With School Vaccine Exemptions on the Rise, What Can Be Done to Protect Our Students?
Today, PloS Medicine published a study that examined the increase we are seeing across the country in philosophical exemptions to school vaccine requirements, also known as personal belief exemptions.
According to the authors, 12 of the 18 states that allow philosophical exemptions have seen an increase in parents choosing to exempt their children from one or more vaccines. As a result, several metropolitan areas are at risk of an outbreak of disease, such as measles, similar to the one we saw originate at Disneyland in Anaheim, California three years ago.
The Washington Post notes that the study “characterized many rural counties, as well as urban areas, as ‘hotspots’ because their high exemption rates put them at risk for epidemics of measles, whooping cough and other pediatric infectious diseases.”
Amy Pisani, Executive Director of Every Child By Two/Vaccinate Your Family, expressed concern about what is known as the “community protection threshold” by stating,
“It’s alarming to see the rise in exemption rates across this country, putting communities at greater risk. Parents need to understand that timely vaccines are critical to protecting children’s health and should be at the top of the family’s to-do list.”
While the study reveals some interesting data points, there’s little information as to why it appears that parents are increasingly claiming exemptions for their children.
In most states, the school vaccine exemptions tend to be elevated in a handful of communities, as opposed to a general rise in exemptions throughout the state. It appears that more research needs to be done to better inform public health policymakers regarding the underlying reasons parents are exempting their children from school required vaccines.
In the meantime, some of the states with the highest levels of exemptions have passed legislation to make nonmedical exemptions more difficult to obtain. For example:
- In Washington state, a law was passed that required parents to have their exemption form signed by a health care provider.
- In Oregon, parents have the option of watching an online module on the dangers of not vaccinating or getting a form signed by a health care provider.
While both states saw an immediate and encouraging reduction in the number of exemptions claimed, it appears that these policies have not been effective over time and exemptions are once again on the rise.
- In Washington, the state’s kindergarten exemption rate fell from 6% to 4.5% in the first year following the new policy. Five years later, however, the rate has increased slightly to 4.8%.
- In Oregon, the rate dropped from 7% to 5.8% the year after their new law went into effect. Just three years later, more kindergarteners than ever – 7.5% – are now exempt from one or more vaccinations.
Tightening laws and policies clearly does not keep those parents who are intent on seeking exemptions from obtaining them. But how about eliminating nonmedical exemptions?
After the 2014-2015 measles outbreak in California, the state legislature decided to eliminate all nonmedical exemptions. Again, one year after the law was passed exemption rates fell dramatically and, most importantly, vaccination rates rose well above community immunity thresholds, thus better protecting communities against disease outbreaks.
But what will the future hold? Will parents who have philosophical reasons to avoid vaccines for their children find ways to obtain medical exemptions?
Initial data suggests that may be the case. According to an article in JAMA, the California medical exemption rate reflected a three-fold increase following the introduction of the law, from 0.17% to 0.51%. According to the article’s authors,
“Some vaccine-hesitant parents may have successfully located physicians willing to exercise the broader discretion provided by SB 277 for granting [medical exemptions]…If true, this practice would be inconsistent with the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics to reserve [medical exemptions] for children having contraindications.”
In the coming years, public health partners may have a better sense of whether eliminating nonmedical exemptions can sustainably increase vaccination rates and protect our communities against dangerous vaccine-preventable diseases. We will also be looking to additional studies to learn how many parents are choosing exemptions because they have true personal objections to vaccinations, or because they don’t view vaccination as a priority among their long back-to-school lists.
In the meantime, it’s important to help state legislators and the public understand what has been tried to-date and what are the most promising policy paths forward.
Here are some ways that you can be informed and help to inform others:
- Consider sharing Vaccinate Your Family’s fact sheet on the impacts of exemption legislation with your local lawmakers to remind them of their role in strengthening our defenses against vaccine-preventable disease.
