BY SOPHIA CHRISCO
Introduction - There has been a recent measles outbreak in several states, due in part, to the vocal anti-vaccine movement. Vaccines have been described as "the tugboats of preventive health." A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 20.3 million deaths have been prevented by the measles vaccine between 2000 and 2015. It's an incredible achievement for public health. In fact, thanks to vaccines, many of us have forgotten how deadly measles can be. Exceptional Parent assigned this article to an aspiring young microbiologist and High School senior, Sophia Chrisco, in the hope it will reinvigorate the conversation about the myths and misconceptions about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. -- Rick Rader, MD Editor in Chief, EP Magazine
If you played board games growing up, or play them with your children today, you're likely familiar with Milton Bradley's colorful game Candyland. While many of you enjoy playing comfortably, its original purpose was to cater to ill children who may not have mobility, or playmates. The creator, Eleanor Abbott, could attest to this as she developed it in the San Diego Hospital while recovering in 1948 from paralytic polio, an illness that was once widely known to the general public but today isn't well known, because of modernized vaccines.
Unfortunately, there are maladies that once claimed the lives of up to 15,000 that are now seen again in countries where vaccines once prevented them. Why has "vaccine hesitancy," been called one of the biggest threats to worldwide health by The World Health Organization (WHO)? With new viral strains popping up all around the world, what does the future of immunology hold?
The vaccine conspiracy dates back to its conception, as Physician Edward Jenner's anecdote for smallpox was called "ungodly," by the English Clergy back in 1792. Today, a concerning number of parents have been misled by theories circulating the internet and promoted by their favorite celebrities. The most common adversary is the supposed link between the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and autism. This was suggested by former British gastroenterologist, Andrew Wakefield in Lancet (1998), who conducted unnecessary lumbar punctures and colonoscopies on children with ASD. However, a 2004 report of the Sunday Times uncovered Wakefield's financial instability, revealing the purpose of his study. Wakefield was being paid off by a small group of solicitors, who believed the two were connected. When all but two of his co-authors retracted their findings, Wakefield was investigated by the British General Medical Council, where he was charged with twelve counts of abuse of disabled children and four counts of dishonesty. He lost his license to medicine on January 28th, 2010, but stands by his work. Yet, no scientist has been able to replicate his results.
Despite the scandal, some continue to see Wakefield as a tantalizing figure. The American celebrity Jenny McCarthy has arguably been one of the most damaging celebrity influencers of public health through her anti-vaccine campaign. She's a supporter of Andrew Wakefield's theory, and has a son diagnosed with autism, epilepsy, and chronic gastrointestinal disorders. McCarthy does claim she was concerned about the possible link before the procedure, but her former husband insisted the son received treatment. Some of Wakefield's supporters are as high-profile as President Donald Trump, who in 2014 tweeted, "healthy young child goes to the doctor, gets pumped with a massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes – Autism. Many such cases!"
Celebrities can often be used as incentives for the anti-vaccine agenda, and they're very powerful influencers in the health field as a whole. As an example, in the weeks preceding Earvin "Magic" Johnson's announcement of HIV, 68,000 calls were made to the CDC expressing their own personal concerns. Angelina Jolie underwent gene testing for an increased risk of ovarian and breast cancer. In the following days, there was a 64% increase in women receiving BRCA (breast cancer 1 and 2) exams.
You argue could that autism diagnosis rates are i n c r e a s i n g , which is evidence of a vaccine cover up. Even so, it's hardly earthshattering, with the advancements of awareness and the increment of testing. A child on the autism spectrum has access to far-greater benefits than one with a specific challenge, thus some parents and doctors will push for a diagnosis. It's important to take into account that children have received these shots for decades, some even date back to the 1920s. This makes them bad candidates to be correlated with a recent issue.
Others hesitate because of religious lifestyle choices, vegan or naturalist views, and some even believe vaccines can be used for nano tracking, suppressing intellectual ability, and mind control. The second most common motive for vaccine hesitancy is the belief that they're a violation of human rights. This movement is very popular in Texas, where nearly 45,000 children are exempted for nonmedical reasons every year.
A small portion of the anti-vaxxer com munity believes these ailments are just part of childhood, and kids are just better off working through it. As a society, we are mute to the lasting and sometimes deadly side effects of these bacteria. Some of these symptoms can preempt birth. When women catch rubella during their first trimester, they can develop what is known as congenital rubella syndrome. This can give a child cataracts, heart disease, hearing deficiency, microcephaly, developmental delays and more. Polio, which attack the spinal cord, leaves 25-40% of its victims dead or permanently paralyzed. Still today, some American citizens rely on "iron lungs," body-length c y l i n d r i c a l cases, to survive due to losing all motor function. Some are left with broken ribs and bones located near the skull after bouts with tetanus (lockjaw) and pertussis (whooping cough).
