Do Adult Vaccines Protect From Illness?
Sixteen Adult Vaccines Risk vs. Benefits
There is nothing on Earth more controversial than vaccines. Ever since that historic day in May 1796 when Edward Jenner gave a young girl the first vaccine, the cowpox virus that prevented her from getting smallpox, entire populations have been polarized over the use of vaccines. Few have not taken sides. Some say vaccines are the cause of illnesses of all types: autism, neuropathy, asthma, and so forth. While others say they do no harm at all and only help prevent disease. The debate is even more heated when the government forces people to get vaccines they don’t want.
The use of vaccines to prevent illness got a slow start. Louis Pasteur was born about the time Edward Jenner died. It wasn’t until 1885 that Pasteur vaccinated a 9 year old boy bitten by a rabid dog with the first rabies vaccination. Since that time, many new vaccines have been developed to protect people from multiple illnesses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends 49 doses of 14 different vaccines before the age of six. This does not include other vaccinations that are available for travel to other countries.
At this time, the medical evidence should tilt the balance of the debate towards the government allowing parents and individuals to make their own decisions and those for their children.
The fact is there are risks to vaccinations. It’s important to be informed of these in order to make a decision. The big question on everybody’s lips is: “Which vaccines should I get, and when?”
It’s hard to know whom to trust when manufacturers use government to force vaccines on the entire population. Today, it seems that the public health establishment is obsessed with developing vaccines against every conceivable microorganism, and these government programs are bent to include everyone, every child, and every infant in the immunization loop.
Herd Immunity
In California, and now all over the United States, representatives of those who sell vaccines are talking about a concept called “herd immunity.” This is the theory that if a certain percentage of the population has vaccinations, then they won’t spread the illness, and the whole society is protected.
Literature from those who market vaccines to the public often state that if most of a population are immune to a disease, then it protects those who aren’t vaccinated. This causes peer-pressure to get vaccinated. As a result, schools, friends, and neighbors may not allow unvaccinated children around, believing that they could pass diseases. This theory, however, has been disproved. Russell Blaylock, MD, a neurosurgeon, explains the situation.[1]
“When I was in medical school, we were taught that all of the childhood vaccines lasted a lifetime. This thinking existed for over 70 years. It was not until relatively recently that it was discovered that most of these vaccines lost their effectiveness 2 to 10 years after being given. What this means is that at least half the population, that is the baby boomers, have had no vaccine-induced immunity against any of these diseases for which they had been vaccinated very early in life. In essence, at least 50% or more of the population was unprotected for decades.
If we listen to present-day wisdom, we are all at risk of resurgent massive epidemics should the vaccination rate fall below 95%. Yet, we have all lived for at least 30 to 40 years with 50% or less of the population having vaccine protection. That is, herd immunity has not existed in this country for many decades and no resurgent epidemics have occurred. Vaccine-induced herd immunity is a lie used to frighten doctors, public-health officials, other medical personnel, and the public into accepting vaccinations.”
Herd immunity is a myth that won’t go away because it is the only way to justify forced vaccination for an entire population.
Natural Vaccination
The creation of a vaccine may also induce the need for it. The chickenpox vaccine nicely illustrates the difference between natural immunity and vaccine immunity.
When I was a child, my friend Tony down the street got the chickenpox and my mom brought us over to play with him. We didn’t usually play at Tony’s house. I thought it was funny that other children of the neighborhood came over as well. It was like a party! That was the only time I went inside his house. Within a few days, I also had red spots, and itching. I remember crying because my mom told me not to scratch. Obviously, I wasn’t very obedient because I still have a scar on my face.
Immunity wanes over time, whether you get the chickenpox or you get the vaccine. However, when children get chickenpox, the adults around them get “vaccinated” by exposure, giving them a natural booster. These periodic “re-vaccinations” throughout life from children and grandchildren keep up the immunity of most of the population. So, a single childhood illness provides “lifetime immunity.”
Now, however, children are vaccinated against chickenpox. Thus, the adults around them don’t have any natural booster for their own immunity. As a result, the rate of shingles, a secondary type of chickenpox, has skyrocketed in recent years.
The vaccine manufacturer has conveniently created the need for a shingles vaccine, which is the exact same thing as the chickenpox vaccine, only 100 times stronger.
Achieving Herd Immunity
Besides this, there are really several reasons for outbreaks of diseases in populations that have been “fully vaccinated” against them.
