The history of Immunology largely involves the discovery of vaccines. Vaccines have undoubtedly saved millions of lives over the decades they have been used. However vaccines are not without controversy. Many people think that there is link between vaccines and autism. I have an acquaintance who is a scientist who says it happened to his child. There are some families that do not get vaccinated. There is some evidence that vaccines have caused the disease they are trying to prevent as in the recent case of polio vaccines..this is called VDPV..vaccine derived polioviruses.Do some research and examine the evidence. Do you think there is a link between autism and vaccine use?
Check out the VDPV cases. Have there been deaths in this case? How many cases of vaccine induced polio have been documented? Is there enough evidence in this case to make all vaccine's suspect as dangerous?
Would you or will you have your children vaccinated?
Do you think polio can be eradicated?
Blog responses are due Sept 15
Based on some research Dr. Andrew Wakefield was one of the pioneers who presented a connection between vaccines and autism. Dr. Wakefield proposed that the altered measles virus vaccine might cause autism, but his research was taken down by many other scientists and was proven wrong. The reason that caused autism is the use of a little bit of mercury to preserve the vaccine, which could have caused the autism. Also later studies have shown major errors in Dr. Wakefield research. Therefor I believe that vaccines don't cause autism, I personally took many vaccines including the measles and I think its safe, and I think what have been causing autism for some people are the other materials that are sometimes used to preserve the vaccine.
ReplyDeleteAfter more research into Dr. Wakefield himself, I have seen that you are right about him being proved wrong. In fact, some articles that I have read assertions such as "...been thoroughly discredited," "autism fraud," "fraudulent paper," etc. It appears that he has come under intense scrutiny and his claims have been almost completely rejected since he proposed his argument. I think that the educated majority is always something to strongly consider when looking at an issue.
DeleteAfter doing research in the area of autism and vaccines, I do not think there is enough evidence to support the claim that vaccines can cause autism. As John said, Dr. Wakefield's research was faulty, based on a few different things, such as having no control group in his experiments. Therefore, his claim about children developing autism after being administered a MMR vaccine could have been a coincidence. Eventually, a link may be discovered. As of now, there is no evidence.
ReplyDeleteVaccine-derived polioviruses are extremely rare--1 in 2.7 million children have contracted polio has a result of the vaccine. The most common type of VDPV (it is still very rare) is called cVDPV, meaning circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses. In communities where polio immunity is very low, the VDPV, which is excreted from up to 8 weeks after the vaccine is administered, is genetically altered from the original vaccine. This can cause its quick spread in the community. However, between 2000-2011, when over 10 billion oral polio vaccines were administered, only 20 cases of cVDPV were recorded, resulting in 580 polio cases. Statistically, the chances of getting polio from the vaccine are 5.8 x 10^-8, which is essentially zero. I absolutely think that polio can eventually be eradicated.
When it comes to my own children, I will vaccinate them against all the major viruses. I was never vaccinated against the flu; my parents thought that that particular vaccine was too high of a risk for contracting the actual flu.
Yes, I agreed. Vaccination should be given to those who is living against the major viruses. I think people are taking it for granted the high technology and the improvement of science. Since when we can prevent anything, even flu shot vaccine is given to people now. I've never gotten one until I was required by my job to get one; after that I stop.
DeleteSo after actually talking to my parents, I realized I DID get vaccinated against the flu virus when I was a kid. I am of the opinion that vaccination of children is very positive. I think research should still be done to continue decreasing the chances of illness after vaccination, although for all the major viruses today, we have come a long way with our vaccination techniques.
DeleteAfter investigating the connection between vaccines and autism, I agree with Shannon's statement that there is not enough evidence to support the claim that vaccines can autism. It is difficult to experiment and study this area because there are too many unknowns to the problem (e.g. what actually cause autism in general) and too many emotions involved. Parents want something to blame if their child begins to show signs of having autism, but scientists must becareful to stay consistent and accurate in their studies.
ReplyDeleteIn the early 2000's, an ingredient to preserve vaccines called, thimerosal, was thought to be the cause of the autism. But, studies later showed that there is no connection between the preservative and autism cases.
Many research organizations recognize the severity of this issue and continue to search for answers, but most have concluded that there is no relationship between vaccines and autism. I personally think that the benefits outweigh the risks so I intend to have my children vaccinated.
My research suggests that there may be some connection between polio and vaccines, or VDPV. Statistically, this occurrence is very rare and somewhat containable. The unique strain of polio acquired by those vaccinated are not very transmissible and rare. I think this definitely makes destroying polio all around the world extremely difficult. If the attenuated strain is somehow able to replicate and adapt then I think a healthy strain would potentially be able to as well.
