The appointment of an anti-vaccine advisor in new cabinet has led to ripples of concern in the medical community. Anyone old enough to have experienced the childhood illnesses they prevent cringes when they recall the polio epidemic, with its resulting deaths and paralysis (aside from the closing of schools and keeping children indoors). Deaths fro measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, etc are now a thing of the past, And we need to keep it that way.
Recently there was another outbreak of measles. Although 90% of the cases occurred in vaccinated children, these kids had almost no complications; vaccination prevented deaths and disability.
A couple of recent studies confirms their benefits.
In Pediatrics 2015 May 4, Investigators from the CDC reviewed all confirmed and probable pertussis (whooping cough) cases in the U.S. from 1991 to 2008 in infants aged <365 days and assessed the role of vaccination in preventing pertussis-related deaths. They found that even one dose, given at 6 weeks (rather tha the recommended 2 months) during outbreaks, prevented 68 deaths. And as expected, unimmunized children at any age were at the greatest risk of death.
In another story, Reuters reported on a very severe late complication of measles, called Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). This is more common than suspected, perhaps in 1 in 1300 cases. Although that may sound uncommon, in non-vaccinated individuals there is a 90% chance of catching measles after exposure. If no children were immunized there could be thousands of deaths.
Get your kids immunized. There is no place today for those espousing "alternative facts".
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