Anti-vaccination movement

From RationalWiki
(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Autism: Grammar.)
(http://flower-girl.ceroline.info/)
Line 10: Line 10:
 
# It seems on its face to "make sense", especially to make sense of an otherwise unexplainable tragedy
 
# It seems on its face to "make sense", especially to make sense of an otherwise unexplainable tragedy
  
=== Disease impact in pre-vaccine era ===
+
gnksj8nmc0sh2q flower girl flower girl
'''Complications are more likely to arise from illness than from vaccination.''' The current impact of vaccines on health is very simply stated [http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm here]. Children who get measles have a 1 in 20 chance of developing a serious complication; however, serious complications from the vaccine is only 1 or 2 per million, according to the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University.<ref>Aaron Levin. Vaccines Today. Ann Intern Med, Oct 2000; 133: 661.</ref>
+
Before the introduction of measles vaccination, there were about half a million cases per year in the United States.  Only 89 cases were diagnosed in 1998.<ref>Aaron Levin. Vaccines Today. Ann Intern Med, Oct 2000; 133: 661.</ref>  Historically, the mortality rate for measles in the U.S. was about 1-3 death per every 1000 cases, with young children suffering the highest mortality rates.<ref>S J Engelhardt, N A Halsey, D L Eddins, and A R Hinman. Measles mortality in the United States 1971-1975. Am J Public Health. 1980 November; 70(11): 1166–1169.</ref>
+
Most deaths occur as a result of pneumonia or encephalitis.<ref>Jacqueline Gindler, Sarah Tinker, Lauri Markowitz, William Atkinson, Loring Dales, and Mark J. Papania. Acute Measles Mortality in the United States, 1987-2002. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, volume 189 (2004), pages 69–77.</ref>
+
 
+
After the introduction of polio vaccination, cases in the United States decreased from almost 30,000 in 1955--many of which produced paralysis or death—-to 910 cases by 1962. New cases of polio in the U.S. are now a thing of the past.<ref>Aaron Levin. Vaccines Today. Ann Intern Med, Oct 2000; 133: 661.</ref>  Of the two types of polio vaccine, the oral vaccine, while effective, is the less safe of the two.  Since there are no more naturally acquired cases in the U.S., the oral vaccine had become the only cause of polio (8-9 cases).  Since the vaccine risk, however small, eventually exceeded the disease risk, the oral vaccine was abandoned in favor of the killed vaccine.  In regions where polio is still a major problem, the oral vaccine is still a better choice, as it can enter the water supply and vaccinate others passively.  In regions with high HIV rates, this may be less true, as live vaccines are usually avoided in immunocompromised patients.
+
 
+
In Britain, there was concern in the early 70s about the pertussis vaccine.  It was blamed for several cases of encephalitis. The connection was never proved, and vaccination rates dropped from 77% to 39%.  Following this drop in immunization, the UK was hit by two large whooping cough epidemics, one in 1978, one in 1982, both of which resulted in many deaths.<ref>Aaron Levin. Vaccines Today. Ann Intern Med, Oct 2000; 133: 661.</ref>
+
 
+
The rates of complication from vaccines are so low, that the benefit of vaccines for each ''individual'' child is higher than the risk of a poor outcome, so it is not true that the few children with adverse events are being sacrificed for the health of others.  For example, the CDC compiles rates of risk from disease vs. risk from vaccination.<ref>http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/6mishome.htm#Diseaseshadalready</ref> For the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, this is the data:
+
 
+
Measles Complication Rates
+
Pneumonia: 6 in 100
+
Encephalitis: 1 in 1,000
+
Death: 2 in 1,000
+
Rubella
+
Congenital Rubella Syndrome: 1 in 4 (if woman becomes infected early in pregnancy)
+
 
+
MMR Complication Rates
+
Encephalitis or severe allergic reaction:
+
1 in 1,000,000
+
  
 
=== Negative effects of currently used vaccines ===
 
=== Negative effects of currently used vaccines ===

Revision as of 00:27, 18 December 2007

Vaccine-preventable disease has been a major cause of illness, death, and disability throughout human history. The advent of the modern vaccine era has changed this significantly. In fact, most North Americans have little memory of the pre-vaccine era. There has been much debate lately in the press and in the doctor's office regarding vaccine safety. Vaccines have been alleged to cause all manner of illnesses. Some very prominent Americans have spoken out vociferously about the supposed danger of vaccines.[1]

Contents

Premise

There are many beliefs, not supported by scientific evidence, that vaccines are somehow harmful. Some of these beliefs are quite specific, implicating specific vaccines as the cause of specific diseases. Others are a vague discomfort for the "unnaturalness" of vaccines in general. There are, of course, well developed published data on the complication rates of vaccines. Some have argued that the reporting system is not robust enough, but serious complications, which are the important ones, are not likely to be missed. If anti-vaccine ideas are to impact vaccination recommendations, it must be scientifically demonstrated that the harms caused are greater than the benefits of vaccination, at a population level.