ReplyDeleteFollowing up on Tim’s research, I also found thimerosal to be a chemical ingredient that was supposedly linked to autism. Also, as Tim said, this has been rebutted, as no studies have shown this. To the contrary, the Institute of Medicine released (2004) an immunization review on the link between thimersoal and autism. The results provided evidence that the whole casual relationship that has developed between these two links should be rejected. This is all an echo of Tim’s research. However, one other interesting point I found regarding thimerosal, is that it has been eliminated or reduced almost entirely from childhood vaccines since 2001. Clearly, any “evidence” to support the connection is not really backed by science.
ReplyDeleteRegarding vaccine-derived polioviruses, there have been a number of cases that have been linked to original vaccines. Across the world, there have been cases that pop up now and again, but generally in small numbers and very rarely. In America, there have been far fewer cases to study. In 2005, eight children caught a transmitted form of VDPV, but none were paralyzed. While the child who transmitted the VDPV had been vaccinated, the eight children who caught it were not vaccinated. In 2009, another case had an adult with a compromised immune system who died from VDPV. However, these cases are very rare, and only serve to undermine the overarching principle that vaccinations are a helpful tool to survive.
I personally will be vaccinating my kids and will encourage others to do the same. Those who believe that vaccination would hurt their kids are inadvertently hurting their kids by failing to allow the child’s immune system to get a jumpstart at developing antibodies. The chance of a child developing a sickness from a vaccine is much less than the chance of that same child catching a wild form of a virus.
I believe that, with time, polio will be eliminated from our world as an active threat to humanity. However, I know that this could be a long and arduous process.
I would definitely agree with Daniel's viewpoint on vaccination of children. I will vaccinate my kids because I do believe that while there is risk (and there is risk in essentially everything) it is a better for their immune system to be able to create antibodies that they may not get sick at all or only be mildly sick later down the road when exposed to the wild strain.
DeleteI too will agree with what Daniel on vaccinating children. I as well will be vaccinating my children because essentially you are protecting your child and building their immune systems to better fight against diseases.
DeleteMy research indicates that there is not enough evidence regarding the connection between autism and vaccinations. Like many have said, much of the worry is now being directed toward the manner in which the vaccines are being preserved and not the vaccination itself. It is crucial that we identify these issues and resolve them. However, the great impact vaccinations have had on society cannot go unseen. “We eat knowing we might choke. We go down steps realizing we could break our necks. We drive fully aware of the 36,000 traffic fatalities each year.” (Dave Templeton)The idea here is not that we live carelessly because of the seemingly constant risks, but that we don’t let ourselves become obsessive over the risks.
ReplyDeleteSince 2000, 655 cases have been reported. There has been a report of an 11-month old immunodeficient boy dying in Maharashtra, Inida. This may seem like a lot, however, 10 billion doses have been administered and over 10 million cases have been prevented, in fact, over 99% of the condition has been reduced. With this incredible success, I am lead to believe that with continued research and development, polio will be eradicated. The benefit that comes from administering the vaccinations far outweighs the risks involved. I do not believe that these cases are enough to dismiss all vaccinations, however, they should motivate us to continue to improve them in order to avoid these complications. It certainly is not enough for me to avoid vaccinating my children. I don’t think I will give them every one available, but there are some conditions that are just too easy too contract. Anyone can simply cut himself or herself on a rusted piece of metal and develop the very painful condition.
I would have to agree with all the previous comments that there is not sufficient research for me to believe that vaccinations are causative for autism. I would echo Tim in that thimerosal is a chemical previously misconceived to be associated with autism, though there has not be verifiable evidence for that claim either. I would also echo Daniel's contribution that thimerosal has since been eliminated from childhood vaccinations. Therefore, even if thimerosal were potentially causative for autism (which has not been proven) it since has no longer been a chemical ingredient thereby no longer being an issue. I would add that I am under the impression that the real issue is a lack of understanding by the general public about vaccinations in general but specifically with any direct accuracy of autism and vaccinations spurred on by the media, lack of personal research and a failed communication between the scientific community in their findings. It seems that the alarm over thimerosal and its suspected detrimental effects is really due to the fact that between infancy and the age of two, many children have had roughly 26 different vaccinations and the onset of autism occurs around the age of two. Perhaps the delay in observing autistic characteristics has caused people, parents in particular, to view vaccinations as the most likely cause.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to polio, deaths caused by VDPV are very low, roughly 1/750,000. No life is too small and I would never want to be belittle death, but considering the amount of people who could be exposed to polio that statistic doesn't seem outrageous to me. in 2013 there were only 4 reported cases of VDPV. The World Health Organization still considers it advantageous to administer the vaccination and I would have to say that I agree with them. The good far outweighs the potential harm. I do think that polio can be eradicated. It seems that VDPV is caused by poor vaccination samples and typically in areas where healthcare is far below subpar. It is a seemingly easy fix in terms of providing higher quality vaccinations, but I wonder how feasible and realistic that really is.