- Check out Vaccinate Your Family’s 2018 State of the ImmUnion report to learn more about federal policies that aim to protect our families and communities from dangerous diseases.
- Help ensure children are better informed about how diseases develop and how vaccines work with the immune system by sharing specially designed science curricula from The Vaccine Maker’s Project with school nurses and science teachers at your local elementary, middle or high schools.
- Find out more about the vaccination rates in your state and community by contacting your local schools, public health department or reviewing the latest CDC vaccination coverage reports.
- Stay informed about the latest immunization news and research by following Vaccinate Your Family’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, subscribing to this Shot of Prevention blog and sharing the information we discuss on these channels with your social contacts.
Together we can work to ensure that students get the protections they deserve in their schools and communities.
American Cancer Society Announces Goal to End HPV Cancers
It has been 12 years since the FDA approved the first HPV vaccine. To mark the occasion, the American Cancer Society has launched a public health campaign with one very ambitious goal – to eliminate vaccine-preventable HPV cancers.
Since the HPV vaccine has been proven to be so highly effective, experts and organizations in the U.S. and around the world are talking about how the vaccine can be used to eliminate HPV cancers, starting with cervical cancer. As one of the most respected cancer organizations in the world, the American Cancer Society is uniquely positioned to lead the fight against all HPV related cancers.
How do they plan to achieve this goal?
By using their Mission: HPV Cancer Free Campaign to increase HPV vaccination rates for preteens to at least 80% by June 2026, the 20-year anniversary of the FDA’s approval of the first HPV vaccine.
Considering the number of adolescents who are receiving other recommended vaccines, like the meningococcal vaccine, this objective seems both reasonable and achievable.
However, in order for the vaccine to prevent any of the six HPV related cancers, such as cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, head and neck (also called oropharyngeal cancer), children need to be vaccinated before potential exposure. By getting children vaccinated as recommended, at 11-12 years of age, parents can help ensure the vaccine is administered before sexual activity begins, and when studies show children to have the most optimal immune response to the vaccine.
While the HPV vaccine has been shown to be both safe and effective, the unfortunate reality is that only about 40% of boys and girls in the U.S. are fully protected with the recommended 2 or 3 doses of HPV vaccine. This is unfortunate because we know that 9 out of 10 adults will have an HPV infection at some point in their lifetime.
Many of these HPV infections may eventually clear up on their own. However, the fact remains that some infections will develop into dangerous cancers years, or even decades, after initial exposure. While doctors routinely screen for cervical cancer, there are no recommended cancer screening tests for the other 20,000 cases of cancers caused by HPV infections each year in the United States. Considering that there are often no early symptoms of these cancers, many of these cases will go undetected until they have progressed to a late and dangerous stage.
This is why HPV vaccination is so important. Preventing cancer is always better than treating it.
So how can you help the American Cancer Society in their goal to end HPV cancers?
Parents:
Educate yourself about HPV and make sure the children in your life are vaccinated. Read some of the most common myths about HPV vaccine here and help to dispel these myths by sharing accurate and evidence-based information about HPV and HPV vaccination with your friends and family.
Learn more about HPV and HPV vaccination, by reviewing the informative new resources that have been developed as part of the American Cancer Society’s Mission:HPV Cancer Free campaign, to include the following:
- Take a Shot at Cancer Handout
- HPV: Don’t Wait to Vaccinate
- Protecting Our Children From HPV
- HPV Vaccine: Just the Facts For Parents
Also, hear the stories of HPV cancer survivors and the providers who have cared for them to consider why prevention is critical in our fight to end cancer.
