10 Frequently Asked
Questions
·
Are vaccines still necessary?
o
Yes,
vaccines are still necessary. Many of the diseases that we can be vaccinated
against are still very common. If you choose not to get vaccinated against
these diseases, you are increasing your chances of contracting the disease
naturally, which comes with many deadly risks. Even though there are some
diseases that have a low prevalence rate in this country, you should still get
vaccinated against them because if immunization rates decrease, the disease has
the potential to spread quickly. Also, if a vaccine preventable disease is
nearly eliminated from the U.S., it can still be prevalent in other countries.
If you travel frequently, you are increasing your chances of contracting the
disease in other locations. Individuals who travel to the U.S. from other
countries can also bring the disease along with them. Tetanus is one disease
that can never be eliminated because it is non-communicable, which means it
cannot be passed from person to person. The tetanus vaccine will always be
needed because of this reason.
·
Are vaccines safe?
o
Nothing in
this world is 100% safe. There are risks that come with everything! When it
comes to vaccines, there are definitely possible side effects that can occur.
Most of the time individuals only experience soreness, tenderness, or swelling
at the site where the shot was given. However, there are more serious side
effects that can occur, like seizures. These serious side effects are not
common and they do not cause lasting harm. It is actually more unsafe to not
get vaccinated compared to getting vaccinated. The harm that can come from
getting vaccinated does not even come close to the harm a person can experience
when they are not vaccinated against a disease. Individuals who are not
vaccinated and contract the disease can experience much more dangerous side
effects from natural infection compared to the side effects you can experience
from getting vaccinated.
·
Do children get too many shots?
o
The immune
system of children is more than capable of handling all the shots that are
administered in the early years of life. As soon as a child is born, they come
in contact with many different bacteria, in which their immune system responds
to. In their bodies, there are many, many immunologic cells that can quickly
respond to viruses and bacteria before they turn into anything serious. The
vaccines that are administered to them at a young age are miniscule to the
amount of bacteria and viruses they encounter on a daily basis.
·
Do vaccines cause autism?
o
There have
been many reputable studies that disproved the idea that vaccines cause autism.
Many parents believe vaccines are to blame for their child’s autism because
there is still so much unknown about autism. The exact cause is still not
known, and the beginning stages of autism are noticed around the same time when
children are receiving some of the recommended vaccines. Three main theories
that circulated the idea that vaccines cause autism were: the MMR vaccine
caused autism, thimerosal in vaccines caused autism, too many vaccines in a
short amount of time caused autism. The theory that the MMR vaccine caused
autism began with Andrew Wakefield, a doctor from Britain. His study was
determined to be fraudulent and inconsistent with other studies. The idea of
thimerosal in vaccines causing autism was also proved wrong, when thimerosal
was taken out of vaccines, and the rate of autism did not decrease. The theory
that too many vaccines too soon caused autism was also disproven because it was
proven that children’s immune systems were able to handle the vaccines that
were administered to them.
·
What is the harm of altering the vaccine
schedule?
o
The
vaccine schedule is designed by experts. If the vaccines were separated, spaced
out, or withheld, the children’s chances of contracting the preventable
diseases will increase. An alteration of the vaccine schedule will only result
in the children being unvaccinated for a longer period of time, in which it is
possible they can get infected with one of the diseases. The vaccine schedule takes into account when
the vaccine will result in the best immune response. Also, altering the vaccine
schedule will lead to more doctor visits which might cause the child additional
stress.
·
Why is immunization better than natural
infection?
o
In most
cases, natural infection results in better immunity when compared to immunity
from vaccines. However, vaccination is still the smarter choice! The risks that
come with natural infection are very serious and can be life threatening. When
an individual receives a vaccine against a certain disease, there is a slim
chance they will experience any serious side effects. However, if that person
chooses not to get vaccinated, and instead gets naturally infected with the disease,
the chances of serious side effects increases dramatically. Natural infection
of hepatitis B virus can lead to liver cancer, while natural infection from
meningitis can result in a severed limb, or pneumonia from chicken pox. The
HPV, tetanus, Hib and pneumococcal vaccines actually stimulate a better immune
response than natural infection. Both vaccination and natural infection result
in long-term immunity, so the smartest choice would be to get vaccinated and
not have to worry about all the serious conditions that might occur from
natural infection.
·
Can we give vaccines by a method other than
shots?
o
The reason
why vaccines are given as shots is because your body will make antibodies in
your blood rather quickly after a shot is administered. Since most of the
viruses and diseases that harm us start their path of destruction in the
bloodstream, it makes the most sense to use a method that aids in the quick
production of antibodies in the bloodstream. Interestingly, if an individual is
already infected with Hepatitis B, chickenpox or rabies, they can still receive
a vaccination against the disease. This is because the antibodies that will be
made in the bloodstream form faster after a shot is administered compared to if
the individual was naturally infected with the disease.
·
Why are some vaccines given as a single dose and
others as multiple doses?
o
Multiple
doses of a vaccine can result in a higher percentage of people being protected
against a particular disease. If individuals receive two doses of a particular
vaccine then they will be better protected.
Also, there are some vaccines that do not induce a strong enough immune
response after the first shot. So, a subsequent shot will strengthen their
immune response against the particular disease. Also, a second dose will result
in a longer lasting immune response for vaccines that might lose some of its effectiveness
after a certain amount of time. Another reason why multiple doses are given is
because some infectious agents change each year, which means the vaccines
against them also need to change. That is why we should receive the flu vaccine
each year.
·
Does my child still need to get vaccinated if I
am breastfeeding?
o
Yes, your
child still needs to get vaccinated even if you are breastfeeding. The type of
immunity a child receives from breastfeeding is called passive immunity.
However, immunity from vaccinations is characterized as active immunity. The
antibodies transferred to a child during breastfeeding are made by the mother’s
immune system, and will only offer protection to the child for a short amount
of time. However, vaccination results in antibodies being made from the baby’s
own immune system, which will lead to long- term protection.
·
Who licenses, recommends and requires vaccines?
o
The Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) completes the licensure of vaccines. This step
can take many years. The FDA makes sure the vaccine is safe enough. After the
vaccine is licensed by the FDA, doctors request recommendations from the
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Committee on Infectious
Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of
Family Physicians. The process of recommendations focuses on the costs of
immunizing the whole populations vs. parts of the population, where the vaccine
would fit in the vaccine schedule and the groups of people the vaccine should
concentrate on. The process of requirement is when the state legislatures and
health departments decide if the vaccine should be a requirement.
-This article was written by Heather Serpa
Resources Used:
-This article was written by Heather Serpa
Resources Used:
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