- Many don’t respond to the vaccine
- Antibodies decline rapidly in some
- “Booster” vaccinations don’t always cause more antibodies
All these factors combined, approximately 50% of people are protected following a vaccine, depending on the illness. This explains why nobody has ever achieved the 95% threshold that is theoretically needed to achieve “herd immunity” that prevents outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Vaccine Effectiveness
There has always been a question of the effect vaccines have had on the rates of disease. We are told that vaccines have been the cause of a drop in rates of infections in the world population. Actually, there is probably a modest effect at best, as illustrated by the following graph, which gives us the big picture of multiple infectious diseases.
We can see that these common illnesses were declining throughout the early part of the 20th century, whether they had a vaccine or not. This is attributable to multiple factors including:
- Cleaner streets that were no longer filled with dung because people began driving cars.
- Cleaner water with good sewage treatment.
- Cleaner food due to refrigeration.
Thus, an effective vaccine in 1900 meant a lot more to a population than it does since 1950.
Adult Vaccine Risks vs. Benefits
Now, with all of this information, are you ready to make decisions on which vaccines to get, and when? Probably not. Does this mean that vaccines are not useful? Not at all!
In my office we have a travel clinic where we carry most vaccines, even ones that other doctors never see such as Japanese Encephalitis and Yellow Fever. Because of this, I need to know which vaccines are appropriate for each person and pass this information to inform my patients on which they desire.
Here I will provide you the significant risk of complications – and benefits if present – of each adult vaccine. You should have a choice in what substances are injected into your body – at any age. And, to be perfectly clear, it should be the government’s job to protect that choice – not take it away! Don’t let a physician push any immunization on you to comply with the CDC’s recommendation for adult vaccination before you know the risks! Here is what to expect.
Yellow Fever
Of all the vaccines available, only Yellow Fever is required for travel to certain tropical areas of Africa and South America. However, this well-studied vaccine has limitations. It doesn’t work well in younger children and older adults, and can cause serious side-effects. Some countries require an international record of vaccination with an official seal in order to enter the country if you have been in a country that has Yellow Fever. This is thought to prevent the spread of Yellow Fever to the countries that don’t have it. However, mosquitos spread Yellow Fever so the other way to prevent this illness is to avoid mosquito bites.
Hepatitis B
Many believe Hepatitis B should not be given to infants at large. The illness is easily controlled now that we have a good test for it. It cannot be spread by casual contact; it requires blood or body fluid contact. Thus, I tell people who are traveling to areas where Hepatitis B is common that the alternative to the vaccine is to avoid risky behavior such as:
- Doing things that may cause severe injuries requiring blood transfusion
- Having sexual relations with the local population
- Sharing needles with others
Many can opt-out of this vaccination if they are at low risk for such things.
The Flu Shot
The local hospital in Santa Barbara has a program that is common around the country. They require every employee to have a flu shot. If they can’t because of allergy to the vaccine, for example, then that employee is required to wear a mask while at work. These programs are meant to force people into getting a vaccine that doesn’t work. The effectiveness of the flu vaccine every year is questionable, at best.[2] Every year we get the same story: “This year the flu vaccine didn’t work, but next year we’ll get it right.”[3]
I used to carry the vaccine for influenza as part of the travel clinic, and provided it to those who desired it. But now I don’t because the risks clearly outweigh the benefits. What’s more, after seeing two people contract Guillain-Barre Syndrome and another with seizures after a flu vaccine, I looked into alternatives to the flu shot.
Clearly, the best alternative is to take high doses of vitamin D during the flu season. In fact, it has been found that the “flu season” happens because there is less sunshine during the winter, and thus people create less vitamin D.[4]
My patients get 50,000 IU of vitamin D per week during the flu season.
Hepatitis A, Polio, and Typhoid Fever
Even though these are not related, and don’t come together, they have similar modes of transmission. These infectious diseases primarily come from an unclean food and water supply. There is no transmission of these illnesses in treated water (added chlorine). So, reserve these vaccinations for travel to areas where the water supply isn’t clean.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
These viruses do have a small chance of causing problems in adults, and the vaccine may help prevent complications. I usually recommend it for those going into puberty if they don’t already have immunity. A simple blood test will determine the immune status.
Pneumonia
The CDC recommends adults get a pneumococcal vaccine to prevent pneumonia, but that isn’t what it does. Of the 90 strains of streptococcus pneumoniae, the vaccines may only protect against 7, 13, and now 23.[5] The FDA didn’t originally license the vaccine for pneumonia or ear infections, the two illnesses for which it is marketed. It is really only for those who have no spleen to prevent the bacteria from getting in the blood. In any case, the risks of the vaccine clearly outweigh the benefits so I don’t recommend it for anyone.
