By: Harshal Shet
Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine, greatly reducing the burden of infectious diseases. Vaccines are safe, preventable way to avoid getting a disease and can be the difference between life and death, as it is just as important as overall health, including daily diet and exercise (AdultVaccination.org, 2018).1 Prior to vaccines, human beings did not have many methods to prevent or even treat life threatening diseases. In the past century, vaccines have helped lower illness and death from nine vaccine preventable diseases (Gogoi & Chatterjee, 2016).2
Despite the numerous benefits of vaccines, there has been an increase in measles rates. This is due to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rates decreasing. Few common misconceptions associated with these vaccines causing vaccination rates to decline including that they can lead to autism and that individuals might get the targeted disease. Although public health and government agencies are actively promoting the significance of vaccines, these campaigns are not working as anticipated. This could be because trust in the government has declined; a 2013 study shows that only 19% of people trust the government. Current public health communication between government/healthcare providers and parents have not been as effective as desired because parents are not as encouraged to vaccinate their children (Lee et al, 2016).3 There must be new and improved methods of communicating the significance and benefits of vaccines.
Most scientists and medical professionals agree that there is no connection between the MMR vaccines and autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders. The notion that vaccines can cause autism gained most of its publicity in an article by Andrew Wakefield published in a British journal in 1998. Other scientists investigated Wakefield’s work and found many limitations in the study methodologies, including a small number of cases and no controls in the testing. This article was later retracted from the journal due to limited merit and it cannot be cited as a credible source; later Wakefield lost his license. The New York State Department of Health confirms that vaccines are proven to be safe and there is no link to developmental disorders, including autism (Department of Health, 2011).4
There have been recent measles outbreaks due to a reduced rate of vaccinations. In April 2017, a 25-month-old child was hospitalized for a suspected measles case and another child was hospitalized the next day with similar symptoms. The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed that these two cases were measles and other children from the same child care center contracted measles. By the end of May 2017, there were 65 reported confirmed measles cases. The low MMR vaccination rates in the community caused the outbreak to spread quickly and lead to higher susceptibility. As a result, thousands of people were exposed to measles (Hall et al, 2017).5 In 2016, there was another measles outbreak in Shelby County, Tennessee; this community had a high vaccination rate and no documented measles cases for more than ten years. However, an unvaccinated traveler had measles and spread the disease, proving that some communities are still at an increased risk of outbreaks (Fill et al, 2016).6 It is better for people to be safe and receive vaccines to prevent diseases, compared to people choosing not to be vaccinated and have a greater chance of getting the disease and spreading it to others.
A plethora of scientific literature suggests that vaccinations greatly reduce disease, disability, death, and inequity around the world. Vaccines provide both personal protection as well as protection for the entire population. The measles vaccine helps people avoid getting measles and protects them from several complications including dysentery, bacterial pneumonia, keratomalacia, and malnutrition (Andre et al).10 In addition, vaccines can play a crucial role in many aspects of life, it can extend life expectancy and empower people to be healthier and happier. Vaccines also have a profound impact on the overall health of populations.3 Herd Immunity is when enough people are vaccinated against a certain disease, making germs less likely to spread from person to person. It also protects people that cannot get vaccinated due to serious allergies or individuals with weakened immune systems. Vaccines are particularly important to prevent diseases that are no longer in the United States as it can stop the spread of the disease coming from travelers. This can result in minimal chance of an outbreak, and it can lead to other public health benefits. (Vaccines.gov, 2017).7 Vaccines can eradicate pathogens provided there are high levels of herd immunity all over the world for a prolonged period.
