A good friend of mine opened a proverbial can-of-worms today on a message board we both post to. She commented that she was not happy that a couple of her friends had chosen not to vaccinate. She was angry at their ignorance.
I wanted to comment right there on the message board, but I knew it would be too hot of a subject for me to discuss rationally, so I figured I’d bring the fight here. So let me be frank: not vaccinating your child is not a matter of ignorance. It’s a matter of stupidity. It is stupid and irresponsible not to vaccinate your child against preventable diseases. Period.
Those who choose not to vaccinate for inane reasons (this does not include known allergies or contributing medical factors that would make it dangerous to vaccinate) are free-riders. More disturbing, these free-riders espouse unscientific rhetoric about their decisions to not vaccinate and aren’t hesitant to spread this misinformation with zeal. The truth is, most of these people have noidea how vaccinations works. If they did, they might realize that not vaccinating their child puts him, other children, and the health and well-being of his community at risk. It even puts my vaccinated child at risk. What most anti-vaxers don’t understand is that when they stop vaccinating their children, they lower the overall protective immunity of their community, i.e. herd immunity.
You see, no vaccine is 100% effective. Herd immunity is achieved when enough people are vaccinated and have gained immunity to a disease so that exposure to the virus or bacteria that causes disease remains very unlikely. With each different disease, the level of vaccination needed to achieve herd immunity varies, but its generally in a range of 83% - 94%.
Now here’s where the free-riders benefit: so long as the level of vaccination stays in this range (83% - 94%), those that refuse vaccinations will still receive protection from the disease. However, if that range starts to decline significantly, than ALL people in a community are at risk for exposure to viral and bacterial disease that were once preventable.
So why don’t anti-vaxers vaccinate? Fear.They’re afraid. They’re afraid of “toxins” in the vaccines. They’re afraid of thimerosal. They’re afraid of adverse reactions. They’re afraid of autism (that’s the biggie). But their fears are unfounded. Let’s take a look.
1. Fear of toxins- Several sources have posted regarding the issue of “toxin” in vaccines and I think Orac at Respectful Insolence has a good take on this issue.
2. Fear of thimerosal- Thimerosal is not in any pediatric vaccine. Period. End of story. So unless your child is given the adult flu vaccine (which he shouldn’t) and is allergic to thimerosal, there is no reason to worry about this.
3. Fear of adverse reactions- Adverse reactions that are significant and severe do happen, but RARELY. The risks associated with disease far outweigh the risks associated with the vaccine. For example, let’s look at MMR (measles, mumps, rubella).
- Measles - Before the vaccine was introduced, the U.S. saw 400,000 cases annually. In the measles epidemic from 1989-1991, over 55,000 became infected; 45% of these cases were in children under 5 years old and 20% of the total cases were hospitalized. 123 people died.Risks associated with MMR vaccine - Thrombocytopenia (bleeding tendency from temporary decrease in blood platelets): about 1 in 30,000
Risks associated with measles vaccine component - Severe allergic reaction: less than 1 in 1,000,000.
- Mumps - About 200,000 cases were reported annually before vaccine became available. Currently the U.S. sees 3,000-5,000 per year. Complications from mumps infection (with risk listed) include: Encephalitis: 2 in 100,000
Testicular swelling: 1 in 5 adults
Deafness: 1 in 20,000
Death: 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 10,000
Risks associated with MMR vaccine mumps component - Severe allergic reaction: less than 1 in 1,000,000.
- Rubella - In 1964-65, 12.5 million cases, including 2,100 infant deaths, 11,250 fetal deaths, and 20,000 newborns born with congenital rubella syndrome (see below).
Arthritis (usually temporary): 7 in 10 adult women.
Thrombocytopenia:: 1 in 3,000
Congenital Rubella Syndrome: (deafness, cataracts, mental retardation) in 1 in 4 infants if women infected in early pregnancy.
Death: 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 10,000
Risks associated with MMR vaccine Rubella component - Arthritis (usually temporary): Up to 1 in 4, usually teenage or adult women (not children). Severe allergic reaction: less than 1 in 1,000,000
4. Fear of autism - I’m not a proponent of vaccines-cause-autism language, but I don’t have an answer to what causes autism. No one does. Is it something to think about? Sure it is! But is it something to fear? I don’t think it is.
The idea that my son could be diagnosed with autism is in the same basket with any other disease, disorder, or syndrome he could develop. The only thing anyone can say is that anything is possible. But possible is not the same as preventable. So, since I don’t have a definite link between vaccines and a devastating neurological condition, why risk my child’s health by not vaccinating? The risk of my son contracting an illness with severe complications (including death) is much greater than the possibility of being autistic. As someone, very bluntly, said to me one day, “Which would you rather have? An autistic child or a dead child?”
Folks, let’s take a look at reality. Vaccines have helped to reduce the number of severe complications and death from a number of diseases. Four decades ago, children and adults were still dying from diseases many today believe have been “eradicated.” Disease is still a major part of our reality in the U.S. and what’s more, to refuse prevention based on fear, is a tragedy. Children deserve the best possible start and that includes being immunized.