Vaccines: We're all in this together

[Guest guest]

I would say that this commissioner for health should have some serious

re-education! He's been listening to Dr Offit.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746510

Vaccines: We're all in this together

By BEVAN K. BAKER

Posted: May 3, 2008

In 2006, a mumps outbreak sickened more than 2,500 in 11 Midwestern states,

with more than two dozen hospitalizations and at least 15 cases of

meningitis or encephalitis (serious brain inflammation), four of which

resulted in deafness. In 2004, a pertussis (whooping cough) epidemic

sickened more than 5,000 in Wisconsin and killed two, including an infant.

The 1989-1990 measles outbreak in Wisconsin sickened more than 1,600 people,

caused more than 200 hospitalizations and killed six - including three

unimmunized young children in Milwaukee.

The current outbreak of measles and rubella is another in a series of

warnings to Wisconsinites. These outbreaks are preventable, and they are

indicators of what happens when children and adults in our community aren't

immunized.

Nearly 95% of Wisconsin students meet the minimum legal requirements for

school immunizations. However, in Milwaukee, the situation is not nearly as

good, with just over 61% of Milwaukee Public Schools students fully up to

date on their minimum requirements.

Why aren't 100% of Wisconsin school children immunized against

vaccine-preventable diseases? Access to medical care is sometimes difficult,

particularly in Milwaukee's inner city. Moreover, some people have

inaccurate perceptions or believe myths about vaccines. Here are some of

them:

Myth 1: " These diseases aren't around anymore. " Measles is the single

biggest worldwide cause of vaccine-preventable death in children, with more

than 30 million cases and nearly 1 million deaths every year. An early 1990s

outbreak of diphtheria in Russia, caused in large part by low vaccination

rates, caused over 5,000 deaths. These and other vaccine-preventable

illnesses are just a plane ride away from Wisconsin every day of the year.

Myth 2: " It's better to get the natural infection. " Wrong. About one in

eight people with measles requires hospitalization, and one or two per 1,000

will die. Up to 90% of babies born to women who have rubella during

pregnancy will die or be born with severe birth defects. Even chickenpox

killed more than 100 Americans every year before a vaccine became available.

Adults account for less than 5% of chickenpox cases, but more than half of

chickenpox deaths. Where do most adults get chickenpox? From unimmunized

children.

Myth 3: " Vaccines are not safe and do not work. " Actually, vaccines are one

of the safest and most effective medical interventions we have. They are

generally between 90% and 99% effective, depending on the vaccine. It's true

that mild side effects such as localized soreness, low-grade fever and

irritability in infants do occur fairly frequently. But serious side effects

are extremely rare (one in thousands to one in millions).

Myth 4: " Vaccines can cause long-term problems. " Multiple studies have

looked carefully for possible connections between vaccines and many chronic

diseases such as asthma, SIDS, diabetes, autism, multiple sclerosis, etc.

Autism in particular is an urgent health concern, and many scientists are

working very hard to determine what causes it. However, the credible

scientific evidence shows no link between vaccines and these diseases.

Myth 5: " Babies are too young to get shots, especially several at once. " A

baby's immune system begins working even before birth. A case of strep

throat, for example, requires the immune system to respond to 25 to 50

different foreign particles ( " antigens " ), but most vaccines contain only a

few antigens. Immunologists estimate that the immune system of even young

infants can respond to as many as 100,000 antigens, so getting several shots

at once is perfectly fine. And babies are most at risk for many of these

diseases and their complications.

Myth 6: " Your immune system can get 'dependent' on vaccines. " Actually,

vaccines strengthen your natural immune system. Imagine your immune system

as the security system of your body and diseases as intruders trying to

break in. In essence, a vaccine shows your immune system a picture of these

intruders, so it will recognize them immediately and take care of them

before they can cause harm. Thus, vaccines actually help prevent the need

for antibiotics and other medicines.

Immunizations are one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th

century. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical

Association, every 1% increase in unimmunized children in a community causes

more than a 10% increase in the risk of outbreaks. Unfortunately, these

outbreaks often wreak their greatest havoc on those who are most vulnerable

or those few who can't be vaccinated for medical reasons. And because

vaccines - while extremely effective - aren't 100% effective, these

outbreaks put us all at risk.

Please do your part to protect yourself, your family and our community:

Check to make sure all of your vaccines, and your family's vaccines, are

completely up to date. If you're not sure, please go to your regular clinic

or to your local public health department to get up to date, or check out

www.milwaukee.gov/health.

Bevan K. Baker is commissioner of health for the City of Milwaukee. Bevan K.

Baker is commissioner of health for the City of Milwaukee.