VACCINES: SOME THINGS ARE NOT (Dr. Carlos González)
Shots: Things that are said and not true
Vaccines protect children for life disease that can cause serious disability or even death. For a while it is relatively easy to find families who do not want to vaccinate their children. Usually have read incomplete, exaggerated or simply false in some books and some websites.
In this article we dispel some of those myths. Only a few, because the errors are around there are many, and belie all in detail would require an entire book.
These diseases have almost disappeared in industrialized countries because children are vaccinated. But they could return if allowed to vaccinate. Why governments continue to spend money on vaccines. If you could save, they are saved. In Eastern Europe, for example, decreased the rate of vaccinations with the fall of communism. In 1993 Russia was in a diphtheria epidemic, with 15,000 patients and 470 deaths.
There are many vaccines, as well as those in the calendar immunization official. Not given all, but only the most appropriate to the risks of each country. In Spain we are not vaccinated for Japanese encephalitis (in Japan itself, of course). The first vaccine was invented smallpox. Proved so effective that the disease was eradicated worldwide. For decades, no smallpox vaccine in any country in the world, is no longer necessary. Smallpox could be eradicated because it only affects humans, and because the virus can stay alive out of a sick individual. Unfortunately, most diseases do not meet these requirements, the microbes can be transmitted by animals, or stay for years in soil, and therefore can never be eliminated.
vaccines cost money, but we get free. It is absurd to think that the government will spend money on vaccines that are not considered very necessary. This is what happens with the flu: each fall is a campaign to vaccinate the elderly and some chronically ill. Why not vaccinate all the world? Is it that young people can not have the flu? No, what happens is that a girl spends the flu at home, while an elder may need to enter the hospital. The young man should be vaccinated, but the government sees no need to give her the vaccine. Sometimes we hear that measles is a mild disease not previously vaccinated and all I passed. True, but many died. In the last measles epidemic in the Netherlands (1999-2000) there were almost 3,000 patients, some with serious complications: 130 cases of pneumonia, 5 cases of encephalitis (brain infection) and 3 deaths.
die each year worldwide more than 700,000 children from measles, even in Europe, among well-nourished children, die every 1,000 patients. The other 999 that do not survive we must give the impression that it is a minor illness.
Any pharmacy (not to mention a parapharmacy) we can find hundreds of products that are not useful for better public health and beauty products, creams, supplements nutritional tonics and restorative ... We buy, if we wish, but no government in the world are going to give away. UNICEF has prepared an interesting paper, the Immunization summary, which contains, among other things, the vaccination schedule and the percentage of children vaccinated in the various countries of the world (it is posted online). This paper shows that countries such as Cuba, North Korea or the Islamic Republic of Iran are very similar to our own schedules and vaccination rates soaring. Will they also serve the pharmaceutical companies? Indeed, Cuba is a major exporter of vaccines, thanks to the excellent work Finlay Institute scientist in Havana.
vaccination age depends on balancing two factors. If you get too soon, sometimes not effective, because the baby's immune system still does not respond (if not for that problem, they would all vaccines at birth in the hospital, and problem solved.) If it gets too late, increases the risk of disease before the child vaccinated. That is why African countries tend to make the vaccine a little earlier than the Europeans, while the Nordic countries (with an excellent health system, to tackle any possible outbreak) have the luxury of starting a month later and even to a dose less than the number Basic (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio). But in general, month or month top down, by vaccination of all countries in the world is very similar. When the risk of infection is greater, to be advanced vaccines.
A recent measles outbreak in Barcelona forced to temporarily advance the MMR vaccine from 15 to 9 months. In some places you can read that in Japan do not vaccinate children up to two years. Is false. As shown on the website of the Ministry of Health, Japanese children by the year receive two doses of oral polio and three from diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Delaying vaccines or put after the year (or two years) is to expose the child to a risk of infection. And vaccines are not 'too strong' for tiny babies, and not "overload" the immune system or anything like that. In fact, a few hours after birth a baby is invaded by millions of microbes from hundreds of different species, the vaccine only add a few microbes, and over dead (or "half dead" in the case of MMR .)
not normally. In recent outbreaks of measles in the Netherlands and Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhich we mentioned earlier, almost all those affected were not vaccinated. But in some cases it may be that an important, even most patients in an epidemic, were vaccinated. It is very easy to wield such data as if the "proof" that the vaccine is useless, even dangerous. But simple calculations show that it is not, by any means. Suppose that in a country, 97% of children are vaccinated, and suppose the thing is evenly distributed. In any town, any neighborhood in any school, 97% of children are vaccinated.
Suppose that the vaccine is completely useless. There is an epidemic. Thousands of children ill. How many of them will be vaccinated? 97% For, of course! For every 3 patients were not vaccinated, we found 97 patients vaccinated. If instead of 97% found 91% of patients vaccinated, it means that the vaccine has been effective. And do not think that it is "a small reduction of 6%" not well calculated. In the 9 patients were not vaccinated, keeping 97:3 ratio, 291 correspond vaccinated patients. Instead of 291 as there are only 91, 200 cases have been avoided, and the reduction (the efficacy of the vaccine) is about 69%. And a reduction would be enough reason to vaccinate children, but in reality, the effectiveness of vaccines is much higher.
What if the epidemic 52% of the patients are vaccinated? In 48 cases we had waited 1,552 unvaccinated vaccinated patients, 1,500 cases have been avoided, and the effectiveness of the vaccine over 96%. Many, but some will still say: "The vaccine does nothing: total, most of the patients were vaccinated!". Ignorance is bold.
massively Before using any vaccine have been extensively studied for decades in the laboratory, in animals and adult volunteers to test its effectiveness and safety. And before a new vaccine together with other existing ones, to manage at the same time, they have to return for further studies to demonstrate that together they are equally effective and have few side effects as separate.
vaccines meet for convenience, economic and environmental reasons (the syringes also cost money and pollute), and above all, save some punctures the child.
side effects of vaccines are well known, and no one seeks to hide. It would be completely contrary to the usual practice of pharmaceutical companies, which sometimes seems that rather than hide the side effects, exaggerated. Read the prospectus of any simple analgesic, antibiotic or contraceptive almost scary.
Some people accuse vaccines cause allergy, sudden death or autism. What about truth in it? Allergies
There may, of course, some children are allergic to any vaccine given, just as there are allergic to pollen, strawberries or milk. It is true that in recent years are increasing allergic diseases. But the cause is not the vaccines.
is believed that two major factors that cause allergies are increasing air pollution (especially particulates emitted by diesel engines) and excessive hygiene: deprived of microbes against those who fight, the immune system puts to combat the pollen, dust ... You might think that vaccines, by encouraging the development of useful antibodies (tetanus, polio ...) could more antibodies reduce unnecessary and therefore allergies ... but it is not. Numerous studies have found no link between vaccines and allergies, for better or for worse.
Sudden Death Sudden Infant Death occurs by definition in the first year. Most cases occur during the first six months. And at that time, children receive multiple vaccinations (about one every eight weeks). If one of every eight weeks is "the week after vaccination," it is logical that one in eight cases of sudden death occurring in that week, by coincidence. In fact, detailed scientific studies indicate that the relationship is more to the contrary: the vaccine seems to reduce the risk of sudden death, it is unclear by what mechanism. Autism
Some scientists have suggested a possible link between autism and the MMR vaccine or between autism and mercury used as preservative in some vaccines. Quickly complete and detailed studies conducted in different countries, and has not found any link between vaccines and autism. Unfortunately, groups that are against vaccines rushed to air the first alarm, but it took notice of denial
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