(75) MYTHS AND REALITIES OF VACCINES / Rodrigo Restrepo G
Vaccination Week in the Americas is a strategy designed to increase the coverage of routine immunization programs and support a culture of self, understood not only as a duty but also our right as human beings to access shares prevention of specific diseases for with available technological developments prevention through immunization or vaccination.
The Theme for the day of the year 2011, to be held from 23 to 30 April is: "Vaccine for your family, protect your community" , which has an important message not only individual responsibility and family, but transcends the constitutional right of the community health care. We are all responsible for everyone. Diseases know no borders of countries, departments, municipalities, communes, districts ... We care for our families and ensure that our neighbors also take care of their health and of its neighbors.
occasion of collective citizen fears and misinformation which the unscrupulous are taking advantage of the Web, have generated a series of myths about vaccines, but not created, they hurt immunization programs of countries, with the consequent reduction in coverage and the increase in children and adults susceptible to serious diseases preventable by vaccination. Annex here ten of these myths, obtained from the website of the World Health Organization:
"Myth 1 . Better hygiene and sanitation will cause the diseases disappear - vaccines are not necessary.
Reality. diseases against which vaccines are available reemerge if vaccination programs stopped. keep
Although improved hygiene, hand washing and consumption of clean water can protect people against diseases such as influenza and cholera, most viruses spread no matter how clean we . If people are not vaccinated, re-emerge quickly called old diseases such as measles, for example.
Myth 2. Most people who contract vaccine-preventable diseases are actually vaccinated.
Reality. Most people who have had a vaccine-preventable disease were not vaccinated.
Due to the complexity of the immune system in humans, no vaccine offers 100% protection, but the persistent myth is also based on the fact that the actual state of immunization is not always recorded correctly and numbers can be manipulated. Over 90% of measles cases reported in 2009 had received less than the recommended two doses of measles vaccine.
Myth 3. The vaccines produce more damage and long-term side effects are still unknown. Vaccination may even be fatal.
Reality. vaccines have side effects, but none are as severe as the diseases themselves.
All medical treatments, including vaccination, can have side effects. But pain, low fever, and the very rare serious side effects should be weighed against the consequences of suffering a vaccine-preventable disease. In the case of polio, these consequences can include paralysis, the Measles can cause encephalitis and blindness, and vaccine-preventable diseases can even cause death.
Myth 4. Combined vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio vaccine cause sudden infant death syndrome in infants.
Reality. There is no documented correlation between vaccines and sudden infant death syndrome infant.
These vaccines are administered in a time when babies can suffer sudden death syndrome (SIDS, for its acronym in English - sudden infant death syndrome ), But there is a correlation documented. However, these four diseases are potentially fatal and babies are not vaccinated against them at serious risk.
Myth 5. As vaccine-preventable diseases are virtually eradicated in America, there is no reason to be vaccinated.
Reality. vaccine-preventable diseases still exist in America.
Since the proportion of people vaccinated is under 95% in many Latin American countries, these diseases can quickly re-emerge in countries where they were already rare.
In Western Europe, for example, since 2005 there have been outbreaks of measles in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Britain. In 2009, over 82% of measles cases occurred in the western part of Europe.
Myth 6. Vaccine-preventable diseases of childhood are just an unfortunate fact of life.
Reality. childhood diseases are serious and can lead to severe complications in both children and adults.
Diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella are called diseases of children because they often affect children. They are not harmless and can lead to serious complications, including congenital rubella syndrome in the case of rubella, and death.
Myth 7. Giving a child more than one vaccine at a time can increase the risk of harmful side effects that can overload the child's immune system.
Reality. The child's immune system manages several hundred foreign bodies every day and can easily handle the multiple vaccines given at one time.
Antibodies are proteins designed to recognize harmful invasions. Antigen / antibody to which a child is exposed through vaccination regimes are insignificant compared to a child is exposed every day or when you have a cold or sore throat.
Myth 8. The flu is just a nuisance.
Reality. Influenza or flu is a serious disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide every year.
The disease is extremely dangerous for young children to older people with losses of health and anyone with lung disease and / or cardiovascular disease. In addition, people without protection can be transmitting a virus to at-risk groups such as hospitalized patients or residents of nursing homes, which may even lead to death.
Myth 9. The vaccine against influenza or flu is not very effective.
Reality. flu vaccine or flu protects 70% of those vaccinated.
Although vaccines, the flu causes many people to not go to work or school, which can lead to the belief that the vaccine is not effective. In fact, a wide range of viruses can cause symptoms similar to flu, which lead people to think they had flu. Additionally, many strains of influenza circulating during each flu season and the vaccine only provides immunity for the three most prevalent strains.
Myth 10. It is best to be immunized with the disease through vaccination.
Reality. provide vaccines to the immune system enough knowledge to fight an invading virus and may prevent serious complications and death.
diseases the immune system provide information more detailed shots. The immune system needs only a certain amount of information to recognize an invading organism, however, vaccines are fully capable of providing this information to ensure long-term immunity.
free translation and adaptation: Rodrigo Restrepo González