PHOENIX — Most parents vaccinate their children, according to federal and state level statistics, but the number of personal belief exemptions — meaning the parents opting out of immunizing their children — are also on the rise in most states.
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, over the last four years, the personal exemption rate for students opting out of all vaccines has doubled, from 1.9% in 2015 to 4.0% in 2018.
With the variety of information, rumor, and theory related to vaccines being passed around, especially online, parents are more in need of clear guidance as they make vaccinations choices for their children.
Vaccine exemptions allowed in 18 states have caused hotspots for preventable, yet potentially deadly, diseases.
Arizona is one of those 18 states and according to a study, its largest county is the biggest hotspot. Nearly 3,000 Maricopa County kindergarten-aged children have non-medical exemptions to vaccinations, according to a 2018 study published in Public Library of Science journal.
If people do not get vaccinated, it could have a negative effect on herd immunity, a concept we rely on to protect mass communities, particularly vulnerable individuals, from disease. If a disease infects someone in a community where most people are not vaccinated, outbreaks will occur. Which is currently happening with measles in 22 states, Arizona included.
Fueling the movement against vaccinations are claims that the shots are unsafe for children. Three of the most widely spread beliefs that have been proven false are 1) vaccinations (those that contain thimerosal and the MMR vaccine, in particular) cause autism, 2) vaccinations can overload a baby’s immune system and 3) vaccinations have harmful ingredients.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other health officials, says none of those myths are true. The fact is, vaccinations do not cause autism. And a healthy baby’s immune system fights off more antigens in germs they encounter each day than are present in the vaccinations they receive.
It is true that some vaccines contain aluminum and formaldehyde, however, these are trace amounts that a healthy body is equipped to handle. In the case of aluminum, you come into contact with the metal on a greater level in foods than you do in a shot.
While vaccinations have been proven to be safe, it is easy to understand the worry some parents may have. New York registered nurse and infection preventionist Melody Anne Butler told NBC’s Lester Holt earlier this month that vaccinating is the norm but the voices of those who don’t vaccinate their children may be amplified more.
“They tend to go viral because a lot of their stories can be quite sad at times, or their points come across as very scary. It's a lot easier to scare someone than it is to unscare them,” Butler told Holt.
12 News wanted to help parents learn more about the facts related to vaccinating their children. Below is a guide to the myths and facts surrounding the top five vaccines.
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella. The CDC recommends children get one dose of the vaccine at 12 to 15 months old and then a second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. The two-dose vaccine is 97% effective against measles and 88% effective against mumps.
Myth: Measles isn’t that big of a deal
Fact: Measles is a very serious illness. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 people in the US who get measles will be hospitalized and about 2 out of 1,000 people with measles will die, even with the best care.
Measles is highly contagious. The CDC says a person can contract measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even up to two hours after that person has left.
Flu
While the flu is a common illness, it can be deadly. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccine every year.
Myth: The flu vaccine is useless because you can still get the flu even after getting vaccinated.
Fact: It is true that you can get sick with the flu even after you get vaccinated but getting a flu shot each year is not a waste. According to a 2017 study, the flu vaccine reduced deaths, intensive care unit admissions and hospital stays for hospitalized with the flu.
Myth: Getting the flu vaccine gives you the flu
Fact: The flu vaccine does not give you the flu. The most common flu vaccines are made from viruses that have been killed, meaning they are inactive and are not infectious. Even live flu vaccines (in the form of nasal spray) that are made with proteins from the virus are attenuated, meaning weakened, and cannot cause the flu.
This is not to say there are no side effects that can occur after getting a flu vaccine. Some people experience soreness or redness at the injection site and a low-grade fever after getting the shot. A runny nose and sore throat can be side effects from the nasal spray vaccine.
Tetanus
The CDC recommends children getting 5 doses of DTaP from 2 months old to 6 years old. The vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis—also known as whooping cough.
Myth: DTaP vaccine causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Fact: According to the World Health Organization, SIDS deaths occur during the age range when three shots of the vaccine are given, so the shots precede a fair number of SIDS deaths simply by chance. The Institute of Medicine has even found that several studies show either no association or even a decreased risk of SIDS among vaccinated children. The vaccine consists of two doses given at least six months apart.
HPV
About 1 in 4 people are infected with human papillomavirus, a potential cause of cancer, in the US, the CDC says. The HPV vaccine is recommended by the CDC for girls and boys at age 11 or 12 years to protect them from HPV infections that cause cancer.
According to the CDC, the vaccine provides close to 100% protection against precancers and genital warts as shown in clinical trials.
One cause of concern with the HPV vaccine is the age that it is given to children is so young. According to the CDC, the vaccine is most effective when given to someone who hasn’t had prior exposure to HPV and there is no reason to wait to vaccinate until teens reach puberty or start having sex.
Myth: The HPV vaccine can cause fertility issues in future women.
Facts: There is no data to suggest the HPV vaccine causes later fertility problems. In fact, the CDC points out the getting girls vaccinated can help protect them from future fertility issues caused by cervical cancer.
Chickenpox
The CDC recommends all children who have never had chickenpox, also known as varicella, get the vaccine. Sometimes this vaccine is combined with the MMR vaccine, which is called the MMRV vaccine.
Myth: The chickenpox vaccine causes shingles later on in life.
Fact: Getting the chickenpox vaccine does not cause shingles when the child gets older. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox so if you get chickenpox once, the virus stays in your body and causes shingles later, the CDC says. Shingles is not transmitted from an infected person to another, but a person who has never had chickenpox and has never been vaccinated can get chickenpox from someone who has shingles.
The CDC says a few people can get chickenpox more than once but it is not common.
Myth: Chickenpox parties are just as effective as the vaccination
Fact: The CDC says don’t take the risk. Even healthy children can experience deadly complications from chickenpox and there is no way to tell in advance how severe your child’s symptoms to the disease will be.