This particular pseudo-scientific belief is unlikely to go away soon, despite the evidence. It has several important factors that make it a very durable belief.

  1. It involves harm to children
  2. It involves science that most people do not understand
  3. It is frightening
  4. It seems on its face to "make sense", especially to make sense of an otherwise unexplainable tragedy

gnksj8nmc0sh2q flower girl flower girl

Negative effects of currently used vaccines

Most commonly used vaccines have a risk of severe complications that is so low that it is impossible to tell statistically whether or not the vaccine played a role in causing these problems. Certain less commonly used vaccines are known to have greater dangers. For instance, the smallpox vaccine, which is not in wide use, has a well-quantified complication rate. Given the fact that the risk of disease exposure is almost zero, it is not worth the risk to vaccinate the population at large.

Specific concerns

Thiomersal (also known as thimerosal)

Thiomersal is a mercury-containing compound used as a preservative in many vaccines. The fact that some mercury compounds are toxic has led many to conclude that vaccines containing this compound are dangerous. Many mercury compounds--particularly those with mercury-carbon bonds--are neurotoxins, such as dimethylmercury.[2] While in large doses thiomersal can be toxic, a 2002 study indicated that the mercury levels in infants receiving a vaccine preserved by an appropriate amount of thiomersal were low; some were so low that they could not be measured. The blood concentrations were below the EPA guidelines. The amount of mercury in stool samples was high, indicating that the body eliminated the thiomersal.[3][4] Most of the concern about thiomersal derives from analogy from methylmercury a well characterized mercury compound--but it is unclear whether the pharmacology is similar to thiomersal. Initial studies on the pharmacokinetics indicate differences.[5] Also, the amount of thimerasol actually present in vaccines is quite low. Most important, however, are the large studies listed here that have shown no evidence of harm.

Multiple Sclerosis

Concern has been raised about a connection between MS and vaccines, especially the Hepatitis B vaccine. One of the several studies done on the topic showed a potential link[6], but there were methodologic problems[7], and most other studies failed to show a link.[8][9]

SIDS

The DPaT has been suspected of causing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome that causes children to stop breathing and die.[10] However, studies have not shown a connection between SIDS and DPT/DPaT vaccinations.[11] Recent studies have identified abnormalities in the development and function of medullary serotonin (5-HT) pathways in the postmortem brain from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases, suggesting 5-HT-mediated dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system in SIDS.[12][13] This is basically stating that SIDS has a strong genetic component and is more prevalent in families that have issues with serotonin reuptake, thus preventing the infant from shifting when their airway becomes blocked while asleep.

Research into SIDS is progressing, and has left behind the fictional link to vaccines.

Autism

There has been much concern about a possible link between autism and vaccines, particularly the MMR vaccine.[14] Part of this concern is due to a possible rise in autism over the last few decades. Much of the concern has been raised by parents of autistic children, and by prominent Americans with no scientific or medical training. Often, evidence given is indirect, citing links between ethylmercury exposure and other neurologic problems outside the setting of vaccine administration. For instance, according to one source "In 1977, a Russian study found that adults exposed to much lower concentrations of ethylmercury than those given to American children still suffered brain damage years later"[15] This un-cited statement gives anecdotal evidence of a link between ethylmercury and "brain damage". It is hard to evaluate without a citation, but the overwhelming evidence from the medical literature is clear. From the same article:

You couldn't even construct a study that shows thimerosal is safe," says Haley, who heads the chemistry department at the University of Kentucky. "It's just too darn toxic. If you inject thimerosal into an animal, its brain will sicken. If you apply it to living tissue, the cells die. If you put it in a petri dish, the culture dies. Knowing these things, it would be shocking if one could inject it into an infant without causing damage.

This statement works to increase levels of fear, but makes no mention of actual vaccines or actual patients. It certainly doesn't mention statistics. Several very well done population-based studies have been conducted. These studies have looked at actual populations in real-life conditions, exposed to the actual substance in question; none have shown any connection between autism and thimerosal preservative or the MMR vaccine. There is overwhelming evidence that the MMR and thimerosal-containing vaccines play no role in the development of autism.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

Shaken baby syndrome

A small group of people have tried to tie Shaken Baby Syndrome to childhood vaccinations. The "studies" that have been published are quite weak. Most are available only online from non-recognized sources, and are "based on personal experiences of the authors..."[23] The rest of the "evidence" is based on personal testimonials of involved parents and physicians.[24][25] These ideas are well-de-bunked here.

