Six myths about vaccination and why they’re wrong

Six myths about vaccination and why they’re wrong. 

Vaccines are one of the most effective public health measures ever introduced.

Recently released government figures show levels of childhood vaccination have fallen to dangerously low levels in some areas of Australia, resulting in some corners of the media claiming re-ignition of “the vaccine debate”.

Well, scientifically, there’s no debate. In combination with clean water and sanitation, vaccines are one of the most effective public health measures ever introduced, saving millions of lives every year.

Those who claim there is a “debate” will cite a series of canards designed to scare people away from vaccinating, but, if you’re not familiar with their claims, you could easily be convinced by anti-vaccine rhetoric.

So what is true and what is not?

Let’s address just a few of the common vaccine myths and explain why they’re wrong.

1. Vaccines cause autism

The myth that vaccines are somehow linked to autism is an unsinkable rubber duck. Initiated in 1998 following the publication of the now notorious Lancet paper, (not-a-Dr) Andrew Wakefield was the first to suggest that the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine might be linked to autism.

What he didn’t reveal was that he had multiple conflicts of interest including that he was being paid by lawyers assembling a class action against the manufacturers of MMR, and that he himself had submitted an application for a patent for a single measles vaccine.

It eventually unravelled for Wakefield when the paper wasretracted in 2010. He was struck from the medical register for behavior classified as “dishonest, unethical and callous” and the British Medical Journal accused him of deliberate fraud.

But once the idea was floated, scientists were compelled to investigate, particularly when it stood to impact public health so dramatically. One of the most powerful pieces of evidenceto show that there is no link between vaccines and autism comes from Japan where the MMR was replaced with single vaccines mid-1993. Guess what happened? Autism continued to rise.

We currently don’t know what causes autism.
But we do know what doesn’t: vaccines.

After this door closed, anti-vaxers shifted the blame to thiomersal, a mercury-containing component (not be confused with the scary type that accumulates in the body). Small amounts of thiomersal were used as a preservative in some vaccines, but this never included MMR.

Thiomersal or ethyl-mercury was removed from all scheduled childhood vaccines in 2000, so if it were contributing to rising cases of autism, you would expect a dramatic drop following its removal. Instead, like the MMR in Japan, the opposite happened, and autism continues to rise.

Further evidence comes from a recently published exhaustive review examining 12,000 research articles covering eight different vaccines which also concluded there was no link between vaccines and autism.

Yet the myth persists and probably for several reasons, one being that the time of diagnosis for autism coincides with kids receiving several vaccinations and also, we currently don’t know what causes autism. But we do know what doesn’t, and that’s vaccines.

2. Smallpox and polio have disappeared so there’s no need to vaccinate anymore

It’s precisely because of vaccines that diseases such as smallpox have disappeared.

India recently experienced two years without a single case of polio because of a concerted vaccination campaign.

Australia was declared measles-free in 2005 by the World Health Organization (WHO) – before we stopped being so vigilant about vaccinating and outbreaks began to reappear.

The impact of vaccine complacency can be observed in the current measles epidemic in Wales where there are now over 800 cases and one death, and many people presenting are of the age who missed out on MMR vaccination following the Wakefield scare.

In many ways, vaccines are a victim of their own success, leading us to forget just how debilitating preventable diseases can be – not seeing kids in calipers or hospital wards full of iron lungs means we forget just how serious these diseases can be.

3. More vaccinated people get the disease than the unvaccinated

Although this sounds counter-intuitive, it’s actually true, but it doesn’t mean that vaccines don’t work as anti-vaxers will conflate. Remember that no vaccine is 100% effective and vaccines are not a force field. So while it’s still possible to get the disease you’ve been vaccinated against, disease severity and duration will be reduced.

Those who are vaccinated have fewer
complications than people who aren’t.

With pertussis (whooping cough), for example, severecomplications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (brain inflammation) occur almost exclusively in the unvaccinated.