In my research, I too have found the same evidence as the above people. According to what I have found the thimerosal has not been proven by studies as whether autism has been linked. I have also found through my research what has been shown as a reduction of the thimerosal in the vaccinations. This is a reiteration of what has been said by Mr. Dewey. In regard to the vaccine-derived polioviruses, contracting the virus is very rare and those who have contracted the virus have had immune systems that were compromised in other ways. The vaccine has shown in other ways to decrease the number of those who have been infected each year. Research shows that the numbers are far to little to be evident that the vaccine is not working. As for vaccination I would tell anyone who is struggling with the issue to do some research and they too can see what each of us that has posted has shown. I am in favor of vaccination and would vaccinate my children and would encourage others to follow suit and aid their children’s immune systems from many types of disease.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Donny, for your post. As I mentioned in my post above, the chance of contracting a vaccination-related disease is much lower in comparison to the chance of contracting a wild biological disease. Thus, I feel that parents who choose not to vaccinate are running the risk of harming their child more than they are protecting them.
DeleteJust my two cents.
According to an article in The Journal of Pediatrics, a study was conducted to evaluate the association between autism and the level of immunologic stimulation received from vaccines administered during the first two years of life. It was concluded that there is no link between autism and vaccine use. The study was conducted in three managed care organization (MCOs) of 256 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 756 control children matched on birth year and gender. In addition to ASD children, there was a specification of AD and ASD with regression. Exposure to total antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides from vaccines was determined by summing the antigen content of each vaccine received, as obtained from immunization registries and medical records (DeStefano). The results show no significant amount of the level of antigen in the body, thus show no risk that might relate to vaccine. Some concerns are the potential cause from the exposure of the infant to many varies viruses from time of birth as well as the biological mechanism.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there are recent studies that show the relevant between risk and vaccine among children in India. It was during the WHO (World Health Organization) and Bill Gates Foundation’s role in India’s plio eradication campaign. The author noted that while India was polio-free in 2011, in the same year, there were 47500 cases of non-polio acute flaccid paralysis (NPAFP). The data from India’s National Polio Surveillance Project showed NPAFP rate increased in proportion to the number of polio vaccine doses received. Independence studies also showed that NPAFP identified children are at more than twice the risk of dying than those with wild polio infection. To be more specific, an article by Melissa Melton on June 13, 2013 was titled as “Vaccine Infects 10-Month-Old Baby with Polio in India”. Another study by Dr. Joachim Mutter found that mercury in vaccines and other medical products could trigger autism. The ingredient that has mercury was called thimerosal (a creamy white crystalline compound of mercury, used in solution as an antiseptic). Another finding was that swine flu vaccine that contains Polysorbate 80, an agent linked with infertility in mice, which may extend to infertility in humans. There are 3,587 reports from women who lost their babies very shortly after getting the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. According to the entry in Wikipedia, a major concern about the oral polio vaccine (OPV) is its ability to cause paralysis. Vaccine-derived poliovirus is indistinguishable from that caused by wild polioviruses. After doing some research on the vaccine, there wasn’t enough evidence that would confirm that vaccine causes autism. So what I’ve found was similar to the above people. I would allow my kid to vaccinate as well, but to only the major viruses. I don’t think vaccine such as flu shot would be necessary to get.
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ReplyDeleteFrom my research I have found that not only is there insufficient evidence to claim that vaccines cause autism, there is strong evidence that shows that they are unrelated. There are many articles that show studies and research that bring to light the lack of relation. Much of the controversy has surrounded Thiomersal, a preservative that prevents bacterial growth and marginalizes side effects and infections. Since this agent is partially mercury it has raised a large scare, however from further research there seems to not be any relation between Thiomeral and autism, or any other illness, disease, or disorder for that matter.
ReplyDeleteSome of the articles that I have found that express these findings best are as follows:
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/48/4/456.short
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X01000974
http://aop.sagepub.com/content/45/10/1302.short
In terms of VDPV, there have been identified cases. One such case occurred in Minnesota when an immunocomprimised child contracted VDPV through contact with someone who received the oral treatment (OPV). The child then spread VDPV to 7 other children in his community. But rather than this case being a knock against OPV, it is a support for it. Though this child was infected, he would not have spread the disease to any of the other children if they had been vaccinated. According to the World Health Organization, since the year 2000 polio outbreaks have been reduced by 99% by the introduction of the OPV. This is a very significant reduction in cases.
Based on the research that I have done, I believe that the benefit of vaccines far exceeds the minimal risk. For this reason I would be willing to vaccinate a child of mine in the future.
Donny brings up the point of encouraging those who don't agree with vaccinations to carry out some research on the matter. I think it's important that we continue to do our own research as well and truly have an understanding of the issue. As I said, my children will be vaccinated for most diseases. I'd do this with the intention of keeping them safe of course. By encouraging others to come to their own educated conclusion will surely increase the percentage of vaccinated children in America. This would only improve the quality of life for everyone.
