For or against vaccinations: Common misconceptions about vaccinations
The number of sceptical vaccination opponents is growing. Doctors and nurses are increasingly encountering patients who have reservations about or even downright fear of vaccinations for themselves or their children. While some choose not to vaccinate for religious or life-philosophical reasons, many others see the issue of vaccination as a government influence or even conspiracy.
In many cases, however, these reservations are based on inadequate or incorrect information. Here are the most common misconceptions about vaccination:
"Diseases were already on the decline due to better hygiene before vaccinations were introduced"
Among opponents of vaccination, this is a popular argument to show that vaccination is no longer necessary in the modern world. Although improvements in household hygiene, better nutrition and advances in medicine have contributed significantly to limiting or better surviving certain diseases, there is no doubt whatsoever that vaccinations have had, and even today continue to have, a direct impact on limiting certain diseases.
Over the past decades, vaccine-preventable diseases have shown a significant decrease after the introduction of vaccinations and an equally significant increase after the reduction of vaccinations due to public fears.
Statistics show that without vaccination, not only would these diseases not be reduced, but they would return.
"Most people who get sick have been vaccinated before".
This argument is often used to "prove" that vaccinations are not effective. To support the argument, statistics are misrepresented and the fact that no vaccination is 100% effective is exploited. Here is an example:
In a group of 1000 people, none of whom have had measles, there are 5 people who have not been vaccinated against measles. The remaining 995 are fully vaccinated. All 1000 people come into contact with the disease and each susceptible person becomes infected. All 5 unvaccinated persons become infected. Of the remaining 995, 1% become infected, or 9 people, because the vaccine is effective over 99%. To distort the statistics, one could say that among the 15 people who became ill, two-thirds were vaccinated and only one-third were unvaccinated.
In fact, however, 100% of the non-vaccinated people fell ill compared to 1% of the vaccinated people.
However, if not a single person had been vaccinated, there might have been up to 1000 sick people.
"Vaccinations cause severe side effects, deaths and long-term suffering".
Vaccinations are very safe and in some cases cause minor, temporary side effects such as fever and aching limbs. These side effects can usually be well controlled with paracetamol. Serious side effects occur so rarely that the risk rate cannot be accurately assessed. Every serious case after vaccination is investigated in detail to find out whether or to what extent the case was triggered by the vaccination.
"Vaccinations cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome".
The rumour that vaccinations may be responsible for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome stems from the fact that many infants who died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome were vaccinated relatively recently. This is not surprising, considering that several vaccinations are given in the first year of an infant's life.To justify the link between infant death and vaccinations in this way is as logical as claiming that bread causes car accidents, because the probability that an accident victim ate bread before the car accident is quite high.
"Vaccine-preventable diseases have been all but eradicated, so there is no need to get vaccinated"
It is true that vaccinations have significantly reduced the incidence of these diseases, and in many countries have even almost eliminated them. However, these diseases have by no means been reduced everywhere in the world. In fact, they are still prevalent in less developed countries.
People, whether vaccinated or not, who travel to such countries can become a carrier for the diseases and thus infect people in their own country who have not been vaccinated.
This means that by vaccinating, we not only protect ourselves, but also other people for whom vaccination is out of the question for health reasons. (Herd immunity)
"If a child receives several vaccinations at the same time, the immune system is overtaxed and the risk of side effects is increased"
Children are exposed to viruses and bacteria of all kinds every day. And that's important, because it's the only way the body develops its immune system. During colds and sore throats, for example, the body is exposed to up to 50 different defence substances.
Scientific studies have shown that administering several vaccines at the same time has no negative effect on health.
To avoid widespread misconceptions about vaccination, we must stop spreading false information.
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The bizarre world of vaccination opponents
(Source: who.int)
