I Heart Vaccines

Measles will kill you. Why? Because your neighbors didn't vaccinate their children, and then you babysat for those little rats. Little did you know that those germ bags came into contact with another unvaccinated little punk while they were vacationing in southeast Asia two weeks ago.

The term 'intentionally unvaccinated' is used to describe these kids, whose parents refuse vaccines not on religious grounds (that would be reasonable), but based on new-agey pseudo-science that says 'organic' food will boost your immune system and vaccines will give your child autism. (1) There is no scientific standard set by any regulatory body (such as the FDA) to determine what 'organic' entails, and if you have any concept of how the immune system functions, you'd realize that organic yogurt isn't going to keep you from getting even something as 'mild' as the flu (influenza will also kill you). (2) I've ranted plenty of times before about the complete lack of scientific evidence supporting any link between vaccination and autism. And of the steady of flow of court cases coming to the same conclusion should be some kind of indicator.

Its ironic that we're so lucky to live in a country where people actually have a choice of whether or not to get vaccinated against diseases that kill thousands in other parts of the world. Diphtheria, polio, pertussis, measles, pneumococcus, Haemophilis influenzae, rubella, hepatitis... know anyone with these ailments? Probably not. Its because we have vaccines.

NPR did a great story on the cost of recent measles outbreaks that have been occurring with more frequently as pockets of 'intentionally unvaccinated' grow. Check it out.

In other news, the latest formulation of Meningococcal vaccine is hitting Europe, which will now help to protect adults against Meningitis C. Of the five major pathogenic strains, we can now vaccinate against Meningitis A, C, Y, and W135. Meningitis B vaccine still eludes because its a tricky bastard, but its days are numbered.

You can visit the CDC website to the schedule of immunizations every person should receive.

Should I Get A Flu Shot?

We're taking a brief timeout from my health care reform series to continue harping upon a subject that I may have beaten to death... but people keep asking me the question, so once again, here is my answer to, 'should I get a flu shot?'

The short answer: YES

The long answer: If possible, you should get both the seasonal influenza vaccine and the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. The seasonal, trivalent (3 strains) vaccination which protects against seasonal variants of H3N2, H1N1, and Influenza B, does not protect against the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu). A separate monovalent (1 strain) vaccine has been developed for this virus and is currently being distributed nationwide as quickly as production allows. Both vaccines come in an injectable, inactivated form or in an intranasal, attenuated (weakened) form. The nasal spray form is recommended for all healthy people aged 2-50 years old. If you fall outside those age ranges, are pregnant, or have certain chronic or immunosupressive conditions (lung disease, heart disease, asthma, etc) you should get a shot of the killed vaccine instead.

While older populations and the very young are the most susceptible for seasonal influenza, those individuals from 6 months to 24 years of age, as well as those 24 to 64 years old who have medical conditions that put them at greater risk for infection are the most at risk for 2009 H1N1. There is some evidence that people over the age of 55 may have some protective antibodies due to previous exposure to a similar H1N1 strain that circulated in the early 1950's, but this has yet to be backed by significant evidence.

Finally, many people should also consider getting a pneumoccoal vaccine to protect against secondary bacterial pneumonia infections that take advantage of the body's weakened immune defenses while infected with the flu. Secondary bacterial pneumonia can be a deadly complication of the flu virus. It is recommended that all adults over age 65 receive the pneumococcal vaccine, as well as those 2 to 64 years of age who fall into the following categories: chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, or liver disease, alcoholics, residents of nursing home or long-term care facilities, anyone with immunocompromised or immunosupressive conditions, as well as any adults who smoke cigarettes or have asthma.

Contrary to paranoid conservatives, new-agey liberals, and a sensationalist media, flu vaccine (both kinds) is perfectly safe. I've addressed the safety of vaccines in general in previous posts. Read up if you like, or leave comments with questions and I'll gladly answer them. And before you ask, yes, flu vaccine does have the potential side effects of dizziness, sexual nightmares, and sleep crime.