Intentionally tainted vaccines

A growing number of Muslims believe that Western pharmaceutical companies have intentionally tainted the polio vaccines used in their countries. They believe that Western powers secretly use the vaccines to spread AIDS and/or infertility among Muslims. Unfortunately, this wave of hysteria has led to a sharp decrease in polio vaccinations and an almost equally sharp increase in polio cases in Muslim countries.[26] The Nigerian government further increased the hysteria by banning all polio vaccines in February, 2004.[27]

Conclusions

Despite the hysteria, there is no evidence linking currently popular vaccines and serious medical conditions. In fact, epidemiologic evidence shows that vaccines prevent a huge burden of disease and death in the world. Despite this, there is still a level of concern regarding vaccines. Public education about vaccines and health must continue, and we must continue to provide our children with a rigorous scientific education so that they may better evaluate the facts themselves. For an alternate view, without appropriate scientific citation, you can visit a number of sites, including The National Vaccine Information Center.

References

  1. http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/06/16/thimerosal/index.html
  2. http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm
  3. Pichichero ME, Cernichiari E, Lopreiato J, and Treanor J. "Mercury concentrations and metabolism in infants receiving vaccines containing thimerosal: a descriptive study." Lancet 360:1737-1741 (2002).
  4. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/thimerosal.htm
  5. Burbacher, TM; Shen, DD; Liberato, N; Grant, K.S.; Cernichiari, E; Clarkson, T. "Comparison of Blood and Brain Mercury Levels in Infant Monkeys Exposed to Methylmercury or Vaccines Containing Thimerosal" Environmental Health Perspectives 113: 1015-1021 (2005). http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2005/7712/abstract.html
  6. Hernán MA, Jick SS, Olek MJ, Jick H. Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine and the risk of multiple sclerosis: a prospective study. Neurology 2004;63:838–842.
  7. DeStefano F. Weintraub ES. Chen RT. Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine and the risk of multiple sclerosis: a prospective study. Neurology. 64(7):1317; author reply 1317, 2005 Apr 12.
  8. Mikaeloff Y. Caridade G. Assi S. Tardieu M. Suissa S. KIDSEP study group of the French Neuropaediatric Society. Hepatitis B vaccine and risk of relapse after a first childhood episode of CNS inflammatory demyelination. Brain. 130(Pt 4):1105-10, 2007 Apr.
  9. DeStefano F, Verstraeten T, Jackson LA, et al. Vaccinations and risk of central nervous system demyelinating diseases in adults. Arch Neurol 2003;60:504–509.
  10. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/vaccine_sids.htm Vaccine/SIDS
  11. http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/iso/concerns/archive/sids_faq.htm#4
  12. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17597646&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
  13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17854254&ordinalpos=10&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
  14. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/attack-on-mothers_b_52894.html
  15. http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/06/16/thimerosal/index.html
  16. Anders Hviid, MSc; Michael Stellfeld, MD; Jan Wohlfahrt, MSc; Mads Melbye, MD, PhD . Association Between Thimerosal-Containing Vaccine and Autism.JAMA. 2003;290:1763-1766.
  17. Uchiyama T. Kurosawa M. Inaba Y. MMR-vaccine and regression in autism spectrum disorders: negative results presented from Japan. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders. 37(2):210-7, 2007 Feb.
  18. Afzal MA. Ozoemena LC. O'Hare A. Kidger KA. Bentley ML. Minor PD. Absence of detectable measles virus genome sequence in blood of autistic children who have had their MMR vaccination during the routine childhood immunization schedule of UK. Journal of Medical Virology. 78(5):623-30, 2006 May.
  19. Honda H. Shimizu Y. Rutter M. No effect of MMR withdrawal on the incidence of autism: a total population study. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines. 46(6):572-9, 2005 Jun.
  20. Smeeth L. Cook C. Fombonne E. Heavey L. Rodrigues LC. Smith PG. Hall AJ. MMR vaccination and pervasive developmental disorders: a case-control study. [Journal Article. Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't] Lancet. 364(9438):963-9, 2004 Sep 11-17.
  21. DeStefano F. Thompson WW. MMR vaccine and autism: an update of the scientific evidence. Expert Review of Vaccines. 3(1):19-22, 2004 Feb.
  22. Brent Taylor, Elizabeth Miller, C Paddy Farrington, Maria-Christina Petropoulos, Isabelle Favot-Mayaud, Jun Li, PaulineAWaight. Autism and measles,mumps,and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association. Lancet 1999; 353: 2026–29.
  23. http://www.redflagsdaily.com/conferences/shaken_baby/2004_feb05
  24. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/shakenbabysyndrome.htm
  25. http://www.freeyurko.bizland.com/
  26. "Vaccine boycott spreads polio" News24.com website, 11 February 2007 [1]
  27. Nigerian Muslims Bar Polio Vaccine: Islamic State Calls Vaccine Program U.S. Plot To Spread AIDS CBS News, 22 February 2004 [2]
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Community
Tools
support