The U.S. public begins to realize that many vaccines may not be safe or effective

Vaccination Blues

I got the vaccination blues
Don’t know if I shouldn’t or I should
I got the vaccination blues
Don’t know if I shouldn’t or I should
I’d ask my pediatrician
But he wouldn’t tell me even if he could

Okay, nobody will ever confuse me with B.B. King, but it seems that nearly everyone these days – parents, doctors, vaccine makers, CDC officials – is singing some version of the Vaccination Blues.

The miseducation of America

Let’s say your young daughter has received all or most of the vaccines recommended by the CDC. Should you let her play with the young neighbor boy whose parents decided to forgo vaccines? Some parents believe that the unvaccinated child reduces “herd immunity,” and should be kept apart from vaccinated kids. Other parents figure, “This is why I vaccinated my child, so she’d be safe when she comes in contact with someone who may have a disease.”

MSNBC reports that this dilemma is being played out across the country as more and more children are going unvaccinated due to fears that some vaccines may prompt autism and other health problems.

CDC officials will tell you that this trend is behind the sharp spike in reported cases of measles this year. As of the end of July, the CDC recorded 131 cases of measles, of which 15 required hospitalizations. (In a typical year, about 10 to 20 cases are reported in the U.S.) The disease can be fatal, but no deaths have been reported.

This measles outbreak has prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to make a greater effort to educate parents about vaccine safety.

Interesting. I wonder if AAP officials will encourage parents to visit the vaccine adverse event reporting service (VAERS) website to see exactly how safe the five measles vaccines really are. If they go to the VAERS site and track adverse reports for 2008, they’ll find well over 1,500 cases that include these outcomes:

• 619 emergency room visits
• 65 hospitalizations
• 5 prolonged hospitalizations
• 15 life-threatening events
• 34 cases of permanent disability
• 1 death

Check back in a few decades

What’s behind the sudden rejection of childhood vaccines?

No doubt, worries about autism play a large role. But the recent bad press about Gardasil hasn’t helped.

Gardasil, of course, is the vaccine that protects against certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer. But have you seen the most recent “One Less” Gardasil commercial? Any woman who’s thinking she might get the vaccine would probably come away from the ad wondering why she should risk the list of side effects for a vaccine that doesn’t protect all women and doesn’t even protect against all forms of cervical cancer.

One Less…IF everything goes right AND you’re lucky. But even then it’s not a lock. A widely-reported commentary in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine noted that the true impact of Gardasil on cervical cancer is still a huge question mark and “will not be observable for decades.”

Meanwhile, in the two years since the FDA approved Gardasil, the CDC has received well over 9,700 adverse event reports. More than 580 of those reports include seizure, convulsions, and death.

Is it any wonder the public is increasingly wary?

Vaccine makers only have themselves and their FDA/CDC enablers to blame. If they spent as much time ensuring safety as they do expanding their product line and pumping up their marketing, the CDC list of childhood vaccines might be a lot shorter, a lot safer, and a lot more popular.

Sources:
“Strife Over Shots: Should Our Kids Play Together?” Jacqueline Stenson, MSNBC, 8/25/08, msnbc.com
“Jump in US Measles Cases Linked to Vaccine Fears” Mike Stobbe, Associated Press, 8/21/08, ap.org
“Human Papillomavirus Vaccination – Reasons for Caution” Charlotte J. Haug, M.D., Ph.D., The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 359, No. 8, 8/21/08, content.nejm.org
“VAERS Request” CDC WONDER, wonder.cdc.gov/vaers.html