Those recovering from hepatitis B are at increased risk for developing liver cancer, and receiving your HPV shot will decrease your risk for cervical cancer. Many of the illnesses I listed can lead to meningitis and other brain-related complications. Infections such as measles, which is at a 30% increase, tend to damage your immune system for life. What doesn't kill you, doesn't always make you stronger. but not vaccinating your child only affects your child, right? This is unfortunately very wrong. One million people at any given time are unable to receive a vaccine safely. Babies under the age of one, HIV/AIDS victims, and those undergoing chemotherapy are just some of the unprotected. Therefore, they rely on us to immunize ourselves, because viruses cannot survive without a host. This has been coined "herd immunity." Even if you don't normally come into contact with a vulnerable person, germs can sometimes project six feet away from the individual and last on surfaces for several days. Measles, the most contagious virus, can survive for up to two hours airborne; if unprotected, you have a 95% chance of developing symptoms.
SHAKY SCIENCE: Today, a concerning number of parents have been misled by theories circulating the internet and promoted by their favorite celebrities. The most common adversary is the supposed link between the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and autism.
Another troubling outcome could be viral mutation. Bacteria are the most rapidly evolving species on the planet, particularly ones made up of RNA; because they lack the DNA repair mechanisms found in animals. This greatly increases the difficulty of making a consistent shot. When a virus made up of DNA replicates inside the host cell, it tricks it into proofreading the DNA code of its offspring. RNA does not possess this stability and often reproduce differently coded viruses, possessing the ability to affect its surroundings dissimilarly. We witness this yearly with the thousands of variations of influenza that emerge, enteroviruses that are related to polio, and the number will only continue to grow.
The job of a disease specialist is to try to forecast the future of viral behavior, in hopes of staying one step ahead. One of the ten threats for global health that the WHO listed for this year was the worldwide influenza pandemic—where currently 144 countries are in effect. A major concern for future outbreaks is the possible genetic recombination between swine, bird and human flu types, since poultry and pigs are typically kept in close quarters. Since flu's common reservoir are waterfowl, scientist in the Mai Po Nature Reserve in China carefully monitor the native species excrements for new strains of influenza. Other coun tries are starting to do the same.
When someone falls ill, either with what "we are turning back time by excluding vaccines from childhood. diseases that were once considered eradicated have resurfaced because we've opted out. without keeping ourselves protected and up to date, our new immunization endeavors are unattainable." was listed, or other more trivial ailments, our first response is usually to take an antibiotic. While antimicrobials are one of modern science's greatest accomplishments, our time is running out. These diseases, such as some strands of tuberculosis, gonorrhea, MRSA, staph, e.coli, and the enteroviruses mentioned earlier are often termed "superbugs," because they generally cannot be treated. It is expected more will develop the same effect, or, lack thereof, if we do not cut back on our usage.
Thankfully, drastic actions are taking place globally. Across the world, antibiotics were long used as a growth booster for livestock, but the European Union banned them a decade ago, and US citizens are more educated on its harmful effects than ever before. New antimicrobials, such as Plazomicin, have recently been developed in hopes of replacing what we use now to keep up with the characteristics ever-changing of pathogens. Most scientist agree that getting all countries on board with these developments is key.
WHO and other major health organizations organize contagious illnesses by categories or numbers, the most highly fatal are labeled as category A or risk group four. We are currently in the first human trial of Ebola vaccine. As of December 2018, 37,000 people received immunization in The Democratic Republic of Congo in the midst of the outbreak. Doctors are trying a new strategy, called "ring vaccination," which boosters only the people who have come into direct contact with a sick individual, rather than blanketing it across the country. These health workers are facing serious hazards such as rebel groups, malaria and other vector borne diseases, thus this new method can save them valuable time. In the control groups where the friends and family of the victim were immunized immediately, zero cases came from that individual.
Weak medical infrastructure plays a major role in an epidemic. Without access to clean water, medicine, and sometimes basic education can make containment nearly impossible. The US and other medically-advanced nations have had risk group four pathogens leak into the public, more recently than you'd expect, but they've been quickly contained. The anthrax leaks of 2001, the Ebola infected hospital patient of 2014, and the spill over of hendra virus in northeastern Australia during 2016 are examples of potentially catastrophic epidemics that were controlled by modern medical practice. This isn't to undermine the devastating effects these strains can induce, but it provides hope for some less fortunate demographics. The Global Conference for Primary Health Care was held in Kazakhstan in October of 2018 to make plans to improve programs in less developed countries.
Vaccines are the most cost-effective way of protecting yourself and others. They prevent two to three million deaths every year. However, we are turning back time by excluding these from childhood. Diseases that were once considered eradicated have resurfaced because we've opted out. Without keeping ourselves protected and up to date, our new immunization endeavors are unattainable.
Miscommunication is largely responsible for hesitation, so spread awareness and enlighten others who may believe the misconceptions. When you vaccinate your child, you're not only saving them from disability and even death, you're protecting others as well. You may be saving a life.•
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sophia Chrisco is a high school senior attending The Ivy Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee.