Hot topic: Vaccinations Rural Ramblings
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends vaccination coverage of a population should be 95 per cent. Vaccinations are a proven method of stopping some of the nastier diseases in their tracks. They are also a source of controversy about side affects too. I’ve read that no vaccine is 100 per cent safe but that the risks are miniscule compared to the damage from the disease.
In France, diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis were compulsory now eight more from January 1, 2018, including whooping cough, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella have been included. The move by the French government is similar to the Italian government’s. In both cases nonvaccinated children will be excluded from state schools.
I’ve also read that in a recent study in France less than 30 per cent of respondents trusted vaccines. I guess a lot of that comes from the furore around the MMR (measles, mumps rubella) vaccine. Taking the discredited autism study aside there is the low risk of unpleasant and worse sometimes, side affects.
I understand why nation states wish to raise the levels of immunity but I’m uncomfortable with vaccination being mandatory. I would much prefer to see a logical approach around education and risk assessment making it an informed choice as to what we put in our own or our children’s bodies. Sure, if there is an outbreak of something serious then unvaccinated children could be pulled from school rather than excluded.
When I was growing up in the late 50s and early 60s there was a polio vaccination but not much else. Getting measles, mumps, chicken pox and more was likely a matter of when rather than if. I had them all. Yay. I think mumps in my late teens was the worst. Gee that hurt.
What does concern me is that by using combination vaccinations we may be running the risk of over vaccinating when it’s not necessary. Vaccinations are big business for pharmaceutical companies. For example, need a tetanus, you’ll likely get a whooping cough vaccination and diphtheria combination too whether you need it or not. I recall a time when vaccinations were stand alone shots. In fact, I think stand alone shots would appeal more to people that were wavering on the side of not having a shot at all.
Immunisation is not mandatory in Canada because of the constitution. Ontario and New Brunswick require certain shots for school attendance. I guess authorities battling to up the immunisation rate, aside from the nay sayers that will never give in, need to build the T word, trust, in the rest.
When it comes to flu shots, the WHO must make a judgment call on the strains to protect against months in advance and doesn’t always, some might say often, get it right. Once again, mainstream media are predicting a miserable flu season for 2017-2018 with the vaccine effectiveness being low.
If you want a radical idea for discussion, how about shutting schools and daycares longer over the Christmas holidays? Break the infection cycle because I’m betting that’s where most of it comes from. From an observational point of view my own children are healthy in the holidays and were always healthy when we home schooled. Just putting it out there folks.