Saar Kuzi
Alessandra Coutinho Fernandes
William Cope
Richard Tapping
Kashif Ahmad
Reda Sadki
Shubhra Kanti Karmaker Santu
Adam P Rusch
Elle Meisner
Nereyda Ochoa
Landon J. Kunzelman
James DotimasFA16 Immunization Module’s Updates
Vaccine Development, Approval, and Safety Monitoring
In Dr. Tapping’s lecture, he specifically pointed out that public attention to vaccine safety increases as disease risk is no longer evident. Because of this, there is a high standard applied to vaccines, and the general public must have a general trust of vaccine efficacy and safety. Although vaccine conspiracy theories have become more popular in society, there has always been a pushback from the public since the introduction of the smallpox vaccine in 1796.
There is a thorough and comprehensive analysis of vaccine safety and efficacy before any vaccine is recommended for the general public. The following infographic was taken from the CDC’s informational section on vaccine safety in children, and outlines the process by which a vaccine is approved and undergoes continual safety monitoring.
One highlight that caught my attention was that consideration for additional immunizations is not just done at the level of the CDC, as many anti-vaccine activists will argue. The ACIP includes members of the board-certifying agencies for pediatrics and family medicine. This committee receives recommendations from the CDC and FDA, and does a review to ensure the vaccine will provide a worthwhile benefit to the general public, and that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks. Overall, this process ensures that checks and balances are in place, so that each vaccine undergoes strict scrutiny before being produced and recommended for the public.
Sources:
1. Dr. Tapping's "Immunization Basics" lecture and powerpoint.
2. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/infographics/journey-of-child-vaccine.html
I completely agree with @Kylie Mena. I think a visual on the protocol of implementing a vaccination into our healthcare system would help alleviate some of the distrust people have with receiving (or having their children receive) shots and boosters. It also might sequester some of the fears people have about the adverse side-effects since it shows the extensive measures done to cut down on detrimental side-effects. Or at least make known that the possible side-effects would be no where near those of the actual illness that is being vaccinated against (which I would assume would be listed in the healthcare information available for a population of over 9 million people)
I really appreciate you sharing this graphic. I think a big problem in the anti-vax community is the lack of trust in the system. These checks and balances exist at every single level and almost encourage people to find something wrong along the way so that the vaccine can be checked. I think that if people who are anti vaccination were to see this and understand how thoroughly the vaccines are vetted, they may gain some trust even if they still aren't running to their pediatrician to vaccinate their child.