So since the majority of the population is vaccinated, it follows that most people who get a particular disease will be vaccinated, but critically, they will suffer fewer complications and long-term effects than those who are completely unprotected.

4. My unvaccinated child should be of no concern to your vaccinated one

Vaccination is not just a personal issue, it’s a community responsibility, largely because of a concept known as “community immunity”. This describes a level of vaccination that prevents epidemics or outbreaks from taking hold and spreading.

Some people question the validity of this concept, sometimes referred to as herd immunity, but the impact of it breaking down can be easily observed in places where vaccination levels fall dangerously low – take the current measlesoutbreak in Wales, for example.

The other important factor about community immunity is it protects those who, for whatever reason, can’t be vaccinated or are not fully vaccinated. This includes very young children, immunocompromised people (such as cancer sufferers) and elderly people.

5. Vaccines contain toxins

A cursory search of Google for vaccine ingredients pulls up a mishmash of scary-sounding ingredients that to the uninitiated can sound like “franken-science”.

A pear has 600 times more formaldehyde than a vaccine.

Some of these claims are patently untrue (there is no anti-freeze in vaccines), or are simple scaremongering (aborted foetuses – in the 1960s some cells were extracted from a foetus to establish a cell line that is still used in labs today). Some of the claimed chemicals (and remember everything is made of chemicals) are present, but are at such low levels as to never reach toxicity.

The simple thing to remember is the poison is in the dose – in high enough doses even water can kill you. And there’s 600 times more formaldehyde in a pear than a vaccine.

Also, if you ever read the claim that “vaccines are injected directly into the blood stream” (they’re not), be skeptical of any other claims made.

6. Vaccines will overwhelm kids’ undeveloped immune systems

The concept of “too many too soon” was recently examined in a detailed analysis of the US childhood immunisation schedule by The Institute of Medicine. Experts specifically looked for evidence that vaccination was linked to “autoimmune diseases, asthma, hypersensitivity, seizures, child developmental disorders, learning or developmental disorders, or attention deficit or disruptive disorders”, including autism. The researchers confirmed that the childhood vaccination schedule was safe.

The amount of immune challenges that children fight every day (between 2,000 to 6,000) in the environment is significantly greater than the number of antigens or reactive particles in all their vaccinations combined (about 150 for the entire vaccination schedule).

So the next time you hear these myths about vaccination, hopefully you’ll have some evidence up your sleeve to debunk them.

You can find this article here.

First 6 Weeks After Baby

Today is 6 weeks since the birth of my second child! It has inspired me to sum a few things. Once you have give birth you're filled with excitement. After about 40 weeks of waiting (which felt like it was never going to end) you get to hold this wonderful little miracle in your arms and imagine that picture perfect image in your head of you and your partner smiling down at baby in awe. Well, after a few hours the real "fun" begins.

Breastfeeding

Once you have baby you get to start the loving journey of breastfeeding. You look down if you're a first time mom and panic a little bit sometimes. What do I do, do I just put my boob in his/her mouth? Is she/he breathing?! Am I doing it right?! With the help of a good (I don't mean OK, I mean damn good!) lactation consultant, you can have all your questions answered. Just ask the hospital or birthing center to have them pop by your room ASAP to ease your worries. They can show you how to get baby to properly latch on, show you a few positions that will work for you (C section moms can try football clutch to avoid pressure on their incision), and they can show you how to hand express some colostrum. They can also bring you a breastpump if you need and show you how to use it as well. Getting into a good routine is very important. 

