VACCINES ARE SAFE, DAMMIT

I feel really strongly about vaccines. This is not just because I work in the industry, but because vaccines have prevented millions of deaths in the world. We think that polio, measles, mumps, etc., are no longer a threat in the U.S., but it's because so many people around us are vaccinated that we are protecting others from getting these diseases. If we do not immunize, then the threat of these diseases returning will grow many-fold.

There are so many people I know who are on the fence about vaccines, but let me tell you: there is nothing to be on the fence about (yes, ending in preposition, but I can't help it). Vaccines prevent disease. Yes, there used to be thimerosal (a preservative used to keep vaccines bacteria and fungus free, which contains some ethylmercury) in vaccines, but today, almost all vaccines are thimerosal free -- only certain flu vaccines have thimerosal and you can ask for a thimerosal free version when getting vaccinated.

So what is this debate about vaccine safety? There is no debate. Vaccines are safe!

Here's an op-ed from a small town paper in Kearney, NE, which explains this a little more clearly:


03/04/2006
Vaccines can be both fresh, safe
Kearney Hub

A letter to the Letterbox on Feb. 25 prompted me to write concerning the safety of childhood vaccines. The issue raised in the Feb. 25 letter is the use of the preservative Thimerosal in vaccines. Preservatives keep vaccines pure from bacterial and fungal growth.

Thimerosal, which contains ethylmercury, was used at one time in some childhood vaccines. Concerns were raised in the late-1990s that ethylmercury could have some of the neurotoxic properties of its cousin, methylmercury. However, studies done by the Immunization Safety Review Committee of the Institute of Medicine in the United States, Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom failed to show any connection between Thimerosal exposure and the neurodevelopmental disorders of autism, ADHD and speech or language delay.

The committee did recommend reducing the Thimerosal in vaccines to trace amounts because of theoretical risk, and to keep public trust in vaccines. Since 2001, all vaccines for children are either entirely free of Thimerosal (most) or contain only trace amounts (two).

Vaccines are strong protectors of our children. In the early years of my practice, it was common to see five to 10 cases of meningitis per month, due to Haemophilus Influenza Type B or Pneumococcus. These infections would often result in death or brain injury for the patient, and devastation for the families.

Since the advent of routine immunization with the HIB vaccine (1983) and Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (2000), these horrible diseases are almost wiped out.

As responsible parents and medical caregivers, it is important to know the facts. Physicians’ offices that care for children have excellent handouts on all vaccines. Also, there are two reliable Web sites, which give very good information, including the exact content of all vaccines. These Web sites are www.cdc.gov and www.immunize.org.

Be smart. Know the facts. Immunize your children.

Katherine A. Keifer, M.D.Kearney Clinic P.C.

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