Check the CDC's website for full flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine facts as well as the latest press update regarding the status of H1N1 influenza in the United States.

Get Your Flu Shot!

In the course of researching potential infectious etiologies of autism, in conjunction with being enrolled in the Infectious Disease & Vaccinology division of Berkeley's School of Public Health, I've learned quite a bit about vaccines in a relatively short time. While I won't be developing any vaccine patents yet (or ever), I can dispel some myths and put forth a quick primer on vaccines for anyone that actually cares...

The two myths I hate: (1) vaccines (particularly MMR vaccine) can cause autism, and (2) getting your seasonal flu shot can actually give you the flu.

(1) Autism is a complex phenomenon for which the etiology (cause) has yet to be identified. It is likely a combination of genetic predisposition triggered by certain environmental factors, possibly certain viral infections while the child is in utero. In 1998 a British study was put forth hypothesizing a link between Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine (MMR). In an article published this year by Jeffery Gerber and Paul Offit of the Infectious Disease Division at Philadelphia Children's Hospital, titled Vaccines & Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses, Gerber and Offit thoroughly point out the many flaws in the original British study. Their article goes further in citing numerous studies which have found no link between autism and vaccines, as shown in the table below...

Put very simply, the erroneous link between austim and MMR vaccine is due to timing. Most children are vaccinated for MMR at roughly the same time that parents first notice symptoms of the disease (between 1-2 years) and the vaccine thus becomes an easy target for blame. Gerber and Offit go on to dispel the myths concerning thimerasol (an eythlmercury additive in some vaccines) and 'too many vaccines for children' causing autism in an equally convincing manner.

(2) Seasonal influenza vaccines can come in two forms: a trivalent (3 strains of flu), killed-vaccine and an orally administered attenuated vaccine.

• Trivalent killed vaccine comes in the form of an injection and contains killed flu virus elements from three strains (H3N2, seasonal H1N1, and B) which helps the body to produce antibodies to fight these strains if encountered. A killed vaccine cannot make a person sick with the flu. You have an equal chance of being killed by a dead person (yes, I know, what about zombie attack? I'll discuss that in another post).
  
• An attenuated vaccine is one where the virus has been weakened, but not killed. Attenuated vaccine for influenza is administered via an oral mist. It is possible, however unlikely, to get sick from an attenuated vaccine. As such, attenuated vaccines are not administered to children under 2, adults over 50, or to the immuno-compromised. For those to whom it can be administered, it most often provides a more robust immunological response, meaning better protection.
  

Do note that while your flu shot cannot make you sick with influenza, there is the possibility for side effects, depending on how the individual reacts to injections in general (redness, soreness, swelling at the point of injection) and in the case of certain allergies (flu vaccines are grown in chicken eggs). What everyone must consider is the fact that most people receive their flu shot between late September and mid-October, a period when a host of other respiratory ailments (such as the common cold) are beginning their high rate of circulation in the northern hemisphere. Much like autism and MMR, the percentage of individuals coming down with a respiratory ailment that is not actually influenza in the period immediately following vaccination is high enough to allow for this misconception to perpetuate.

So... get your shots.

*H1N1 vaccine will be discussed in the coming week(s)

This is Why We Vaccinate...

No I didn't steal this image 28 Days Later, that's Al Davis, owner and general manager for the Oakland Raiders, my neighborhood pro football team.

As I embark on a research project exploring potential infectious etiologies of Autism and am thus forced to wade through articles advocating the now-thoroughly debunked notion that vaccinating children leads to this heartbreaking disorder, I would like to remind everyone to get your shots.

If you don't believe me, see what Dr. Paul Offit has to say...

My point being, you don't want your children to end up looking like Mr. Davis up there, who despite being wealthy enough to own a pro sports team, still looks like he just crawled out of the grave and may drag you back there with him. Get your vaccinations!