The first few weeks really are the hardest and as long as you stay calm, try to drink a lot of water (like 8 ounces before every feeding), and get as much rest as you can, then you CAN be successful at it. Once you get baby latching on well you may notice after a few weeks (maybe even up to the first month) that your nipples are toughening up. The first days you may experience cracked, sore, even bleeding nipples. Don't be discouraged! Breastfeeding should not feel painful while the baby is nursing, if it does then simply remove baby by sliding your pinky into the corner of their mouth and breaking the suction. Then readjust and get baby back on. Sometimes it takes a few (or several tries) to get the baby to latch on and stay on. You can start feeling nervous like you're not doing it right or worried. Just take a deep breath and relax. This happens to all mothers. Your new baby is learning to eat for the first time just as you are learning to breastfeed for the first time. Neither one of you are pros at it, even if it's your second or third child! Until your nipples "toughen up" you will notice that anything touching them can HURT! Getting out of the shower and using a towel, OW! Even the shower pressure can hurt! Breast pads rubbing inside your nursing bra, OW! Wearing a bra in general... OUCH! It's going to pass. It may last a few weeks but WILL go away! I also recommend using Bamboobies washable nursing pads. The disposables can lead to thrush which is like a yeast infection in your baby's mouth and on your boob! EXTREMELY PAINFUL and requires medical attention and antibiotics. Remember to change nursing or breast pads often to avoid thrush and no one wants to walk around with wet boobies all day.

For more on breastfeeding please see my other post "Breastfeeding 101" on my blog.

Baby Formula

Some mothers choose not to breastfeed or think that they can't. If they don't want to be pressured into it that's fine. Just make sure you let the doctors, nurses, and your spouse know what your feeding plans are for the baby and that you want to stick to it! When baby is born, usually a feeding is offered at about 15 mL to see how much the baby will take. Usually a routine is established by spacing out babies feeding every 2-3 hours the first few days. If baby's been sleeping for 3 hours and you don't want to wake them up to feed ask your partner to do the next feeding so that you can rest. Nurses in the hospital will give you a chart to monitor how many wet/poopy diapers baby is making and to track the times of the feeding with the amount given. Your baby's doctor will help you to determine how much formula to give at each feeding and how often. You DO NOT want to give baby too much formula. Eating to the point where they are turning their heads away, spitting up, or falling asleep is NOT a good thing. Each time they eat until the point in which they are full, they are expanding their tiny little stomaches beyond what it can hold. Another sign that baby is full is taking too long to finish a bottle. Many parents think I poured X amount into the bottle and baby needs to drink the whole thing. This is NOT correct. Baby may not be fully hungry or it may just be too much at that time. Let the baby drink until you notice the suckling slow down drastically. If baby begins to give long sighs between swallows, that may be another sign that they are finished with that feeding. Just because you pour 2 oz DOES NOT mean baby will drink it all and that is perfect OK! Also, if baby doesn't finish all the milk in the bottle, DO NOT save it. You must pour it out and give a fresh bottle at each feeding.

Sleep when baby sleeps

We've all heard that. As I first (and second time) mother I kind of shrug it off... A LOT! Then I regret it later. When baby is sleeping my first thoughts are "Now I can shower, let's wash baby clothes/bedding/blankets/everything that's pooped or spit on, or let me just cook and eat something "real quick." Pretty much every time I go to do these things I feel like kicking myself shortly afterwards. The main reason is that after having a baby YOU NEED REST! It's no joke, you are tired, a little slower than usual, and sometimes really sore! Your body as just gone through something that is has never experienced before (unless you have more than one child) and needs time to recover.

Especially mothers who have had C sections. Over doing it, ANYTHING really can cause you to pop your stitches and that can be VERY dangerous. If you have had a C section you can't drive, lift anything besides your baby (which even I could barely do), or vacuum. Yes, vacuum random I know but the movement really works your midsection and can cause some serious damage. Try to have your spouse take off the first two weeks after baby or have another family member assist you during that time. Every time you finish a feeding just try to sleep a little. Don't worry about the dishes, what's for dinner, the laundry, or how untidy the house is. You just had a baby and it's perfectly FINE! No one makes rude comments to a new mother about maintaining the home within the first few months even. If someone does... simply tell them that you're too focused on what's important (bonding with your baby) to care about such a simple task that isn't harming anyone. If they are uncomfortable, they can leave.