ReplyDeleteOnly three medical interventions have been proven without a doubt, to increase life expectancy Antibiotics, statins, and vaccinations. There really is no other logical conclusion one can come to.
I strongly agree with this. In addition to encouraging immunization detractors to research the subject for themselves, I believe that a greater effort should be made to get this information out to the public, so that people can be more well informed when they have to make a decision on the subject for themselves.
DeleteFrom my research, I found an article on the CDC about the link between vaccines and autism. From this article, it says there is a link due to thimerosal which is a preservative they used in the vaccine. After, 2001 they have changed the vaccine ingredient to have removed and reduced how much of thimerosal was being used in the vaccines. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism/ Also, parents believed that too many vaccines at one time was the cause of their child getting autism. They disproved this by testing two child one with autism and one without. They found out that they had the same number of antigens. Overall, from the research I have done, I will be vaccinating my future children because I believe I am protecting them from harmful diseases.
ReplyDeleteFrom the research on VDPV, I found that adults who had a suppressed immune system that got Polio ended up dying due to the harmful strain. Children with polio ended up becoming paralyzed from their waist down. Because polio attacks the large muscle groups that is the thigh muscles. I believe polio would be eradicated if people keep vaccinating their children. But if they stop I believe that polio will still be around.
The CDC posted an article called 'Concerns about Autism" where the information that everyone about have been discussing. There has been no evidence of vaccinations being the direct cause of autism in children. The idea that thimerosal could have been the cause was ruled out when they removed the preservative from vaccines in 2001. I found another article from the CDC called ‘Vaccines not associated with risk of autism’ that dealt with the controversy of having “too many vaccines too soon”. They compared the data of the amount of antigens from vaccines received on one day of vaccination and the amount of antigens from vaccines received in total during the first two years of life. Once again, no connection was found in relation to the development of autism. The total amount of antigens from vaccines received was the same between children with autism and those that did not have it.
ReplyDeleteAn infant’s immune system is capable of responding to a large amount of immunologic stimuli. This is important because from birth they are exposed to hundreds of viruses and countless antigens that are not associated with vaccination. From their studies, the CDC has found that autism is not associated with immunological stimulation from vaccines during the first 2 years of life.
Whether you decide to vaccinate your children or not, the risk is still there for any type of disease or infection. For my children, it is my responsibility to care for them and since they can’t make the decision for themselves. I would want them to be protected by use of vaccination rather than leave them even more vulnerable for something that could lead to death. If a disease or infection that could lead to severe consequences, especially in an infant, can be prevented then I think we should use the means we have to do so.
Thank you for your post Carisa. The article shows good relation to that of children that have received immunizations not being diagnosed with autism. While in infanthood a child is exposed to many foreign things that can have an effect on their immune systems. You made a point that it is the right of the parent to decide for the child, and I too think that the parent would want to give their child a better chance by getting them immunized to make their immune system stronger.
DeleteRare cases of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis can occur among immunologically normal OPV recipients, those they come into contact with, and immunodeficient people. There are three different types of poliovirus serotypes that a country must highly vaccinate against if there is a new outbreak. Live, attenuated oral poliovirus vaccine will be eradicated worldwide once all wild poliovirus transmission is interrupted.
ReplyDeleteResearch shows that 95% of all individuals infected with polio have no apparent symptoms, 4-8% have minor symptoms, 1-2% experience temporary stiffness, and less than 2% are left permanently weak or paralyzed. In the less than 2% category, 2-5% of children die and 15-30% of adults die.
As has been mentioned in the comments above, the link between vaccinations and autism as has been put forwards by Dr. Wakefield has been thoroughly discredited. As the report made by Brian Deer reveals, Wakefield had conflicts of interest stemming from receiving money from any in immunization groups, in addition to the fact that he purposely falsified data in his reports. Given that no other group has been able to replicate the results of his study, it is far more plausible to think that the rising rates in autism are from improvements in diagnosing children who fall in that spectrum, rather than any link to vaccination.
ReplyDeleteEven with these claims so thoroughly debunked, there is still a strong anti-vaccine movement that refuses to vaccimnate their children over fears of a reaction, though as the previous comments have demonstrated, there is an very low chance of a negative reaction. I strongly disagree with the decision to not vaccinate children, as it not only puts them at risk of catching otherwise easily preventable diseases, but it also increases the danger for the members of the population that cannot be vaccinated due to conditions such as immunodeficiency or age. Without the bufferr provided by a majority of a population that has been immunized, many of these compromised individuals would be at an increased risk of infection. Because the decision to forgo vaccination isn't strictly a personal one, I believe that children should always be immunized.