Clinicians and Health Care Providers:
Your strong recommendation is the biggest predictor of whether your patients will receive timely HPV vaccination. To ensure you are prepared to make the most of your discussions with your patients and their parents, check out the library of provider resources available on the National HPV Roundtable website. There is even a special suite of Clinical Action Guides tailored to six different professional audiences, to include:
- Physician/Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner Guide
- Nurse & Medical Assistant Guide
- Dental Health Professionals Guide
- Large Health Systems Guide
- Office Team Guide
- Small Private Practices Guide
The goal of the Mission: HPV Cancer Free campaign may be to increase HPV vaccination, but the purpose behind the goal is our ultimate motivator. With the HPV vaccine, we have the power to prevent cancer, and that is something that deserves a chance. By uniting in this endeavor, we can change lives, save lives and make HPV cancer history.
What You Don’t Know About Hepatitis Can Hurt You
More than four million Americans are living with viral hepatitis, but most don’t know they’re infected.
Many people can live with hepatitis for decades without feeling sick or exhibiting any symptoms. But left untreated, there are three different types of viral hepatitis which can cause serious health problems, including liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer or even cirrhosis, a condition that causes permanent scarring of the liver.
In honor of Hepatitis Awareness Month, learn how the different types of viral hepatitis are spread, as well as how they can be prevented or treated.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.
It is usually spread by contact with people who are infected or from contact with objects, food, water or drinks contaminated by the feces of an infected person, which can easily happen if someone doesn’t properly wash his or her hands after using the toilet. It’s important to know that not all people with hepatitis A have symptoms, but it’s more likely for adults to have symptoms than children. If symptoms develop, they usually appear two to six weeks after being infected and may include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Dark urine
- Gray-colored stools
- Joint pain
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Severe stomach pains and diarrhea (mainly in children)
The good news is that hepatitis A is easily prevented with a safe and effective vaccine. For the best protection, it is recommended that children receive two doses of Hep A vaccine with the first dose being administered between 12 and 23 months of age, and a second dose administered 6 to 18 months after the first dose. Adults who have not been previously vaccinated, or who are at risk due to their work or travel. should also be vaccinated. Since the introduction of the vaccine, cases of hepatitis A have plummeted across the country. However, outbreaks still do occur.
Currently, there are reported outbreaks in West Virginia, Kentucky and California in which hundreds of cases have been identified and several deaths have occurred. This is why all everyone should ensure they are protected against hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B
People who get infected with the hepatitis B virus, especially young children, can go on to develop a chronic or lifelong infection which can cause serious liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer or cirrhosis.
Hepatitis B virus can be spread through contact with an infected person’s blood, semen, or other body fluids. This may happen when someone has a cut or sore, when someone is bitten by another person (as in the case of children in daycare), through the sharing of a toothbrush or food has been chewed (like in the case of young children), from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth, through sexual contact, or by sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment.
Not all people with hepatitis B have symptoms. However, if they occur, they usually appear about three months after infection and can range from mild to severe, including:
- Dark urine
- Fever
- Joint, muscle and stomach pain
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea, diarrhea and vomiting
- Fatigue
- Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
The best way to prevent hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated. The vaccine is recommended for:
- All infants, starting with the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. This shot acts as a safety net, reducing the risk of a child getting hepatitis B from moms or family members who may not know they are infected with the disease. Additional doses of the vaccine should be given between 1 and 2 months, and between 6 and 18 months of age.Newborns who become infected with hepatitis B virus have a 90% chance of developing chronic Hepatitis B, which can eventually lead to serious health problems, including liver damage, liver cancer, and even death. This is why the birth dose has been an extremely effective way of reducing the risk of chronic Hepatitis B infection.
- All children and adolescents younger than 19 years of age who have not been fully vaccinated against hepatitis B
- Unvaccinated adults at risk for hepatitis, in addition to any adult who wants to be protected from hepatitis B.
Unfortunately, many people got infected before the hepatitis B vaccine was widely available. That’s why the CDC recommends that anyone born in areas where hepatitis B is common (such as Asia, the Pacific Islands or Africa), or whose parents were born in these regions, get tested for hepatitis B.
You can learn more about who may be at increased risk of hepatitis B here. Fortunately, treatments are available that can delay or reduce the risk of developing liver cancer.
