Written by Randy Yan and Edited by Catherine Zhang
Despite the fact that vaccines have saved tens of millions of lives ever since their first scientific status was conferred in 1796, anti-vaccine movements are gradually becoming more prominent around the globe [1]. For years, vaccines have combated and prevented various diseases including polio, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), mumps, and tetanus. Vaccines function by providing immunity to the person receiving the vaccine, usually children. The vaccines consist of germs or viruses, also known as antigens, that are weak but strong enough to produce antibodies, which are specialized blood cells made to fight off foreign invaders for immunity. With an increased amount of antibodies, the antigens are thus weakened or killed, leading to immunity in the vaccine recipient. This is the individual’s first contact with the disease, and if exposed to the disease again in the future, the immune system will create antibodies fast enough to battle the disease a second time [2]. Although scientific evidence points towards vaccines being able to prevent diseases, growing anti-vaccination movements are sparking up in different parts of the world. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed “vaccine hesitancy” as one of the top ten threats to global health [3]. Due to vaccine hesitancy, measles, a disease that was once thought to have been eradicated, is back once again.
Measles, also known as rubeola, is caused by a virus that replicates in the nose and throat of an infected individual. It can be transmitted through particles that are released from sneezing or coughing. Although not everyone in the United States is vaccinated for measles, everyone is protected due to herd immunity, which essentially means that enough people are vaccinated to prevent the spread of disease easily [4]. In 2016, WHO declared the Americas free of measles, which is the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eradicated from the region [5]. However, herd immunity has been weakened in recent months, and measles is back due to the underlying cause of vaccine hesitancy, not just in the United States, but also across Europe by the disease being brought in through international travel.
Because herd immunity was weakened in the United States, Washington State recently had one of the worst measles outbreaks in modern history, with 66 cases presented in the state [6]. This epidemic led to lawmakers introducing legislation that states “a philosophical or personal objection may not be used to exempt a child from the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine,” prompting hundreds of vaccine critics to protest on the capital of Washington. If this legislation passes, it would make Washington state the newest addition to a list of states that have already enacted anti-exemption rules to vaccinations.
Vaccine hesitancy has risen because of changing scientific, cultural, medico-legal, and media environments [7]. Many controversies have contributed to parents being hesitant about their children receiving vaccines, such as an association between the hepatitis B vaccine and multiple sclerosis in France during the 1990s. Hepatitis B had been a huge concern in France, so the government embarked on a mass Hepatitis B vaccine administration, and within a few years, there were various cases of multiple sclerosis reported to the French government. This correlation led to a suspension of the vaccine program. However, many scientific studies that were later conducted concluded that there was no association [8]. Another reason that is still highly prevalent today is that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is linked to autism and bowel disease, due to one inaccurate and biased study conducted by a British gastroenterologist to spark public outcry [9].
The implications of vaccine hesitancy and under-vaccination are disastrous. Children are most prone to many of the world’s most dangerous diseases since their immune system is weaker than those of adults. For example, Europe is at an all-time high in the number of people who are infected with measles. In 2018, Europe topped 60,000 cases of measles, which is double that of 2017 [10]. Currently, governments are taking action in reassuring the safety of vaccines and actively implementing policies to ensure that parents cannot opt their children out of receiving their proper vaccinations due to personal opinions and beliefs. Vaccination programs are also conducting research into why healthcare professionals are still having doubts about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.
As one of the greatest medical achievements of modern civilization, vaccines have not only saved millions of lives, but also prevented millions of more lives from being taken away by vaccine-preventable diseases. From smallpox to polio to measles, vaccines have drastically improved the quality of life around the world. The eradication of polio meant that generations of people were spared from the devastating impacts associated with the disease. Progress is being made to completely wipe out even more preventable diseases. For the sake of a safer and healthier future for everyone, it is imperative that everyone should get their proper vaccinations. So what is the truth about vaccines? The truth is that they work and are more important than ever before.
References:
- Riedel, S. (2005). Edward Jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination. Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), 18: 21-25.
- “Why Are Childhood Vaccines So Important?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/howvpd.htm
- “Ten threats to global health in 2019.” World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/emergencies/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019
- “Measles.” Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/measles/symptoms-causes/syc-20374857
- “Region of the Americas is declared free of measles.” Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization. https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12528:region-americas-declared-free-measles&Itemid=1926&lang=en
- “Measles Outbreak 2019.” Washington State Department of Health. https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/Measles/MeaslesOutbreak
- Dube, E., Laberge, C., Guay, M., Bramadat, P., Roy, R., Bettinger, A.J. (2013). Vaccine hesitancy. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 8: 1763-1773.
- Francois, G., Duclos, P., Margolis, H., Lavanchy, D., Siegrist, C.A., Meheus, A., Lambert, P.H., Emiroglu, N., Badur, S. Van, D.P. (2005). Vaccine safety controversies and the future of vaccination programs. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 24: 953-961.
- Watling, E. “Why do some people believe vaccines are dangerous?” Newsweek. 25 February 2019. https://www.newsweek.com/vaccines-anti-vaxxers-reasons-1340494
- Boseley, S. “Measles cases at highest for 20 years in Europe, as anti-vaccine movement grows.” The Guardian. 21 December 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/21/measles-cases-at-highest-for-20-years-in-europe-as-anti-vaccine-movement-grows