An article written to help individuals weigh the risks vs. benifits of vaccinations.
In 1796 an English physician named Edward Jenner set the wheels of science spinning when he created the first known vaccine. His crude, but effective immunization method against small pox began a revolution in the way man would deal with communicable diseases. However, widespread use of vaccines in the United States did not begin until more than a century later with the diphtheria vaccine. In the early 1920's American citizens were being plagued by diphtheria, a highly communicably disease that was more often than not fatal at the time. In 1921, 206,939 cases of diphtheria were reported. In 1999 only one case of diphtheria was reported in the United States. As medical science progressed, so did the use of immunizations until they reached wide spread use in the 1960's.
Today, basic medical care for children in the United States involves a series of "well baby" doctor visits, where healthy children are taken in for check-ups specifically for the purpose of being immunized. By the time they reach their first birthday, a fully immunized American child will have received injections against 11 different diseases, and that list is growing yearly. Many of the diseases being vaccinated against are now rare, if not completely eradicated from natural existence in the US. Others pose little or no risk to the child being vaccinated against them. Vaccinations have recently come under serious scrutiny as their safety and necessity is being questioned by groups of concerned individuals, including many people that are parents of children injured not by diseases, but by the vaccines intended to prevent them. For many people, concern about vaccine safety raises a very important and sometimes difficult to answer question: are vaccines necessary in the United States?
Many arguments can be made both for and against vaccinations. Cases of victims infected with diseases for which there are vaccines have dropped steadily over the years since. Deaths due to diseases for which there are vaccines are also fewer thanks to improved sanitation, better medical care, and better treatments. It would seem that vaccines are an effective way to control communicable diseases. However, vaccines are now being linked to causing diseases like autism and cancer. Vaccines are also responsible for more than 50,000 documented adverse reactions in patients each year, and an estimated 90% of vaccine reactions go unreported.
The remainder of this article will provide information on the 11 common childhood vaccinations in an effort to aid you in making an important decision about your health, and the health of your children: whether or not you will choose to vaccinate.
Hepatitis B:
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that causes loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, and jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), joint pain and skin rashes. Hepatitis B is dangerous because nearly half of those infected will develop liver disease or cancer later in life. The majority of people infected with Hepatitis B display no symptoms, although they may become chronic carries and pass it on to others. Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, generally through sexual contact or IV drug use. Hepatitis B can also be contracted by a newborn from an infected mother. About 5,000 infected babies are born annually.
Babies born to mother's who are not infected with Hepatitis B stand little to no chance of contracting the disease in their childhood years. Hepatitis B is not highly contagious, and is not easily communicable. It is primarily an adult disease, and up untill 1991 the vaccine was only recommended for high risk individuals. In 1991 the recommendation was changed to include the immunization of all children born in the United States. The standard set by the CDC is that children born to infected mothers should be vaccinated by 12 hours old, and children born to uninfected mothers should be vaccinated by 2 months of age. Another two doses of the vaccine will be administered prior to the child reaching 18 months of age.
The Hepatitis B vaccine has been concisely linked to autoimmune system failures and central nervous system disorders
Diphtheria:
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection (treatable by antibiotics) that begins with a sore throat, slight fever, and swollen neck (due to swollen lymph glands). If left untreated it can progress into a dangerous condition due to bacteria multiplying in the throat creating a membrane that can cause the victim to choke. In advanced cases, the bacteria can also release a toxin into the bloodstream that can result in muscle paralysis, heart and kidney failure, and death. The disease is spread through bodily fluids by sneezing, coughing, etc.
In 1999 only one case of diphtheria was reported in the US. The diphtheria or DTaP vaccine is only available as a combination vaccine that includes diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. The CDC recommends that children get a series of 5 injections beginning at 2 months of age and ending at 6 years of age.
Side effects occur in at least 50% of children injected with the DTaP vaccine. Mild symptoms include soreness and/or swelling at the injection site, low grade to moderate fever, reduced appetite and/or vomiting, tiredness, and general crankiness. More extreme side effects occur in approximately 1.5% of people vaccinated and can include prolonged and excessive crying, high grade fever (105 or higher), seizures, listlessness, respiratory distress, shock, and brain disorders including comas and seizures.
Tetanus:
Tetanus is not a disease passed from person to person. It is a toxin that is introduced into the body when a foreign object penetrates the skin, or the Tetanus toxin comes into direct contact with an open sore. The most common ways to contract tetanus include animal bites, deep puncture wounds, surgery, IV drug use, and scrapes/burns. Tetanus can also be contracted by contamination of a newborn child's umbilical stump, but this is rare. The main symptom of tetanus is extreme muscle contraction. Other symptoms include fever, increased blood pressure, rapid heart rate and spasms of the vocal cords that can inhibit breathing. About 30-60 cases of tetanus are reported in the United States each year, of those victims about 30% will die. Death generally occurs among victims older than 50 years of age, and those with compromised or weak immune symptoms.
The Tetanus vaccine is generally administered to children via the DTaP vaccine, see side effects listed under the "Diphtheria" description.
Tetanus can also be administered combined with the diphtheria vaccine (DT) or alone (T) for vaccinated patients over 7 years of age every 10 years for continued immunity.
Pertussis:
Pertussis is a bacterial infection (treatable by antibiotics) that is spread when an infected victim coughs or sneezes. The main symptom of pertussis is thick mucus in the throat/windpipe of the victim that results in mild to severe coughing spells. The coughing can be severe enough to interfere with eating, sleeping, and sometimes even breathing. Pertussis is most severe in young infants, particularly when early symptoms are left untreated. The majorities of deaths attributed to pertussis are actually due to secondary infections, and occur in very young infants. Approximately .005% of infected victims will die from the disease, and an estimated 46% of victims are adolescents or adults. There are less than 7,000 cases of pertussis reported annually.
The pertussis vaccine is only available in the combination DTaP vaccine, please see the complications and dosing information listed under "Diphtheria".
Haemophilus Influenzae type B:
Haemophilus Influenzae type B, or HIB is a bacterial infection (treatable by antibiotics) that can infect the outer layer of the brain leading to bacterial menengitis. HIB is spread from person to person through mucus when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Severe
The CDC recommends that all children under 5 years of age receive the vaccine in a series of 4 injections starting at 2 months of age. Reactions to the vaccine occur in approximately 30% of children and are generally mild including swelling and redness at the injection site. The vaccine has been known to cause Haemophilus Influenzae type B in the patient shortly after vaccination. There is also speculation that the HIB vaccine is linked to a rise in diabetes.
Measles:
Measles is a highly contagious airborne viral infection. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis ('pink eye'). For most healthy children and adults, the disease is fairly mild. Complications can arise from secondary infections, and those with compromised immune systems are generally the most at risk. Secondary complications can include ear infections, pneumonia, croup, and diarrhea. Measles encephalitis (an infection of the brain) is a very rare (.1%) complication associated with measles and can result in brain damage if left untreated. Each year approximately 4,000 cases of measles are reported with a .1-.3% (less than 1 percent) rate of fatality in children.
The measles vaccination is usually given in combination with mumps and rubella in a combined MMR vaccine. The CDC recommends that children first be vaccinated between 6-12 months of age, and then again at 4-6 years of age. Side effects from the vaccine occur in approximately 30% of patients and include soreness, rash, fever, redness or swelling where the shot was given, swelling of the lymph glands, and joint pain or swelling. About 7-12 days after receiving the vaccination 15% of patients experience a fever 103 degrees or higher. Approximately .01-.03% of vaccination patients experience seizures related to high temperatures, temporary bleeding problems, coma, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, and even systemic shock. There have also been recent studies that indicate there is a link between children who receive the MMR vaccine developing autism.
Mumps:
Mumps is a viral infection spread via mucus expelled when an infected victim coughs or sneezes. The main symptom is swelling and/or soreness of the salivary glands. Mumps is generally a very mild infection that only lasts about a week. There are about 600 cases of mumps annually, and that number is decreasing. There hasn't been a mumps related death since 1998.
The mumps vaccine is generally available only in the combined MMR vaccine. Please see the above section on "Measles" for complications related to the vaccine, and the recommended MMR vaccination schedule.
Rubella:
Rubella is a mild viral infection spread by the mucous of an infected person. Symptoms generally include a low grade fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash. Complications generally occur in individuals with weak or compromised immune systems and include joint pain, swelling of the brain, and temporary arthritis. The most severe danger Rubella poses is to pregnant women. If a woman become infected during her first trimester of pregnancy her baby can develop congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). CRS can cause birth defects and mental retardation. Rubella infection in a pregnant woman can also cause a miscarriage. Rubella effects about 85% of pregnant women and/or their unborn children in their first trimester. Women in their second and third trimesters are at no greater risk than an average individual.
The rubella vaccine is generally available only in the combined MMR vaccine. Please see the above section on "Measles" for complications related to the vaccine, and the recommended MMR vaccination schedule.
Polio:
Polio is a viral infection spread from person to person only in saliva or stool. Even in infected individuals, the vast majority (about 95%) will show no or very mild symptoms that can include fever, nausea, vomiting, soreness or stiffness in the neck, back or legs. Only about 1% of infected victims will develop paralysis. Many people who suffer from paralytic polio will fully recover. The last reported case of naturally occurring paralytic polio in the US was in 1979. In the last decade, the only case of polio to be reported was actually caused by the polio vaccine. Naturally occurring polio has been eliminated from the US, and the Western Hemisphere.
There are currently two types of polio vaccine available. The first is OPV (oral polio vaccine), the second is IPV (inactivated polio vaccine). OPV was originally preferred because it helped provide community immunity. However, it is a live vaccine and can cause polio to develop in approximately 1 in every 6.2 million doses. Because of this, IPV was created using a 'killed' vaccine in 1997. The CDC recommends that children receive 4 injections starting at 2 months of age and ending at 4-6 years of age.
The IPV vaccine has a fairly low rate of side effects, which includes injection site soreness, and swelling. However, there have been sever allergic reactions to the chemical make up of the vaccine that can result in difficulty breathing, increased heart rate, hives, dizziness, and swelling of the throat.
Varicella:
Varicella, more commonly known as chicken pox is the newest addition to the routinely administered childhood vaccines. Chicken pox is a viral infection spread from the fluid filled pox, or mucous from an infected person. Chicken pox is usually a very mild childhood disease, the most common symptom of which are itchy red pox that cover the entire body. Complications arise from secondary infections that attack victims infected with chicken pox, and are usually preventable by prompt medical attention. Complications are much more common in adults than children, and can include bacterial infections, arthritis, hepatitis, and brain infections.
The CDC recommends that all children 12-18 months old should receive the Varicella vaccination if they have not become infected with a naturally occurring case of chicken pox. The varicella vaccine is only 80-85% effective at preventing the disease and length of immunity is unknown since the vaccine is still relatively new (use of the varicella vaccine began in the US in 1995). The most common side effect is soreness at the injection site. Approximately 1-4% of patients who have received the vaccine will develop the disease as a result of being vaccinated. In approximately .02% of patients will experience seizures, high fever, or pneumonia. Concern has arisen that the widespread use of the varicella vaccine in children may only provide them with temporary immunity and would cause vaccinated children to contract the disease later in life as adults when the risk of complications is higher.
Pneumococcal Disease:
Pneumococcus is actually a generalized name for about 90 different strains of bacteria. Pneumococcus bacteria are responsible for a wide variety of infections such as meningitis, pneumonia, and ear infections. The severity of these infections is contingent on a wide variety of factors including the health of the victim, and how promptly medical attention is obtained for the infection. 40,000 deaths are attributed to Pneumococcus infections each year, the majority of which occur in the very young and the very old.
The most common Pneumococcus vaccine in use today was created to combat 23 of the 90 strains of Pneumococcus bacteria (23-valent vaccine), but can only be used in children 2 years old and older and adults. In 2000 a Pneumococcus vaccine for infants and toddlers was approved for use. It is effective against 7 of the 90 stains of Pneumococcus bacteria (7-valent vaccine). The 7-valent vaccine is given in 4 injections between 2 and 15 months of age. The 23-valent vaccine is given in one injection for patients 2 years old and older. The vaccines are only about 50-70% effective against the strains of bacteria they are designed to protect against, they provide 0% protection for other Pneumococcus bacteria. Side effects occur in about 50% of vaccine patients and include injection site soreness and swelling, fever, and an overall feeling of discomfort.