Shingles
This vaccine is a strong chickenpox vaccine, as discussed above. The actual statistics are a 50% reduction of the shingles in three years after getting the vaccine. The absolute numbers are not as nice. The risk of shingles in any given year is about 1 in 600 so the vaccine will reduce your risk to 1 in 300 for about 3 years.[6] But, since the risks of the vaccine are small I leave this to the individual. Those who are worried about shingles may want to get it. Remember, because children are now getting the chickenpox shot you may not be getting “boosters” from them.
Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus (DTaP)
The tetanus shot is actually useful and low risk. The benefits clearly outweigh the risks. Tetanus can happen from any deep wound; it doesn’t require a “rusty nail,” and the organism is found worldwide. I recommend a dose in childhood about the time children begin to walk, and a booster every ten years. Another option is to have the initial vaccine, and then if there are any deep wounds to give the booster within two days of the injury. The other two parts of the vaccine are questionable, as noted above in the graph, but are no longer available separately.
Meningococcal Meningitis
Currently there is a lot of press about meningitis on college campuses. However, the statistics for the vaccine aren’t great. According to the CDC, “A retrospective cohort study conducted over 5 years (1992–1997) indicated that the overall incidence of meningococcal disease among college students was similar to that among the U.S. population of persons the same age. However, rates of disease among students living in dormitories were somewhat higher than rates among students living off campus (3.2/100,000 and 1.0/100,000, respectively — over 5 years).”[7]
The decline in incidence of Meningococcal meningitis in the 1990s was general among all types, not just the ones in the vaccine. The vaccine doesn’t cover the most common cause of meningitis in infants, type B. Moreover, college students who had the vaccine also got the disease at a similar rate as those who didn’t, and the death rate didn’t change, about 10%.[8] The vaccines aren’t very effective. In this case, the risks outweigh the benefits of vaccination so I don’t recommend it.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
For those who are concerned about cervical cancer there are two vaccines against the virus known to cause it, or at least some of the strains. This is important because the vaccine itself has caused the less important strains to flourish, while those contained in the vaccine are declining.
The research on these vaccines indicate that, “In 2007-2010, the overall prevalence of HPV was 50 percent in the vaccinated girls (14-19 years), but only 38.6 percent in the unvaccinated girls of the same age. Therefore, HPV prevalence dropped 27.3 percent in the unvaccinated girls, but only declined by 5.8 percent in the vaccinated group. In four out of five different measures, the unvaccinated girls had a lower incidence of HPV.”[9]
In other words, those who had the vaccine had more HPV than those who didn’t. There are many other problems with this vaccine, including increased cancer, so I don’t recommend it. The best protection, in fact 100%, against HPV and cervical cancer is to remain chaste, marry a virgin, and stay together for life.
Clearly there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to vaccinating adult or children. I am in favor of true, complete informed consent, which means a person hears the full spectrum of pros and cons regarding a medical option and then is given the choice to refuse. If you know the risks and benefits of each, you can make an informed decision and apply the correct principles to your individual situation. It’s also essential that you search for good information, ask for absolute numbers and analyze them yourself. Most of the immunization information given to the general public is incomplete and even deceptive. Information stimulates discussion. Vaccination needs to be questioned and debated. There are too many “sins of omission and commission” in the continual war over vaccines.
Vaccines may cause more harm to the health of the individual than the “protection” and “benefit” they purportedly provide. Take the time to investigate the potential risk of vaccines before being forced to make that “on-the-spot decision” of whether or not to vaccinate, knowing that with additional information you would have chosen differently.
What do you think? Are vaccine-preventable diseases really a threat for adults?
Sources:
[1] http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2012/02/18/the-deadly-impossibility-of-herd-immunity-through-vaccination-by-dr-russell-blaylock/
[2] Ohmit SE, Petrie JG, Malosh RE, et al. Influenza Effectiveness in the Community and the Household. Clinical Infectious Diseases Feb. 14, 2013.
[3] http://abcnews.go.com/Health/flu-years-vaccine-worse-thought/story?id=28249130
[4] http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20090223/low-vitamin-d-levels-linked-to-colds
[5] http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_pneumococcal_vaccines.asp
[6] http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/overview.html
[7] http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5407a1.htm
[8] http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mening.pdf
[9] http://www.theonc.org/author.asp?section_id=2414
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