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The '''vaccine controversy''' encompasses many concerns over the use and lack of use of [[vaccine|vaccines]] - whether vaccination in general or mass vaccination in particular is beneficial to the health of individuals and the population. |
The '''vaccine controversy''' encompasses many concerns over the use and lack of use of [[vaccine|vaccines]] - whether vaccination in general or mass vaccination in particular is beneficial to the health of individuals and the population. Vaccine critics assert their has been an [[autism epidemic]] and that vaccines may have contributed to it. [[Vaccine]]s are widely credited for reducing the prevalence and damage of several diseases. As a result, national and international public health organizations have made vaccination a central part of their strategies. Although mass [[vaccination]] campaigns have eradicated or kept under control a number of deadly diseases via [[herd immunity]], some critics repeatedly challenge the wisdom of several aspects of such campaigns. Research efforts have led to the development of vaccinations against a broadening array of illnesses, raising hopes that some of the most deadly illnesses in the world will be eliminated or at least diminished. |
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[[Vaccine]]s are widely credited for reducing the prevalence and damage of several diseases. As a result, national and international public health organizations have made vaccination a central part of their strategies. Although mass [[vaccination]] campaigns have eradicated or kept under control a number of deadly diseases via [[herd immunity]], some critics repeatedly challenge the wisdom of several aspects of such campaigns. Research efforts have led to the development of vaccinations against a broadening array of illnesses, raising hopes that some of the most deadly illnesses in the world will be eliminated or at least diminished. |
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==The case for widespread vaccines== |
==The case for widespread vaccines== |
Revision as of 05:45, 29 January 2006
The vaccine controversy encompasses many concerns over the use and lack of use of vaccines - whether vaccination in general or mass vaccination in particular is beneficial to the health of individuals and the population. Vaccine critics assert their has been an autism epidemic and that vaccines may have contributed to it. Vaccines are widely credited for reducing the prevalence and damage of several diseases. As a result, national and international public health organizations have made vaccination a central part of their strategies. Although mass vaccination campaigns have eradicated or kept under control a number of deadly diseases via herd immunity, some critics repeatedly challenge the wisdom of several aspects of such campaigns. Research efforts have led to the development of vaccinations against a broadening array of illnesses, raising hopes that some of the most deadly illnesses in the world will be eliminated or at least diminished.
The case for widespread vaccines
There is an overwhelming public and healthcare community agreement that children should routinely be vaccinated against a range of diseases, such as measles, polio, diphtheria, rubella, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and others. Some vulnerable groups are also advised to be vaccinated against influenza. Vaccination is credited with:-
- Saving more lives than any other form of medical intervention. Among the most striking succeses are the worldwide destruction of smallpox and the near eradication of polio in Africa despite little change in sanitary conditions.
- Providing cost-effective health, compared to treatment of a manifest disease.
- Preventing epidemics in vulnerable areas. When vaccination against polio was recently halted in Nigeria, for instance, the number of cases significantly rose [1].
- Where controversies over vaccination arise, they closely mirror litigation. In the United States, the issue of thimerosal has come to the fore, as litigants seek to remove cases from the jurisdiction of vaccine compensation tribunals. In the UK, there has been little controversy over thimerosal, but great worry over MMR [2].
- Vaccination uptake needs to be high, since even very successful vaccines rarely have an efficacy greater than 80%, creating a need to maintain herd immunity through universal immunization.
- Critics of vaccination often lack relevant qualifications, may be ideologically opposed to mandatory health programs, and are commonly associated with fringe views about alternative therapies and the achievements of drug-based medicine. [3]
- Physicians overwhelmingly support multiple vaccines, such as DPT and MMR, as being in the best interests of the child.
- The immune system does not get overwhelmed by vaccination [4].
Criticism of widespread vaccine policy
The practice of vaccination has been opposed by some since its inception in the mid-19th century [5], but criticism has become re-energized in the US and some other developed countries in recent years. While positions vary from outright rejection of the practice to calls for more selective and cautious use of vaccination, one or several of the following arguments are typically invoked:
- The public health benefits of vaccinations are exaggerated. Critics of vaccination policy point out that the mortality rates of relevant illnesses were already dramatically reduced before vaccines were introduced, and claim that further reductions cannot immediately be attributed to vaccines.
- Secondary and long-term effects on the immune system from introducing immunogens directly into the bloodstream are not fully understood.
- The recommended vaccination schedule does not consider the cumulative effect of being exposed to multiple immunogens at the same time and at a young age.
- At least some vaccine studies did not include such young children (e.g., 5 week old infants, 2 month old infants), yet vaccination schedules start with newborns[citation needed]. There can be a vast difference between the weight and all around development of a newborn baby versus a toddler, yet this is not accounted for.
- The increased incidence of previously rare diseases, including leukemia, multiple sclerosis, SIDS, autism, and others seem to coincide with the increased use of vaccinations.
- Opponents of current vaccination policy question if vaccinations actually create immunity against the targeted diseases given what appears to them to be number of individuals in a number of cases who were assumed to be immunized and still contracted the illness.
- By not exposing children to common childhood illnesses, they may be more susceptible to diseases at a point when their immune system is weakened, e.g., at an old age or when sick for other reasons.
