When the World Health Organization declared vaccine hesitancy as a health threat for 2019, we all know that health experts are now serious about combating the widespread propaganda against the vaccine. We cannot blame them, though. After all, highly contagious diseases like measles are reemerging in some first world countries.
Unfortunately, despite the effectiveness of vaccines that have been proven for decades, there are still a lot of people who do not believe in its power. And to the Wellcome Trust, a UK medical research charity, most of them came from richer nations, with France as the leading nations. The survey revealed that one out of three French doubts its safety.
Below are some vaccine myths about vaccines and the truth behind them.
1. "Vaccines cause autism."
The widespread fear started from a study published in 1998 by Andrew Wakefield and 12 other co-writers. According to the authors, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine may cause behavioral regression and delayed development in children.
However, the study has been debunked. Aside from a questionable sample size (total of 12), no linked between the vaccine and autism has been established. And the investigation had found out that the doctors were paid to release malicious research.
The real cause of autism has never been established, but experts are convinced that it is hereditary and is determined before birth or before any vaccinations can be administered.
2. "The vaccine contains a virus, and it can cause the disease it is meant to prevent."
The vaccine does contain virus, but it is inactive or weakened and it is a necessity.
Immunization works through stimulating our immune system to produce antibodies that will protect us from this disease. Antibodies are produced when our body got exposed to some pathogen our system could not normally kill.
However, you do not need to be infected with poliovirus just to be immuned with polio. An inactive virus can trick our immune system. And this is why you need vaccines.
Sometimes, a child may suffer from fever or minor swelling but it is not the actual disease but their body working to produce antibodies.
3. "It is better to be exposed to bacteria at a young age."
While it can sometimes work, most diseases that vaccine prevents are the most deadly especially to babies and young children, said Dr. Kenneth Boyer, a pediatric infectious disease specialist. Example of these diseases are whooping cough, measles and Diptheria.
4. "You're administering vaccines too much and it is dangerous for my child."
There are more vaccines administered today compared when it was still being developed. However, the immunization schedule is a product of scientists' decade-long of research to find the optimal window of time for vaccine administration.
If parents asked for a much slower pace of delivering the vaccine, it can affect the effectiveness and will result in more office visits, more injects and expenses, according to Dr. Boyer.
5. "Vaccines contain a lot of toxins."
Most common toxins that anti-vaxxers mentioned are formaldehyde and mercury. But according to Dr. Boyer, these additives are needed to ensure that the vaccine is sterile and is safer. He also added that those chemicals will only become toxic if the dosage is higher.
Besides, formaldehyde naturally occurs in our body as a by-product of metabolism. And you can also get mercury from fishes like mackerel and tuna but you do not hear these people protesting against these food items. In fact, most of the time, it is promoted as healthy food due to their Omega-3 content.
6. "Refusing to vaccinate will only affect my child."
This is probably their favorite rebuttal once they're running out of "facts". However, we still should not slack on it.
According to health expert, the confidence of these parents only came from the fact that people around them are immune to vaccine-preventable diseases that they will most likely not cause an outbreak. This phenomenon is called "herd immunity".
However, as more people refusing to be vaccinated increases, nearly eradicated diseases have been resurfacing. And it does not just put the unvaccinated children at risk but also people who autoimmune diseases or people who cannot take vaccines.
READ MORE: The Tragic Story of French Government's Incompetence that Leads to Mass Vaccine Hesitancy