Myth: Vaccines can cause autism
--> There is NO scientific evidence of a link between vaccines and autism. Vaccines are NOT responsible for the increase in childhood autism.
* In the following book, author Paul A. Offit, MD, FAAP (chief of Infectious Diseases and director of Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, professor of Vaccinology and pediatrics) challenges the "false prophets" concerning vaccines and autism.
He debunks the myths surrounding the MMR vaccine, discusses the debate surrounding mercury and thimerosal and shares personal stories of people who have lost their lives due to vaccine preventable diseases. He also challenges parents, celebrities, writers and politicians who claim that vaccines are harmful and unnecessary.
Offit discusses the safety of childhood vaccinations and focuses on why society accepts bad science as truth. He explains the danger of alternative therapies and how autistic children have suffered due to inaccuracy of information.
There have been ten studies performed that prove that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism. Read about some of them at the following website: http://www.chop.edu/service/vaccine-education-center/hot-topics/autism.html
Myth: Children receive too many vaccines
--> It is completely safe for a child to receive simultaneous vaccines or vaccines given in combination
- Vaccines are just as effective if they are given individually or simultaneously
- "Children have an enormous capacity to respond safely to challenges to the immune system from vaccines" - Paul Offit
- From the moment they are born, infants are bombarded with challenges to their immune system (dust, bacteria, etc.)
- Studies by Dr. Paul Offit showed that it is safe for a healthy baby to receive thousands of vaccines at the same time
Myth: There is no need for vaccines since deadly illnesses have disappeared
--> Deadly illnesses have NOT disappeared, and vaccines are necessary for protection!
- Outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases (pertussis, influenza, measles, etc) are still seen in the U.S. despite increased rates of vaccination
- If a child is not vaccinated, they risk spreading infections to family members and other children at school or daycare.
- Travel to foreign countries increases the likelihood that diseases will spread to the U.S. from places where people are not vaccinated
Visit this website for detailed information about specific countries: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
Search for the country that you plan to visit in the purple box:
--> The flu vaccine does NOT cause an individual to get the influenza virus!
- The flu vaccine contains dead viruses
- In the nasal spray vaccine (FluMist) the viruses are live, but they are weakened and unable to grow in the lungs
- For up to two weeks after the shot, the flu can still be contracted
- After the shot, it is not uncommon to feel achy or have a runny nose for a day or two - means that the body's immune system is responding and is processing the material in the vaccine
- The CDC recommends this vaccine for over 238 million US citizens: children (6 months-5 years), pregnant women, individuals over 50, individuals with chronic conditions (asthma, diabetes), people who work in health care, and individuals who live/work with people who are in the listed groups
Myth: It is much safer to get chickenpox "naturally"
--> It is safer to get vaccinated against chickenpox rather than exposing yourself or your child to the illness
- Some parents would bring their children to a "pox party" or to a public place, hoping that they would contract chickenpox
- This illness is responsible for the death of one child every week in the U.S.
- Causes more deaths than any other vaccine-preventable disease in children
- Complications of the disease are common: strep infection (necrotizing fascilitis - 'flesh eating' bacteria)
- Chickenpox can reemerge in adults as shingles
- The older the child is when they get the disease, the more severe the illness will probably be
- Cannot know which child could develop a life-threatening case of chickenpox
- Majority of serious cases appear in previously healthy children
- A study showed that 7 out of 10 children would prefer getting the vaccination to getting the natural disease
- According to the CDC, the vaccine is the best way to prevent chickenpox
- Keeps individual safe as well as the community (especially individuals who have immunodeficiency diseases)
Myth: Vaccines should not be given to a child who is sick
--> Studies have shown that a mild cold will not affect a child's ability to have an appropriate reaction to a vaccine
- Parents may think that a child who is sick may have a negative reaction to a vaccination
- Parents may think that an immunization will only add extra problems to their child's immune system if they are already fighting a cold
- If a child is seriously ill with a high fever, the flu, etc., any immunizations should probably be postponed
- A mild fever or respiratory infection should not be a reason to hold off on administering the vaccination
- Children with cancer or compromised immune systems should not receive live, weakened vaccines
- Children with bleeding problems should not receive any injected vaccines
- Children who have a severe egg allergy should talk to their allergist before receiving the flu or MMR vaccine
- Children who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons depend on those individuals who are able to receive the immunizations --> herd immunity - if people all around are getting vaccinated, diseases become less common and individuals who are unable to get vaccinated are not as likely to get exposed to the illness
--> Despite claims that vaccines contain materials such as mercury, ether, anti-freeze and animal blood, this is NOT true!
- Vaccines have never contained mercury
- Some vaccines used to contain thimerosal (preservative made using ethyl mercury) - ethyl mercury is safe (drinking alcohol), unlike toxic methyl mercury
- There is no link between thimerosal and autism! - Seven studies have supported this
- The FDA has removed thimerosal from childhood vaccinations to lessen the concerns that parents have
- The flu vaccine does contain thimerosal to prevent growth of fungus and other germs - HOWEVER, parents can request a thimerosal-free vaccine
- Parents question harm from aluminum which is in some vaccines
- Babies get more aluminum from food (even breast milk! - 10 mg) than vaccines (recommended vaccines = 4mg
total)
- "We all have mercury and formaldehyde and aluminum in our bodies. Vaccines don't add to what we normally encounter every day." - Paul Offit
Myth: Vaccines contain harmful chemicals
--> Despite claims that vaccines contain materials such as mercury, ether, anti-freeze and animal blood, this is NOT true!
- Vaccines have never contained mercury
- Some vaccines used to contain thimerosal (preservative made using ethyl mercury) - ethyl mercury is safe (drinking alcohol), unlike toxic methyl mercury
- There is no link between thimerosal and autism! - Seven studies have supported this
- The FDA has removed thimerosal from childhood vaccinations to lessen the concerns that parents have
- The flu vaccine does contain thimerosal to prevent growth of fungus and other germs - HOWEVER, parents can request a thimerosal-free vaccine
- Parents question harm from aluminum which is in some vaccines
- Babies get more aluminum from food (even breast milk! - 10 mg) than vaccines (recommended vaccines = 4mg
total)
- "We all have mercury and formaldehyde and aluminum in our bodies. Vaccines don't add to what we normally encounter every day." - Paul Offit