Social Media can play an important role in reframing the narrative around public health benefits, which can lead to better overall health and understanding. The use of social media can create new opportunities to share unique perspectives on public health. Lately, social media has changed the way we interact and communicate with others. Information can be accessed with a click of a button, and messages can be communicated with people across the world in a matter of seconds. There are so many social media platforms that people of all ages utilize and follow daily. This ease of access for people around the world can be used to share scientific findings among followers and promote the development for more innovative research. It is also important to combat misinformation and ensure the public has the knowledge and clear understanding (Breland et al, 2017). 8
iGeneration is the generation following millennials, typically individuals born between the mid-1990s to mid-2000s, who have grown up with technology and can influence change through social media. Recently, teens from Parkland, Florida influenced a movement sparked through social media calling for lawmakers and government to change the laws on gun regulation. This movement encouraged millions of people to support the teens and call for a change and influenced lawmakers’ consideration. In the case of vaccines, iGeneration can ‘like’ the posts of public health agencies such as vaccine infographics highlighting the benefits of receiving a vaccination. All the followers of that person can see the post that is ‘liked’ and share it with their friends and family, thereby increasing its awareness. iGeneration can follow this same approach of social media to encourage more people to receive the benefits of vaccines. Spreading an impactful positive message about the benefits of vaccines can result in a population that is healthier and safer for everyone now and for future generations.
Freeman, S., Quillin, K., Allison, L., Black, M., Podgorski, G., Taylor, E, and Carmichael, J. (2017). Biological Science (6th ed.). Figure 48.17. page 1024. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.
*The first graph shows the primary immune response when the individual is first exposed to the antigen (disease); this includes getting the disease or receiving the vaccine. The vaccine contains the antigen that has been deactivated, which allows the individuals’ immune system to react and develop/ maintain an immunological memory of it the next time they are exposed to that antigen. There are fewer antibodies in the blood that respond to the antigen. However, when the individual is exposed to the same antigen for a second time, more antigens respond, and the immune response is much faster, which can stop the spread of the disease. This shows that getting the vaccination can prevent the disease from spreading when an individual is exposed to it again, and the individuals’ immune system taking care of the disease much faster.
REFERENCES
1 AdultVaccination.org. (2018). 10 Reasons to Be Vaccinated. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Retrieved from http://www.adultvaccination.org/10-reasons-to-be-vaccinated
2 Gogoi, M. and Chatterjee, A. (2016, October 1). Vaccines and Autism: A Misconception that Persists. Primers in Medicine, 69(10), 465-467.
3 Lee, C., Whetten, K., Omer, S., Pan, W., Salmon, D. (2016, June 22). Hurdles to Herd Immunity: Distrust of Government and Vaccines Refusal in the US, 2002-2003. Science Direct, 34(34), 3972-3978.
4 Health.NY.gov. (2011, May). The Truth About Autism. New York State Department of Health. Website. Retrieved from https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/vaccine_safety/truth_about_autism.htm
5 Hall, V., Banerjee, E., Kenyon, C., Strain, A., Griffith, J., Como-Sabette, K., Heath, J., Bahta, L., Martin, K., McMahon, M., Johnson, D., Roddy, M., Dunn, D., and Ehresmann, K. (2017, July 14). Measles Outbreak- Minnesota April-May 2017. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 66(27), 713-717.
6 Fill, M., Sweat, D., Morrow, H., Haushalter, A., Martin, J., Zerwekh, T., Chakraverty, T., Kmet, J., Morris, K., Moore, K., Kainer, M., Murphree, R., Dunn, J., Schaffner, W., and Jones, T. (2016, September 30). Measles Outbreak of Unknown Source- Shelby County, Tennessee, April-May 2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65(38), 1039-1040.
7 Vaccines.gov. (2017, December). Vaccines Protect Your Community. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/work/protection/index.html
8 Breland, J., Quintiliani, L., Schneider, K. (2017, December). Social Media as a Tool to Increase the Impact of Public Health Research. American Journal of Public Health, 107(12), 1890-1891.
9 Freeman, S., Quillin, K., Allison, L., Black, M., Podgorski, G., Taylor, E, and Carmichael, J. (2017). Biological Science (6th ed.). Figure 48.17. page 1024. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.
10 Andre, F.E.; Booy, R.; Bock, H.L.; Clemens, J.; Datta, S.K.; John, T.J.; Lee, B.W.; Lolekha, S.; Peltola, H.; Ruff, T.A.; Santosham, M.; and Schmitt, H.J. (2008, February). Vaccination Greatly Reduces Disease, Disability, Death and Inequity Worldwide. World Health Organization- Bulletin, 86(2), 140-146.
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