Hepatitis C
For some people, hepatitis C is a short-term illness, but for 70%–85% of people who become infected, it becomes a long-term, chronic infection which can cause serious liver damage and even liver cancer over time. Unfortunately, the majority of infected people are not aware of their infection because they are not clinically ill.
In the past, hepatitis C was spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants. However, widespread screening of the blood supply began in 1990 and the hepatitis C virus was virtually eliminated from the blood supply by 1992. Today, most people become infected with hepatitis C by sharing needles, syringes, or any other equipment to inject drugs. For reasons that are not entirely understood, people born from 1945 to 1965 are five times more likely to have hepatitis C than other age groups.
Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. However, once diagnosed, most people can be treated and cured in just 8 to 12 weeks, reducing liver cancer risk by 75%. This is why awareness and testing is so critical.
The CDC has developed an online Hepatitis Risk Assessment to help people find out if they should get tested or vaccinated for viral hepatitis.
The assessment, which takes only five minutes, will provide personalized testing and vaccination recommendations for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and/or hepatitis C. Take it today and protect yourself from these viruses that can so easily go undetected.
Nurses, Teachers and Mothers All Influence Immunization Uptake
This week is not only National Nurses Week, but it’s Teacher Appreciation Week and soon to be Mother’s Day. As I sat down to acknowledge nurses, teachers and mothers, one person came to mind – Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco, DNP, PNP-BC, CPNP
If you ever get the chance to meet Dr. Koslap-Petraco, there are three things you will immediately recognize.
She is a leader among nurses.
She is incredibly passionate about immunization education.
And she adores her family – especially her mother.
A few years ago, Dr. Koslap-Petraco shared the story of how her mother’s life was forever altered by polio. In honor of her mother, Mildred Bliss Koslap, who recently passed away at the age of 98, I want to share her story once again. The Koslap family story is a reminder of the role that mothers, nurses and teachers have in ensuring that people of all ages embrace immunization as a way to prevent debilitating diseases.
Dr. Koslap-Petraco begins the story by explaining that it was the summer of 1923, and her mother was only three years old:
“During that period in our history, it was common for families like mine to escape the heat of New York City and travel upstate to cooler weather. That summer, the family chose to reside in a guest house in Utica, NY. My mom arrived to Utica a fully-functioning and fun-loving child, but on a subsequent Sunday morning, she remembers not being able to get out of bed due to paralysis on the right side of her body. She was able to scream out for help initially, but her voice consistently diminished throughout the day, only to disappear for a week.
Her father called for medical assistance, but during this time in Utica, people strictly followed what were known as Blue Laws—forbidding any type of work or major exertion to be made on Sunday. With time, my grandfather was able to convince a kind-hearted Jewish doctor to come over. He instantly recognized my mother’s condition as polio. The periodic massages and other treatments that my mother had to undergo were hassle enough for a young child, but the emotional strain for her was even worse.
After a short time, her siblings were not allowed to play with her, for fear that they might come down with polio themselves. And when my mother—born left-handed—entered school, she was constantly punished by the nuns who directed her to write using her right hand. What they did not understand was that my mother had lost the ability to grasp objects with this hand as a result of her polio. To this day she remains able to hold nothing more than a glass of water with her right hand.
To me, it’s important that I never lose sight of the experiences like this that my mother and her family had to endure that one hot summer in 1923. What’s even more important is that I acknowledge the fact that polio is no longer a significant threat to the health of people in America. Science and research have delivered so much to us, including the means to eliminate the threat of major preventable diseases like polio.”
Mildred appears to have had a great life, raising three strong, successful and independent daughters and living to know not only five grandsons, but seven precious great-grandchildren. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t suffer throughout her life from her experience with polio at the age of three. Her scars served as a constant reminder of the dangers of polio – a disease that greatly impacted her life, her parents’ lives, her siblings’ lives and even the lives of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
As a mother, I’m happy that my children will never have to suffer through the same experiences that Mildred did. I’m even grateful that my own parents chose to vaccinate me as a child and that they raised me to value the preventive power of vaccines.
I’m thankful to all the nurses who take the time to educate others about the benefits of vaccines, care for people who are suffering from vaccine preventable diseases, and bear the responsibility of administering vaccines. I’m also encouraged by non-profit organizations like Nurses Who Vaccinate, which help to position nurses and other health care professionals as vocal vaccine advocates among their colleagues, patients, and the public.
And I’m grateful to all the teachers who do their part to educate people of all ages about the dangers of infectious diseases and how vaccines can help to boost our immune system. I’m especially impressed with organizations like The Vaccine Makers Project which offers scientifically supported, historically accurate, and emotionally compelling content that teachers can use in the classroom to help excite young people about the power of vaccines.
While polio does still exist in the world, we are extremely close to eradicating it, thanks to the success of vaccines. However, as long as there are communities with polio vaccination rates that fall below the 80-86% level that is needed to prevent the spread of the disease, there is still a risk of a polio outbreak As you take the time to thank mothers, nurses and teachers this week, be sure to also learn more about polio and polio prevention on the Vaccinate Your Family website.
Rise in Vaccine Hesitancy Related to Pursuit of Purity: A Conversation with Professor Larson
This article was originally published in Horizon magazine by Gary Finnegan. It is being republished to provide much needed perspective on the issues pertaining to vaccine hesitancy around the world.
The rise of alternative health practices and a quest for purity can partly explain the falling confidence in vaccines which is driving outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles, according to Heidi Larson, professor of anthropology, risk and decision medicine at the UK’s London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She is working to understand the causes of vaccine hesitancy in order to devise ways of rebuilding trust.
Why would people opt out of recommended vaccines?
‘Most people have their recommended vaccines but many do not. In some cases, people are missing out on immunisation because they cannot access vaccines. But there is a growing and concerning trend that shows people with access and education are saying “no thanks”. This is a real challenge because it’s driven by belief and it’s difficult to change people’s minds when they have decided that they don’t want or need a vaccine.’
Our 2016 study in 67 countries found that Europe was the most sceptical region in the world.
Heidi Larson, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
What are the specific reasons people give when declining to immunise their child?
‘Sometimes there are concerns about vaccine ingredients, usually based on a misinterpretation of the science. There is misinformation circulating online about, for example, some compounds that contain metals. But there are also strong underlying beliefs linked to religion, philosophy and politics. In the US, some states allow philosophical exemptions from mandatory vaccination – although California repealed this opt-out option after a major measles outbreak in Disneyland.
‘One of the biggest lessons of our research is that you can never assume what’s in people’s mind nor assume that simply explaining science can change their opinion. People’s reasons for rejecting vaccines could stem from a bad experience at a healthcare facility, general distrust in the government, in medicine or in industry – it’s a real mix but you have to understand their reasons if you are to address concerns and prevent outbreaks of preventable disease.’
How is the decision to vaccinate political?
‘Vaccines are regulated, recommended and sometimes mandated by government or public authorities. In the US, researchers have looked at values-based vaccine rejection. Two major values can be seen: purity and liberty. For some, the idea of government influence over health is unacceptable.’
People need more support to maintain confidence in vaccines, says Dr Heidi Larson. Image credit – Jon Spaull
Do all countries and cultures share the same concerns about vaccines?
‘Ten years ago, the answer was no. We saw distinctions between the UK, where a (now withdrawn) 1998 research paper incorrectly linked the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and autism, and France, whose main vaccine concern was suspected – albeit unproven – links between Hepatitis B vaccines and multiple sclerosis. The UK public was generally not worried about Hepatitis B and the French public was unconcerned about MMR. Now, because information is shared rapidly online and online translation tools are freely available, rumours and myths spread more quickly.’
Does the public expect medicines and vaccines to carry zero risks?
‘Vaccines are different from medicines – they are preventative and given to healthy people. If you are sick, your attitude to intervention and risk is much different. In addition, vaccines are often recommended for people who are most vulnerable – children and pregnant women. Vaccination is, by its nature, somewhat invasive as most vaccines are given by injection, and this provokes an emotional reaction such as fear and anxiety. Indeed, one of the unhelpful trends we notice is that images of needles are commonly used in media coverage about vaccines – you rarely even see a person in the picture.’
Can information fix ‘fake news’?
‘We will always need public communication, but that alone will not fix things. I’m not a great believer in hitting rumours on the head by myth-busting or debunking falsehoods. We need to be more sophisticated and to build strong transnational networks to pick up rumours and misinformation early and surround them with accurate and positive information in support of vaccination.’
Through your Vaccine Confidence Index, you have surveyed opinion on vaccines in 67 countries. What did you find?
‘We came up with a systematic approach to measuring vaccine hesitancy through repeated global surveys. One of the reasons the issue of vaccine reluctance and refusal has not been addressed in any comprehensive way is that it was seen as complex and too fuzzy to measure. It was written off as “not fact” and perceived to be propagated by those who are ignorant, rather than recognising that, fact-or-not fact, these perceptions impact on vaccine uptake and risk disease outbreaks. Our 2016 study in 67 countries found that Europe was the most sceptical region in the world – France was the least positive about vaccines. Now we are planning to rerun the survey in Europe to see if recent devastating measles outbreaks – which have killed 50 people in Europe (since the beginning of 2016) – may have changed minds.’
There were 1,346 cases of measles in Europe in 2008 and 19,570 cases in 2017. Image credit – Horizon
How can this information be used to reduce preventable deaths?
‘First you need to understand what’s driving a decline in vaccination rates and only then can you come up with an appropriate response. The needed intervention will vary depending on whether the problem is vaccine supply or access to vaccines, inadequate awareness of disease risk, concern over vaccine safety risks, including ingredients, or general distrust in authority.’
How can people be persuaded that vaccines are safe and what role can research play?
‘Two of our biggest projects are EU-funded initiatives aimed at understanding drivers of vaccine confidence and developing interventions to build trust. One – EBODAC – focuses on trust building and community engagement around recruiting participants into Ebola vaccine trials in Africa, including investigating the evolution and impacts of negative rumours, such as those that led to the suspension of two Ebola vaccine trials in Ghana.
‘Another is the ADVANCE consortium where we are developing a consistent and coordinated approach to assessing vaccine benefits and risks, including more open and coordinated access to relevant data. For example, if a concern is raised about a particular vaccine, we need to be able to determine whether the rates of a reported adverse event are any different among those who are not vaccinated.’
What is the future of this field?
‘We need to do a better job in schools, helping children to understand essential concepts about how immune systems work to fight disease and how vaccines help build our body’s own protection against infection. Medical school curricula also need to focus more on vaccination, including how to engage with patients who have questions about vaccines. Health authorities need more capacity to respond to vaccine confidence issues, not just by debunking myths, or just providing facts, but by understanding what is driving the concerns, where they are coming from and surrounding them with positive, informed people. The majority of people still believe in vaccines, but they need more support to sustain their confidence.’
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Five Important Reasons to Vaccinate Your Child
Every parent wants to do what’s best for their children. However, when parents are bombarded by conflicting messages, it can be a struggle to try to determine what is best. Every decision – from the type of car seat to purchase, to how to soothe a fussy child – elicits a variety of opinions. But when it comes to protecting our children from dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases, parents should rely on evidence based information from trusted sources.
In honor of National Infant Immunization Week 2018, we’ve outlined some of the top reasons experts give for immunizing for your child, along with trusted sources where parents can get more information:
1.) The diseases we can prevent through immunization are dangerous and sometimes deadly.
