KiddieHab

mitigation factors have been successful at lessening the prevalence of vaccine-preventable diseases. It is the assertion that vaccinations alone have been successful at ending these diseases, and that vaccines, are no longer needed. But the reality is that the prevalence of these vaccine-preventable diseases are still prevalent. The combination of socioeconomics, public health initiatives, health education, and improvements in technology along with medical access can mitigate the sanitation and hygiene issues that once increased the spread of disease, when unmitigated, but they are not the sole reason for diminishing vaccine-preventable diseases in the population. 

 

Vaccine-preventable diseases have shown to ebb with periodic peaks and valleys throughout the years. Studies have shown, especially in developed nations, when periodic immunizations drop, an increase in vaccine-preventable disease-related-deaths have led to epidemics of disease, which are directly related to vaccination fear or opposition.

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3.) Misconception 3#: Majority of People who get the disease have been vaccinated. No vaccine is 100% effective, because in order to make vaccines safer than the disease, the bacteria or virus is killed or weakened (attenuated). Adverse effects are individual, and not all vaccinated persons develop immunity. Fortunately, most routine childhood vaccines are effective for 85% to 95% of recipients. This misconception further highlights how important vaccinations are at increasing the effects of herd immunity, which would protect those, who do not develop immunity from being vaccinated by lowering the possibility of being infected from the overall population and community (spread).   

 

4.) Misconception 4#: Vaccine-Preventable diseases have been virtually eliminated no need to be vaccinated. Vaccinations have allowed us to reduce most vaccine-preventable diseases to very low levels in many countries. However, preventable/communicable diseases are still prevalent and can reach epidemic levels quite easily. This is largely due to travel and the relative mobility people enjoy now. People can unknowingly bring these diseases into any country and community; where some are not fully protected by vaccinations. Spread of the disease can occur relatively quickly. This is evident by our current pandemic.

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5.) Misconception 5#: "Hot Lots" of vaccine that have been associated with more adverse events and deaths than others. Not all vaccine lots are the same, they vary in size, from several hundred thousand doses to several million, and some are in distribution much longer than others. Some larger lots may be in distribution for a longer period which may be associated with more adverse events by chance. Surveillance systems report events, that are temporally associated with vaccine receipt. But reports should not be interpreted as causation. Therefore, when parents are reviewing published lists of "hot lots" (a misnomer term), this will not help parents identify the best or worst vaccines for their children.

6.) Misconception 6#: Multiple vaccinations for different diseases at the same time increases the risk of harmful side effects and can overload the immune system. Children are exposed to antigens every second of every day! Children are exposed to bacteria from the foods they eat, to viruses like the common cold which can expose them to 4 to 10 different antigens, while one case of "Strep Throat" exposes kiddies to between 25 to 50 antigens. Studies have shown that the recommended vaccines are effective in combination as they are individually, and combinations have not shown greater risk in concert for adverse side effects. It must not go unsaid that antigens, by virtue, are specific, and they act and bind specifically.

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Here is a wonderful Infographic by the CDC that describes the route of vaccine safety!