Vaccination: Undoing the Damage that has Been Done

In our discussion about global healthcare, we talked in depth about the incredible effect that widespread vaccination has had on getting rid of some diseases, and on lessening the burden of others. I was amazed to learn that, in a short 13 years, between 1967 and 1980, a campaign was able successfully eradicated smallpox. It really made me think about what kinds of things can be accomplished if countries work together and are willing to put money into a cause. But it also made me angry, because it made me think about how, despite the presence of these wonderful medical resources, people are still getting preventable illnesses due to fears about vaccination. The fact that cases of diseases like measles and whooping cough are reappearing is horrifying to me. Here we are, one of the most developed countries in the world, battling against diseases that we know exactly how to prevent. It made me feel embarrassed. However, I also wanted to try to understand why this was happening. Why were people so quick to believe the opinions of a few, rather than the overwhelming body of evidence?

               Before taking this class, I knew nothing about Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor who was responsible for falsely claiming that vaccines were unsafe and may cause autism. Up till this point, the extent of my knowledge was that controversy over vaccines and autism had come from Jenny McCarthy.  It makes sense to me that reading something like this, written by a doctor, could certainly shake the faith of British citizens, and, in turn, Americans too. Also, it was pointed out in the article from the Lancet that after Dr. Wakefield came out with this story, large amounts of upsetting anecdotal evidence from parents emerged. There were many parents, I’m sure, who had autistic children and now felt as though they could have an answer to their child’s condition. Doctors are widely known as people that can be trusted- for parents, they are the authorities on the health of their children. I can understand why hearing this could be very jarring. What I can’t comprehend is why this is still an issue. Evidence came out showing that the data in Dr. Wakefield’s paper was falsified. Huge amounts of evidence have come out since disproving his hypothesis. I understand that parents are worried about their children, but the risk of having a child who gets sick from a preventable illness is also scary, and much more real.

               The only conclusion that I can come to is that there is still a lack of understanding about the safety of vaccines, and a general suspicion for the health care industry, for various reasons.While I still don’t completely understand why the anti-vaccination movement has spread as far as it has, I am sure of one thing. As a future health care professional, I believe that it is my job to help educate Americans about vaccinations. Recent trends are very scary, and if they continue, diseases that have thought we would never need to worry about could come back. I understand that not all people have open minds, but if all pharmacists play a role in education, perhaps we can play a part in stopping this dangerous trend once and for all.