http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenn-d-braunstein-md/vaccinations-still-amazin_b_481523.html"Medically speaking, the good old days aren't something a physician gets sentimental about, unless there's a soft spot in his or her heart for the Middle Ages when small pox wiped out most of Western Europe; or the nineteenth century, when typhoid had its way with millions of children; or after World War I when influenza practically killed more people than the war itself. And let's not forget the 1950's when parents were paralyzed with fear about their kids ending up in an iron lung from polio. These were terrible diseases we've conquered thanks to vaccines. Failing to take advantage of centuries of medical advancements is like turning back the clock on our collective health. For good reason, vaccines have been called the most important public health intervention in history, after safe drinking water.
And as far as all the scares and controversy about vaccinations lately, let's not confuse sound medical practice with making healthy choices on a visit to Whole Foods, especially since the assumption that vaccines aren't pure and natural is inaccurate. The power of vaccines is that they are made from are the same natural germs that cause a disease. They protect children by helping prepare their bodies to fight off serious, and potentially, deadly diseases,
Not having a child vaccinated puts all kids at risk: the children who don't receive protection against a disease, and the children around them who are now exposed to a disease by way of the vulnerability of their unvaccinated friends. Diseases like diphtheria, measles and influenza type b are like Jason in the Friday the 13th series -- they never really die. They lurk beneath the surface ready to make a frightening return, the way whooping cough did in Japan in the 1970's when parents stopped vaccinating for it, or the 2005 outbreak of measles in Indiana following the refusal of parents to have their children vaccinated.
Vaccines can have side effects. These are generally minor, usually redness or soreness localized in the area where the shot has been given, and usually only for a day or two. True allergic reactions also can occur and may include hives, difficulty breathing, wheezing or dizziness, and in rare cases can be more serious, which is why it's important to tell your provider about any allergies your child may have.
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A couple of pieces on a study of vaccine fears:
Survey Shows Parents Worry About Vaccineshttp://children.webmd.com/vaccines/news/20100301/survey-shows-parents-worry-about-vaccinesParental Vaccine Safety Concerns in 2009http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/03/parental-vaccine-safety-concerns-in-2009/------------------------------------------
And on another vaccine front:
AAAAI: Egg Allergy No Bar to Flu Shothttp://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAAAI/18733------------------------------------------
Yeah, it's an opinion piece, but one that is supported by the overwhelming evidence available to date. And I do find the study in regard to parental fears to be mildly interesting, too.
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