Top 5 Myths About Vaccines

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In 2017, Yulia Samoilova will represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest. In many interviews, the singer emphasizes that her disability is the result of the polio vaccine. But this statement is fundamentally wrong. This and other vaccine myths are scary and prevent us from raising healthy children.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disorder that affects the motor neurons of the spinal cord. It must be remembered that vaccination cannot cause changes in genes and cause such diseases. Often, the symptoms of genetic diseases appear at the age when the child is given the first vaccinations, so parents can easily get confused about the causes of a particular ailment.

Myth # 1. Vaccines Can Cause Autism

Autism is a disease that occurs due to developmental disorders of the brain. At the moment, it is rather difficult to establish what is the cause of the development of autism, and besides, there can be a lot of them.

Only one thing is certain: there is no link between vaccinations and autism.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two groups of factors that influence the development of autism: genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors include, for example, Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. In this case, some genetic disorders can be inherited, while others can appear completely spontaneously.

The surrounding factors are even more difficult. Research is currently underway to link autism to pregnancy complications, viral infections and air pollution.

British researcher Andrew Wakefield is the founder of the myth of the link between autism and vaccination. Later, his publication was withdrawn from the scientific journal due to falsification of the facts. Since that incident, no research has found a link between autism spectrum disorder and vaccines.

Myth # 2. Vaccines contain aluminum, mercury and other poisons

Aluminum salts and mercury-containing compounds are used as a preservative in grafts to preserve antibodies and inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. In large quantities, these substances cause undeniable harm, but in vaccines their dose is so small that it does not pose any danger. We encounter many substances that are considered dangerous almost every day.

Aluminum salts are often found in heartburn medications, and thiomersal (a mercury-containing compound) is used not only in vaccines, but also in ophthalmic and nasal preparations, skin antigen tests, and tattoo inks. Before entering the market, any drugs and vaccines undergo strict control, and the content of hazardous substances in them is regulated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Myth number 3. There are complications after vaccination

Any vaccine can cause natural reactions, which are usually mild: pain, swelling or itching at the injection site, a slight increase in body temperature. Some vaccinations can cause loss of appetite and headaches. This is a normal body reaction that wears off over time.

It is important for parents to remember that the benefits of vaccinations are more important than temporary and mild illness. Complications are much less common than natural reactions. They are closely monitored and researched. For example, hives, rashes and muscle pains are a strong complication after hepatitis B vaccination, but it occurs 1 time in 600 thousand vaccinations. All severe cases can be found on PubMed for case reports on vaccinations.

You should pay more attention to the issue of vaccination if the child is allergic to certain components of the vaccine. Then the doctor must calculate whether the vaccine will not do more harm than good.

A competent doctor will not vaccinate if there are serious contraindications to it.

Myth No. 4. Vaccinations are ineffective and weaken the child's immunity

Vaccines protect children from dangerous diseases. If today we do not hear anything about measles, whooping cough or polio, it is only because vaccines work. Vaccination creates general immunity in society and protects those children who cannot receive the vaccine due to contraindications. The optimal percentage of the population vaccinated should be 95%, but this is not the case anywhere in the world.

Many parents worry that the child's body is still too weak to tolerate the vaccine. But the diseases that are being vaccinated against today pose a danger precisely at an early age, when the risk of complications is greatest.

Every day, a child's body encounters bacteria and microbes, with which his immune system learns to work. A child is exposed to many more antigens during a cold than when a vaccine is given.

Myth number 5. Natural immunity is more persistent

It is widely believed that if a child has chickenpox, then his immunity will be more stable than after vaccination. This is true, but complications during illness can be much more serious than the consequences of vaccination.

Chickenpox can lead to pneumonia, polio can lead to paralysis, and mumps can lead to hearing loss. The main goal of vaccination is to avoid the development of the disease and its complications. The author of the article had chickenpox in childhood, after which several scars on her face remained. For a girl, this is a rather unpleasant consequence, which she had to get used to.

Remember that inaction is also action.

Assess the risks correctly and work with the pediatrician to choose the best vaccination option for your child.

To keep track of vaccinations, there is a vaccination calendar. The list of vaccinations depends on the country. For example, the Russian list does not include vaccinations against hepatitis A, human papillomavirus, meningococcal and rotavirus infections. These diseases can occur with severe complications, so it is worth adhering to the international vaccination calendar.