My child is starting Kindergarten this fall, and the school says that immunizations are required. I have heard scary things about some of the shots. Do you think immunizations are necessary?
Starting school is often a scary time for both the child and the parents. There are so many concerns, such as transitioning and separating from the parent, behavior while away from home, friendships, tantrums, bathroom breaks, and the like. What should not be a concern is worrying whether your child will contract a serious illness. These are preventable by the use of immunizations.
We are fortunate. Since the onset of mandatory immunizations, we no longer see the country-wide massive outbreaks of some of these very serious and dangerous diseases anymore; however, with a whole generation never experiencing these diseases, there is a sense that the illnesses are no longer a danger.
More and more we are hearing about outbreaks in groups of people who have not been immunized. All of these diseases pose serious threats to those who contract them. These include: Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussive, Polio, Hemophilus Influenza B, Streptococcus pneumonia, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and even Chicken Pox. Many of these diseases cause significant life threatening conditions, such as a weakening heart , meningitis (an infection in the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord), and pneumonias. Even chicken pox, considered to be a rite of passage, is no longer as safe as it was once thought. With the dramatic rise in MRSA, multi-resistant staph aureus (a severe bacterial infection that can infect the multiple open sores from the pox), there can be severe loss of skin and a severe systemic infection.
There has been a lot of misinformation in the last decade about certain immunizations as well as products put into these vaccines. This includes the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine itself, as well as the preservative, Thimerosol. The controversy about the MMR started in the 1990’s, based on a small group of children in England with developmental delays. Unfortunately, the researcher manipulated the data and lied in the research paper. This was such a breech in professionalism that he lost his license, and his report has been removed from all forms of archiving both electronically, as well as on paper.
In regards to the preservative Thimerosol, the concern is that it contains a form of mercury. The confusion came about with a similarity on names. A major poison in the environment is ethyl mercury. This compound gets absorbed, travels through the system, and can cause brain injury. Thimerosol contains methyl mercury, which even when injected into the body, does not get absorbed. Even so, for the last several years, most childhood vaccines are thimerosol-free, and it is not an issue.
So that is the long answer to your question. The short answer is that vaccines are a very safe means of helping our children sustain the bombardment of serious illness that are out there, and they play a very important role in the safety of our children.
Have a great new school year.
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