Saar Kuzi
Alessandra Coutinho Fernandes
William Cope
Richard Tapping
Kashif Ahmad
Reda Sadki
Shubhra Kanti Karmaker Santu
Adam P Rusch
Elizabeth Edwards
Matthew LawFA16 Immunization Module’s Updates
Adverse reactions to vaccines
Twenty four different vaccines are currently administered to people of various ages. Some given to children, others require readministration after a number of years, and some are constantly being tailored to the current strain, thus necessitating yearly vaccination. Essentially universal across most vaccines is the potential for minor adverse reactions such as fainting, fever, redness or tenderness at the injection site which subside within a couple days at most. They range in prevalence anywhere from 10 to 50% in vaccinated persons. In some cases, severe reactions may occur such as brain inflammation, seizures, severe pain, and in extreme cases, death. These severe reactions are very few and far between, occurring in less than a hundredth or even thousandth of 1% of injected persons. But who is susceptible to such adverse reactions?
There is not much known knowledge about the individual risks vaccines pose, especially to children. Evidence has been found pointing to the susceptibility of pre mature children, or those with a family history of autoimmune diseases, to experience adverse effects to immunizations, but ambiguity regarding the test population divisions and exposures sheds a shadow of question on this conclusion.
While there is research done testing the individual vaccines and their outcomes, not much study has been done regarding the immunization protocol schedule. As the schedule is adjusted, the individual vaccine has been tested, but there lacks research on the effect of its order placement. Not much is known regarding the vaccine schedule as a whole, such as the order of vaccines, frequency, time, effect on one another, and age of administration.
Despite this research deficit and potential adverse effects, the benefit of vaccines far outweigh the risks. Each individual vaccine has been tested and approved. A minor adverse reaction pales in comparison to a life-threatening contagious illness. And now as these research holes are exposed, they provide opportunities for advancement and growth.
Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm http://www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/Vaccinations--Know-the-risks-and-failures-.aspx
The susceptibility of individuals with prior autoimmune history for hypersensitivity reactions to vaccines is something that really interests me. This may be a little off the topic of vaccines, but it is also common that individuals with a family history of a seemingly unrelated autoimmune disorders will present with a completely different disorder (e.g. a mother with rheumatoid arthritis will have children with severe allergic reactions). It would be interesting to hear more about studies that have investigated this more in depth to identify the underlying mechanisms!
@Sara Taege I couldn't agree with you more about the cost-risk analysis of vaccinations. Of course, there is always the potential for adverse effects of any medical procedure, but there are also risks when you cross a road or drive your car. The important thing to realize when it comes to vaccination is that, even though there is a minuscule risk of an adverse effect, the protection given to the vaccinated individual, as well as to the rest of the population, is far more beneficial. A subject that goes hand-in-hand with this one is the social obstacles currently facing vaccination. Parents hear the horror stories (true or otherwise) about terrifying outcomes occurring after vaccination. They then naturally want to protect their own children from such fates, and think that vaccinating is too dangerous. They feel that such a decision is one they make to protect their own children that likely will not affect anyone else. What they don't realize is that, aside from the fact that an adverse effect is extremely unlikely, by not vaccinating their children they are risking the lives of every immunocompromised person, every infant that is too young to be vaccinated, every elderly person who's immunity has decreased since their own vaccination, and every other individual that was unable to make that choice due to allergies or medical conditions. While I would agree that parents should do as much research as possible to protect their children, they should also realize that vaccination is protecting everyone's children.