effects |
| question about whether the immunizations cause the | | | | are similar to the disease; naturally acquired disease |
| autism. Historical review shows that the incidence of | | | | provides lifetime immunity, vaccination requires |
| autism did increase at about the time of the | | | | boosters. Polio vaccination is unnecessary because |
| introduction of the MMR vaccine in the U.S. However, | | | | there hasn't been a case of wild polio in the Untied |
| awareness of autism as a distinct disease increased | | | | States in 20 years. These diseases are so rare that |
| at the same time. Autism in the UK did not increase | | | | it's highly unlikely that anyone would contract them |
| after MMR was introduced there. | | | | anymore. |
| In the past, thimerosal, organic mercury, was used as | | | | While the correlation between the increase in autism |
| a component of vaccines. Fears of a link between | | | | and the increase in vaccinations may not be causal, it |
| mercury and autism caused the Institute of Medicine | | | | may yet be proved to be causal. Consequently, |
| to request removal of thimerosal from vaccines as a | | | | vaccinations should not be mandatory. |
| precautionary measure. This move, which was not | | | | It's not surprising that there are strong feelings on |
| based on scientific evidence, lent credibility to these | | | | both sides of this issue, fueled by an enormous |
| fears. The current scientific consensus is that | | | | amount of misinformation on the Internet. In the |
| thimerosal causes or worsens autism; by 1999, this | | | | meantime, is there middle ground or any solutions to |
| ingredient was removed from almost all vaccines. | | | | this controversy? |
| Overall, vaccines have improved the lives of billions of | | | | The solution is more and better research on several |
| people worldwide, eradicating many diseases or | | | | fronts. People need answers to the question of |
| reducing them to small, manageable outbreaks. | | | | autism and vaccines. Equally important is research on |
| Proponents in favor of TO VACCINATE cite the | | | | new and better ways to engineer vaccines so that |
| following arguments. | | | | they can be more targeted and less likely to create |
| Getting vaccinated protects the individual and the | | | | adverse events in specific individuals. |
| community; it's an obligation of living in a society to | | | | The middle ground is probably represented by the |
| support the public good. | | | | United States and Canada which enjoy an extremely |
| While most vaccination proponents recognize that | | | | high level of vaccination and low levels of preventable |
| there maybe individual situations where vaccination is | | | | diseases but at the same time provides the |
| not recommended, they point to the fact that if | | | | opportunity for individuals in most cases to be |
| vaccinations weaken the immune system, there | | | | exempted from the need for vaccination based on |
| should be a higher rate of infections after | | | | religious or medical grounds. This balance allows the |
| immunization. A 2001 study of over 800,000 children | | | | majority of the population to be well protected while |
| in Denmark determined that there was no correlation. | | | | still giving individuals the right to exercise the freedom |
| It is not fair to subject vaccinated children, especially | | | | to choose. |