Visiting the new baby

"She had the baby?!?! I've got to go visit." Most non-parent girlfriends have this thought. Parents know that the new mom needs some time and it can wait a couple weeks or months. Especially this day in age. We have social media and they can see the baby through photos or video chat! I know I didn't want anyone breathing all over my precious little baby who was barely able to keep it's eyes open. If you do want friends and family to come visit, simply ask for them to bring a dish for dinner or pick up something for you and the spouse to eat. MOST people do this already but for those who haven't thought of it, it's not rude. I would pretty much DEMAND it. "Oh you'd like to come see the baby? Sure but bring a pizza (or KFC or something quick and easy! maybe even cookies since you know you won't be baking anytime soon)." Most friends do ask do you need anything? If you do, don't be afraid to say it! For a new mom you can forget to pick up all sorts of things. If you're friend/sister/mother wants to pick up some baby bottle nipples for pads for you don't be afraid to tell her you need them! If you are a little weird about asking just say "Would you mind picking me up XYZ and I promise you first picks when the newborn portraits come in!"

When you do have guests visiting you and your new little family, don't be offended if they start doing any of the following: cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, laundry (yes even your undies!), or dusting. They KNOW you don't have the time or energy for this and would do it if you could. Most moms just come and over and do it for you because they know that you would do the same, and will when they have their next child! Make sure to thank them endlessly and let them know that their help was greatly appreciated. Also, as a little side note: when you are healed... a great thank you is giving them freshly baked goods, a gift card to their favorite store or restaurant, or having them over for dinner.

Bleeding

Once you have the baby from that moment for the next [up to] 6 weeks, you have lochia. lochia is the vaginal discharge after giving birth (puerperium) containing blood, mucus, and uterian tissue. Lochia discharge typically continues for 4 to 6 weeks after childbirth. It is sterile for the first 2–3 days, but not so by the third or fourth day, as the uterus begins to be colonized by vaginal commensals such as non-hemolyticstreptococci and E. coli.

It progresses through three stages:

1. Lochia rubra (or cruenta) is the first discharge, red in color because of the large amount of blood it contains. It typically lasts no longer than 3 to 5 days after birth.
2. Lochia serosa is the term for lochia that has thinned and turned brownish or pink in color. It contains serous exudate, erythrocytes, leukocytes, and cervical mucus. This stage continues until around the tenth day after delivery. Lochia serosa which persists to some weeks after birth can indicate late postpartum hemorrhaging, and should be reported to a physician.
3. Lochia alba (or purulenta) is the name for lochia once it has turned whitish or yellowish-white. It typically lasts from the second through the third to sixth weeks after delivery. It contains fewer red blood cells and is mainly made up of leukocytes, epithelial cells, cholesterol, fat, and mucus. Continuation beyond a few weeks can indicate a genital lesion, which should be reported to a physician.

Now during this time it is recommended that you only used heavy flow pads. Well, I recommend ONLY using overnights with wings the entire time! Better safe than sorry. If you bleed too much it will go through all your clothing and no one wants that embarrassment. Also, some women bleed for less than 4 weeks and others all the way until their postpartum check up. Either way make sure you only use pads and NEVER tampons during this time. Once your periods resume (which is you are breastfeeding they may not return until you stop) then you may use tampons again. Doctors will also tell you to make sure to NOT have sex until at least 6 weeks after birth. You can get pregnant even if breastfeeding and once you attend your 6 week check up you can discuss birth control or planning your next child.

So you made it through the first 6 weeks after having your beautiful new baby. Now what?

Once you get the all clear from your 6 week check up, you can resume all normal activities. You can start exercising, resume all household chores, have sex, and if needed go back to work. I personally believe in spending that first year home with baby (or at least 6 months) but that's because I live in Canada and we have a year of maternity leave and our husbands get paternity leave as well (paid of course). Now you know some of the things to expect during the first six weeks after having a baby.