The 14 different diseases that we can now prevent through vaccination had once injured or killed thousands of children in the U.S. each year. Today, we may hardly ever see these diseases, but the fact remains that these diseases still exist and can be extremely dangerous, especially to children.
Take polio as an example. Polio was once America’s most feared disease, causing death and paralysis across the country. Thanks to vaccination, the U.S. has been polio-free since 1979. But small pockets of polio still exist in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the threat to your child may just be a plane ride away. (Read Judith’s polio story.)
There are lots of other vaccine preventable diseases that we see more frequently here in the U.S., such as flu, measles and pertussis. So far during the flu season, over 150 children have died from flu. And in the past few years, we’ve seen a resurgence of measles. Back in 2014, there was an outbreak involving 667 cases of measles in 27 states. Another large multi-state outbreak linked to an amusement park in California occured in 2015 involved 147 people. And more recently, an outbreak in MN resulted in the hospitalizations of a dozen children.
Learn more about the 14 different diseases we can prevent through vaccination with this interactive eBook which includes a description of each disease, its symptoms and an explanation of how the disease can be prevented through immunization.
2.) Vaccines are safe and effective.
Vaccines today are the safest they’ve ever been. Of course, parents are bound to hear stories from people on the internet claiming that their children were injured by vaccines. Since it is extremely difficult to validate these stories, parents should rely on evidence based information when making conclusions about the safety of vaccines.
It is important to acknowledge that vaccines do come with a risk of side effects. However, since vaccines are administered to almost every child in the U.S., they undergo an enormous amount of safety surveillance and scrutiny by scientists, doctors, and healthcare professionals. The most common vaccine side effects are minor and include redness or swelling at the site of the shot, which is minimal compared to the pain, discomfort, and risk of injury and death from the diseases these vaccines prevent. Serious side effects following vaccination, such as severe allergic reaction, can happen, but are extremely rare.
Considering the dangers of the diseases we are trying to prevent, the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the minimal risk of side effects.
This video, as well as others available on our Vaccinate Your Family Facebook page, address some of the most common safety questions parents have about vaccines.
3.) Childhood vaccines contribute to the community immunity that helps keep everyone free from disease.
Some vaccines are not administered until a child is 2, 6 or 12 months of age. Some vaccines even require multiple doses before a child receives optimal immunity. Prior to being fully vaccinated, these infants remain vulnerable to diseases that can be particularly dangerous for infants. Read more…
Shingles Vaccine is the Silver Lining of Turning 50
Turning fifty is a milestone most people would rather avoid.
Not me.
After watching both my 73-year-old mother and my 18-year-old daughter suffer with shingles, I would do almost anything to avoid it. And last year, when a new and more effective shingles vaccines was licensed by the FDA, and recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for people age 50 and older, I began looking forward to my 50th birthday.
You see, now that I’ve witnessed shingles up close and personal, I am eager to prevent it and I feel compelled to encourage everyone to as well. And here’s why…
Vaccination is the Only Way to Prevent Shingles
You can’t avoid shingles by washing your hands or avoiding sick individuals. The only means of prevention is through vaccination.
That’s because shingles isn’t your typical contagion. It’s a virus, but not the kind that is spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing. It’s actually a virus (the herpes zoster virus), that is caused by another virus, (the varicella-zoster virus, more commonly known as chickenpox).
Over the past two years I’ve watched as both my mother and my daughter have suffered with shingles, and I’ve learned a few things along the way.
Shingles Pain Is Excruciating, Debilitating and Can Be Long Lasting
The rash then developed into fluid-filled blisters that would break open, ooze out and eventually crust over. She had to be careful to keep the rash covered and wash her hands frequently since she didn’t want to infect my newborn niece who was living in the same home at the time. Since my niece had not yet received her varicella vaccine, she was not immune to the virus and would be at risk of developing chickenpox. As a premature infant, that could have been extremely dangerous for her. Read more…
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