Calling the Shots:
Sturdy Memorial Physicians Explain the Importance of Childhood Immunizations

Cuts, scrapes, bruises, and germs are virtually unavoidable when it comes to your kids. It's just the world we live in. But, parents can take precautions, including teaching their children to play safe and wash their hands, and most importantly, by getting their children vaccinated on time. A few parents, however, are growing more concerned about vaccinations. For decades, pediatricians and parents have given their children vaccines to protect them and others from disease. Because of our nation's successful immunization program, many people have never seen a case of polio, measles, or many other diseases that still cause illness and death outside of our country, diseases that could re-emerge here if immunization rates fall. In recent years, some opposition to vaccinations has grown due to opinions that vaccines are unnatural, unnecessary, or unsafe. Unproven theories of the vaccine-autism link have led a few parents to delay or refrain from vaccinating their children, and in doing so, they have put more than just their children's health at risk.

What are Immunizations?

Immunization or vaccination is the method of stimulating resistance in the human body to specific diseases. This is accomplished using immunogens, which are bacteria or viruses that have been weakened, modified, or killed so that, rather than causing the disease, they activate the immune system's defenses to produce protective antibodies against the disease. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most childhood vaccines are 90 to 99 percent effective in preventing disease, and if a vaccinated child does contract the disease, they usually experience milder symptoms than unvaccinated children diagnosed with the disease.

Why Vaccinate?

For over 50 years, vaccines have saved millions of lives. We have built up a wall of immunized people, called a "herd immunity," throughout the majority of our nation's population, and this strength in numbers helps to prevent the transmission of disease and protect unvaccinated populations. Those who are unprotected include HIV patients and people undergoing chemotherapy, who are exempted from vaccination on the grounds of medical necessity, and babies not fully vaccinated. These inescapable gaps in the overall high immunization coverage levels, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are stretching as the list of the unprotected grows to include individuals who forgo vaccinations by reason of philosophical or religious beliefs. Unfortunately, the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases spikes when we let our guard down, making perforations in our safety net that could unravel our nation's vaccination efforts.

And we let our guard down last year. In 2008, the CDC recorded over 120 cases of the measles in adults and children, most of them not immunized. Also in 2008, five children ages five or younger were reported to the Minnesota Department of Health with Hib (Haemophilis influenzae type b) disease, and one died. Only one child completed the Hib immunization series. Outbreaks like these have been caused by a lack of commitment to immunizations. When this happens, the door is open for diseases from other countries to be imported to our own and spread to unvaccinated populations. With our increasingly mobile society, vaccine-preventable diseases are within a plane ride's reach, so international travel without commitment to vaccinations can put both travelers, and whom they return home to, at risk for disease. "It is a fact, then, that choosing not to vaccinate jeopardizes your child's health, life, and the wellbeing of our communities," says Dr. Paul George, board certified family practice physician at the Mansfield Health Center. "If we let our immunization rates drop, we could see a rise in diseases most of us have never seen before because of vaccines."

Safety of Vaccines

Vaccinations are safe, save lives, and protect our children and each other from infectious disease. These truths have been undermined in the past several years as skepticism over the safety of vaccines has intensified. Some parents have claimed that thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative once present in vaccines but removed in 2001 as a precautionary measure, was a cause and contributor to the rise in autism cases in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Scientific evidence continues to reject this link, and new cases of autism continue to climb despite the removal of mercury.

"Vaccinations may cause rare, mild side effects, but these are minor compared to their tremendous benefits," says Dr. Megan Douglas, a board certified pediatrician and internist at the Rehoboth/Seekonk Medical Center. Side effects include temporary swelling or soreness at the injection site, fever, or an allergic reaction. According to Dr. Douglas, "When faced with the alternative of dangerous, life-threatening symptoms, vaccinations are much safer than contracting the diseases they protect against."

When to Vaccinate

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommend a series of immunizations beginning at birth. The initial series for children is completed by the time they reach the age of two, but booster vaccines are required for certain diseases, such as diphtheria and tetanus, in order to maintain adequate protection. The AAFP website offers current child and adolescent vaccination schedules.

According to Dr. Dennis Berard, a board certified pediatrician at Pleasant Street Pediatrics, "Children with certain health problems may not be able to get some vaccines, or may need to get them later than the recommended age. Each child and each child's needs are different, so speaking with your child's pediatrician is the best way to determine what's best for your child."

For more information about childhood immunizations, talk to your child's pediatrician or visit the AAP and AAFP websites at www.aap.org and www.aafp.org. Looking for a pediatrician? Click here to see a listing of pediatricians on staff at Sturdy Memorial Hospital, or call our Physician Referral Line at 508-236-8500.