WASHINGTON — World Immunization week is underway in an effort to increase awareness of the importance of immunizations, but it comes in the midst of questions as to whether suspected hazards outweigh benefits.
Many Americans take the inoculations for granted, and at times are faced with a mandate to vaccinate. Some other countries need them, but can’t acquire them.
Most required vaccinations in the U.S. are administered to infants, although there is a growing move to give more vaccines to adults as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control, babies born in the U.S. need to be immunized before age two against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases. These diseases include, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella, rotavirus, mumps, and more.
But giving all kids the vaccines is a growing source of controversy.
“I always felt that vaccinations should be presented to parents as an elective procedure,” said Dr. Janet Levatin, a pediatrician since 1982. “It is not like the baby is bleeding right now and needs immediate treatment. It is more the idea that we are providing something up front to prevent disease. Parents should have choice about this.”
In a telephone interview, Levatin said she began questioning vaccines when she saw three babies died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in the 1980s within 24 hours of being vaccinated for standard immunizations. There is no vaccine for SIDS.
Levatin is a graduate of George Washington University Medical School and a board certified pediatrician. A doctor for more than 30 years, she practices at the Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center in suburban Cleveland.
Levatin mentioned the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act that eliminated the financial liability of pharmaceutical companies.
“Pharma companies don’t have liability,” Levatin said. “If you couldn’t sue car manufacturers when your brakes failed, and their cars were causing crashes and deaths, what would be their incentive to make sure that brakes worked well in all cars?” she asked. “They wouldn’t have an incentive if they couldn’t be sued. The same dynamic is going on with pharma companies. It is a fact that vaccines have potential for side effects ranging form mild to very serious, yet the companies producing them are not held accountable.”
Although some skeptics choose to decline vaccines in the U.S., globally, there are countries that need them desperately but can’t afford them. Dr. Ciro de Quadros, executive director of the Sabin Institute in Washington, explained that the greatest need is among middle-income countries.
“The low-income countries have the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI),” which subsidizes the vaccines so that low-income countries can afford them, Quadros explained. “But the middle income-countries do not have access to this mechanism so then it becomes more difficult now to introduce the new vaccines that have a higher cost than traditional vaccines.”
Quadros said that middle-income countries are having trouble introducing new vaccines like HPV, rotavirus.
The Sabin Institute has worked with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and others for 20 years to bring vaccinations to developing countries.
Nevertheless, there are still countries, communities and individuals who do not trust mandated vaccines. And Dr. Quadros, said that there will always be those who opt out of immunizations.
“This, I don’t think [anti-vaccine positions] will ever disappear you know, but so far with very few exceptions that we’ve had in the literature, it has not been a major impediment for the control the spread of preventable diseases.”
Anti-vaccine sentiment in the United States has been reported to be the cause of recent outbreaks – whooping cough in Massachusetts; measles in Texas, California, and New York. Statistics, however, show that of some recent outbreaks, the majority of those infected were vaccinated according to recommendations.
World Immunization Week, sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, has the goal of increasing awareness about the importance of vaccines. “It’s a thing that brings attention to the politicians, decision makers and developing partners of the importance of vaccinations.” Quadros said.
Friday, the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, Sabin institute, WHO and PAHO will join at the Scientific Symposium in Washington to collaborate on steps to bring the necessary vaccines to middle income countries around the world.