The truth about vaccination: Spread the word
As we face another possible surge in COVID-19, health care experts everywhere continue to stress the need for vaccination against the deadly virus for everyone ages 12 and up.
In general, it's actually one of the great shames of 21st century medicine - that vaccinations have become much more controversial than they should be. You can cast the blame in many different directions, but fault isn't important. What's important is making sure everyone has an accurate understanding of vaccination.
Many of our physicians regularly encounter parents reluctant to vaccinate their children. They must often emphasize the importance of the shots that could prevent some of the deadliest diseases on the planet, including now, COVID-19. And even for parents who know vaccination is the right decision for their children, it's easy to question all the misinformation out there.
How vaccination works
Basically, vaccines work by training a patient's immune system to recognize and eliminate dangerous diseases before they have a chance to spread. First, disease-causing bacteria or viruses are rendered harmless in one of two ways. Either they are broken into particles that the immune system can still learn to recognize, or they are attenuated, meaning they remain "alive" but are too weak to actually cause an illness.
The immune system works by memory. When it sees something it recognizes as foreign, it makes antibodies to stop those invaders in their tracks. Then, the next time it sees the same kind of invader, it responds more quickly with an even bigger attack force of antibodies. That means that after the immune system is trained by the attenuated invaders of the vaccine, it will be prepared to face a real infection before it has a chance to take hold.
Vaccination misinformation
About 20 years ago, a dubious study linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism was published in the medical publication The Lancet, kicking off the modern anti-vaccine movement. There were many issues with this study. To start, the study's design was very poor. There was no control population of people with autism who didn't get the vaccine, meaning it couldn't be determined if the incidence of autism was any greater or lesser than in people who did get the vaccine.
There were also funding and methodology issues with the study. In fact, The Lancet issued an official retraction of the study in 2010. The evidence is clear - there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. However, the damage, it seems, had already been done.
Debunking vaccine myths is all of our responsibility
There's a growing trend of people believing dangerous myths about vaccines. When it comes to convincing patients, all physicians can do is be clear about the potential consequences of not getting vaccines. Not only can children get seriously sick themselves, but they can spread diseases to others
In the internet Age, there will always be misinformation out there on vaccines, which is why parents should seek out reputable websites that can tell them the truth about modern vaccination. The website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has some great, data-based information on vaccinations and immunizations for all. Most hospitals also have clear, concise, science-based information on their websites.
The bottom line is that everybody who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated. You won't just be protecting yourself - you'll be protecting your loved ones, your friends and neighbors and everyone you come into contact with by stopping infectious diseases before they can spread. Vaccination isn't just a responsibility to yourself and your child. It's a responsibility to the world.
• Children's health is a continuing series. This week's article is courtesy of Amita Health.