- Vaccinations contain chemical components that are known to be toxic in levels higher than that found in vaccines, including formaldehyde, aluminum in various compounds, acetone, glyceride, ethylene glycol, and antibiotics. In particular, many express concern over the once-widespread, but declining use of thimerosal in vaccinations.
- The practice of early childhood vaccination is not typically subject to screening to determine whether a child is more likely to experience adverse effects.
- As is true with any medication, adverse events to the vaccine (even when rare) may be worse than the disease itself, and there are isolated reports of serious health damage and even death within hours or a day or two of vaccination. Although there is now a national database where reported reactions can be recorded, there are concerns that negative reactions are grossly underreported.
- There are a number of possible conflicts of interest that may affect the research design, findings, and opinions about vaccines, including financial interests of companies, the self-regulatory mechanism of medical doctors, and fear of the consequences should vaccines be found to be dangerous (see 2000 Simpsonwood CDC conference for example of such fears). But there are also concerns that opponents of vaccines may be seeking to enrich themselves through litigation and by mongering fear and hysteria among the public.
- Some researchers hypothesize possible links between the increasing incidence of cancer and use of vaccines, due to the way vaccines may alter the cells in our bodies.
- Religious objections, particularly by Christian Scientists to all forms of medical intervention.
Vaccination supporters
- Thomas Francis, Jr.
- Edward Jenner
- Louis Pasteur
- Albert Sabin
- Jonas Salk
- Thomas Verstraeten
- Center for Disease Control
- World Health Organization
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, administrators of the Nobel Prize for Medicine
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
- Médecins Sans Frontières
- Bono
- Robert Koch
- National Institute for Clinical Excellence
Vaccination critics
- Beddow Bayly
- Gerhard Buchwald
- Alan Cantwell
- Harris Coulter
- Charles Creighton
- Walter Hadwen
- Archie Kalokerinos
- Lily Loat
- Robert Mendelsohn
- Charles Pearce
- Viera Scheibner
- William Tebb
- National Anti-Vaccination League
References
- "Anti-vaccinationists past and present" BMJ 2002;325:430-432
- "MMR: Science and Fiction. Exploring the Vaccine Crisis; MMR and Autism: What Parents Need to Know", Rapid Responses to book review, British Medical Journal
- "Content and design attributes of anti-vaccination websites" Journal of the American Medical Association
- Miller, C.L. Deaths from measles in England and Wales. 1970-83., Epidemiological Research Laboratory, Public Health Laboratory Service, London; measles mortality statistics published in the British Medical Journal, Vol 290, February 9, 1985
External links
Vaccine promotion sites, little or no anti-vaccination viewpoint
- Immunize.org - Immunization Action Coalition' (nonprofit working to increase immunization rates)
- MMRtheFacts.nhs.uk - 'MMR the Facts', UK National Health Service
- WHO.int - 'Immunizations, vaccines and biologicals: Towards a World free of Vaccine Preventable Diseases', World Health Organization (WHO's global vaccination campaign website)
Sites or articles supportive of vaccines
- CDC.gov - 'National Immunization Program: leading the way to healthy lives', US Centers for Disease Control (CDC information on vaccinations)
- CDC.gov - 'Mercury and Vaccines (Thimerosal)', US Centers for Disease Control
- NYTimes.com - 'On Autism's Cause, It's Parents vs. Research', Gardiner Harris, Anahad O'Connor, New York Times (front page; June 25, 2005)
- OpinionJournal.com - 'Autism and vaccines: Activists wage a nasty campaign to silence scientists' (editorial), Wall Street Journal (February 16, 2004)
- SNHS.com - 'Anti-vaccine activists get jabbed', Michael Fumento (March 11, 2004)
- ZyNet.co.uk - 'Polio Virus, Vaccine and Eradication', Lincolnshire Post-Polio Network (UK)
Sites or articles critical of vaccines
- GenerationRescue.org - 'Thousands of parents, hundreds of doctors and scientists and several congressmen agree. The Cause of autism - and its cure- has been found.', Generation Rescue
- About.com - 'Killing the Messenger: Dr. Andrew Wakefield Fired', Floyd Tilton (December 5, 2001)
- InformedParent.co.uk - 'MMR Manufacturers Keep Up Legal Pressure on MMR Children', Informed Parent
- NewMediaExplorer.org - 'S 1873: Pandemic Vaccine Bill To Put Drug Firms Beyond Reach Of Law', Sepp Hasslberger, Health Supreme (October 26, 2005)
- NVIC.org - National Vaccine Information Center
- RollingStone.com - 'Kennedy Report Sparks Controversy: Intense reaction from medical establishment and leading news organizations' (editorial), Rolling Stone (July 14, 2005)
- ThinkTwice.com - Think Twice Global Vaccine Institute
Sites decidedly or apparently totally against vaccination
- AVN.org.au - The Australian Vaccination Network (AVN)
- Educate-Yourself.org - 'The Vaccine Industry vs Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.', Mark Sircus Ac, OMD (June 22, 2005)
- VaccinationDebate.com - 'Vaccination Debate', Ian Sinclair
- VacLib.org - 'Free Your Mind...From the Vaccination Paradigm', Vaccination Liberation
- VRAN.org - 'Vaccine Risk Awareness Network: Your Source for Vaccination Information' (Canada)