AutismLink: Vaccinations’ benefits proved; enforce the law

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AutismLink wrote: Brought to you by AutismLink Vaccinations’ benefits proved; enforce the law By Mike King The Atlanta Journal-Constitution http://www.ajc.com/services/content/opinion/stories/2008/10/29/vaccinesed.html Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Unfounded fears about vaccines are causing too many parents to forgo getting the shots their children need to stay healthy and not spread dangerous diseases among their playmates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last month that measles cases in the United States had reached the highest level in more than a decade, an alarming rise in a disease thought to be eliminated in the United States eight years ago. The spike is directly linked to parents refusing to get their children inoculated against the easily spread disease. In the first six months of the year, measles outbreaks have sickened 131 children in 15 states, sending more than a

dozen youngsters to the hospital for treatment. Virtually all of the children were home-schooled, the CDC said, and thus had no proof of their immunization status as would be required in public schools. Even in public schools, those requirements are too often ignored. According to a Spotlight report in Sunday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution, many metro Atlanta school districts and health departments do not require immunization proof when children are enrolled. Reporter Alison Young found that 99 elementary schools and 81 middle schools in metro Atlanta failed to meet the state’s minimum requirement that 90 percent of their students have vaccination records showing they are up-to-date on the shots needed to prevent the spread of communicable childhood diseases. Fewer than half of students in some Atlanta and Fulton County schools have proof of proper vaccinations. Parents fail

to get their children inoculated for a variety of reasons: ignorance of the requirement; concern over how much it will cost; misunderstanding that for the vaccine to be effective against some diseases, children must get follow-up shots. But public health departments will provide information as well as the vaccines for any child, regardless of ability to pay. More problematic are the parents who willfully ignore the requirement, substituting their judgment for that of experts who must guard the public health. In New Jersey, the state Legislature is being asked to approve a bill that would allow parents to opt out of mandatory vaccine requirements. The measure was prompted by a new requirement in New Jersey —- the first in the nation —- that pre-schoolers get annual flu shots. The parental blow-back on vaccines began a decade ago when a study purportedly showed that a mercury-based preservative in the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine was in

some way linked to a group of autistic children who had developed gastrointestinal problems. The preservative was removed from the manufacturing process for vaccines, and numerous, large and well-documented scientific studies since then have failed to show any evidence of a link to autism. Earlier this year, scientists also tried but failed to replicate the original 1998 study allegedly linking vaccines and autism. Nevertheless, fears about tainted vaccines are still pervasive on the Internet, where parents are subjected to heart-rendering anecdotal stories about unexplained autism in children. A handful of celebrity parents of autistic children have also raised the issue and garnered disproportionate attention to the cause. Unfortunately, there is no clear explanation why the rate of autism has risen in recent years. Many scientists believe it is the result of more vigilant observation among parents and pediatricians and earlier testing among

children. Others point out that the range of symptoms defined as autism —- both behavioral and physical —- has greatly expanded, which in turn has resulted in more children being diagnosed with the condition or some variation of it. However, the anti-vaccine crowd’s call for “caution” in allowing parents to decide for themselves whether their children should be inoculated is risky business. Certainly, public health authorities should have the ability to require vaccines for children attending public schools, which serve as the primary vector for disease outbreaks. The influenza vaccine debate in New Jersey offers an example. The CDC and public health experts have recommended in recent years that yearly flu shots be given to all children six months to 5 years of age. That means that pre-schoolers and children in daycare should be getting it, which is what prompted New

Jersey’s requirement. Each year, some 20,000 children in that age group are stricken with influenza; about 100 of them die. The flu generally strikes earlier and harder in children, whose immune systems are weaker than those of adults. Young children also are much more likely to spread the virus to their family, teachers and caregivers. If the disease is suppressed in children, it will not gain a foothold and likely decline among adults as well. New Jersey, like Georgia and most other states, already allows children to be exempted from vaccine requirements if their parents have religious objections or if there is a legitimate medical reason. The bill in the New Jersey Legislature would allow parents a “conscientious exemption” as long as they swear they have “sincerely held” objections to immunizations. No doubt many parents have sincerely held beliefs, but allowing them to opt out of vaccination puts the lives of their children at risk

as well as the lives of others. Vaccinations for infectious childhood diseases are one of the greatest accomplishments of medical science, saving millions of lives annually. But their effectiveness is directly linked to coverage that is as universal as possible. The vaccine-autism link has been thoroughly debunked. States should not back off mandatory vaccination laws, and local school districts and health departments should do a better job of enforcing compliance. —- Mike King, for the editorial board (mking@...). Join our listserv! Don't get your news second hand! Get LINKED! http://lists.autismlink.com/lists