Vaccinations: I am guessing that by clicking on this entry you are expecting either some fear-mongering piece on how vaccinating your kid will make them more sick than the disease and it is all pseudo-science or you are expecting a self-righteous piece on how vaccines are safe and those not vaccinating your kids are guilty of child abuse and you are responsible for the deaths of babies.
Sorry to disappoint, but this particular blog is my attempt to recognise that people who offer trepidation about vaccination do have some valid questions and they should not be mocked for asking them. I am writing to the pro-vaxxers: we have the science on our side, let's maybe stop calling people who question it idiots and maybe instead help them understand. By being combative, we are not doing anything to stem the anti-vax movement, and that is something that impacts all of us.
The anti-vax movement can be traced back easily to Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent studies on a relationship between autism and the MMR vaccine. I don't really feel like going too much into Andrew Wakefield as I would equate him to the Bernie Madoff of science. There have been no less than 16 000 peer reviewed papers by reputable scientists in everything from epidemiology to chemistry who have since studied vaccines and found that there is no link whatsoever and we should all line up and get the shot. The damage done by this study is upsetting.
So why then are people still buying into the "anti-vax" movement? I would have to say that such a study simply caused people to ask questions that previously they just accepted: what is in these vaccines? Why do I have to get so many? How are they tested? How do we KNOW they are safe? It obviously didn't help that high profile celebrities like Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carey were often seen at anti-vax rallies and Jenny McCarthy even wrote the introduction to Andrew Wakefield's book.
Ah, Jenny McCarthy-she is really why I am writing this particular entry because recently she has backed off her "anti-vax" stance writing an op-ed piece for the Chicago Sun Times stating “I believe in the importance of a vaccine program and I believe parents
have the right to choose one poke per visit. I’ve never told anyone to
not vaccinate.” Well you know the internet, this immediately caused a backlash of people calling her a hypocrite, citing every "anti-vax" statement she ever made. There is even a website called Jenny McCarthy Bodycount which shows the number of preventable deaths caused by previously eradicated diseases.
I am a staunch pro-vaxxer. It is in the interest of public health that we get vaccinated. It is how we will cure diseases and ensure no one ever gets them. Seriously, if you are the kind of person donating money to any sort of disease cure, chances are some of that money is going toward finding vaccines. With all this in mind I was utterly disappointed to see the reaction toward Jenny McCarthy's change. DEAR PRO-VAXXERS: THIS IS WHAT WE WANT! We want people to realise that vaccines are important to the health and safety of everyone in society. We want people who were previously anti-vax to take comfort in the science of vaccines and recognise their importance and feel comfortable in choosing vaccination for them and their children. People are not likely to do that if they see someone like Jenny McCarthy get completely torn apart for changing their mind. I, for one, think it was a brave move of Jenny McCarthy to write a piece explaining that she now has a more "pro-vax" stance.
As a matter of fact, there have been studies to show that in the face of all the evidence, people are less likely to change their minds. We are not going to make easier by being jerks when someone decides to change their minds.
"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right," said Hermione. (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, page 95)
I really feel that as scientists we need to be more accessible as experts. We need people to start realising that we are the "real doctors" and that there are more resources out there to get the answers than their general practitioner physician. Don't get me wrong, physicians are great. They are great at what they do but they are not experts. They refer you to oncologists, surgeons, dermatologists, etc., when you need an expert for a medical malady. This works the same for research. Physicians are not experts. They rely on the work of experts and yet they are the ones that have to field the questions. Let's help physicians out and get the experts out there because an immunologist is much more suited to addressing the question of "why do I have to get my baby vaccinated every 2 months?" than your public health nurse or general physician. Again, let me stress: public health nurses and physicians are great-but they are not the only resource.
All of this has inspired me to dedicate a series of my blog entries just to vaccines and their importance. I hope to provide peer-reviewed, cutting-edge research answers to the way vaccines work, why we need them and why they are important. Ms. McCarthy states in her op-ed that maybe the vaccine schedule that the doctor prescribes is too much. Well Ms. McCarthy, there is actually a reason for that schedule. It is important to ensure the efficacy of the vaccinations and I am going to write about why it is important to get your vaccines on schedule, as well as many other things so that you, and other concerned parents like you, can get the most accurate, scientific data out there to allay your concerns.
So for all of you, pro or anti-vax, I hope you keep reading my series with an open mind to learning something new. For all of you pro-vaxxers: please be kind when talking about the vaccine debate. I know that it can be frustrating, but remember that much of it started with simple questions, which is something that as scientists, we embrace. We have the science on our side; we don't need to resort to childish name calling or "anti-vax shaming". Shaming has never been a winning strategy. We are not trying to win a debate. We are trying to provide information that makes parents feel that they are doing the right thing by vaccinating their children. For all of you anti-vaxxers: please keep an open mind to peer-reviewed science. You should always feel comfortable asking questions about why your child is receiving any kind of treatment, but you should also know where to get answers that are based on fact. Unfortunately the internet is a big place and anyone can post whatever they like. It can be a challenge just to sort out what sources are valid and which ones are not. Vaccination is about more than just you and your child, though: it is about community health.
Next: The Immune System: What Exactly are We Designing Vaccines For?
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