5 Misconceptions About Immunizations
Keep Yourself and Your Family Safe By Understanding Immunizations
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In the aftermath of the 2009 swine flu pandemic, being educated about vaccinations and immunizations is more important than ever.August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and with students heading back to school and the world preparing for another flu season, it's time to think about out the steps you’ll be taking to protect yourself and your family this year.The Survivors Club can direct you to reliable sources on vaccines — both new and old — to help you make the most informed decisions possible this flu season. In order to know the facts, it's important to clear up some of the prevalent misconceptions about immunizations:Misconception 1: The Flu Shot and Swine Flu Vaccinations Will Be Separate Entities In 2010In 2009 and early 2010, you or someone you know may have had both a seasonal flu vaccine and an additional H1N1 vaccination. But this year, the H1N1 vaccine will be incorporated into your regular, seasonal flu vaccine. “Next season's vaccine will protect against the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus
and two other flu viruses,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website reads. “That means that, barring some unforeseen circumstance, this fall, most Americans will be able to return to the traditional routine of having one flu vaccine to protect them against the major circulating flu viruses,” an article on Flu.gov, which is managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed in February.The flu shot is recommended for everyone over 6 months of age, and will be especially important this year, as H1N1 led to nearly 260,000 hospitalizations and approximately 12,000 deaths in the United States during its last outbreak. For more information on flu shots and to help find vaccination locations near you, check out: CDC.gov and Flu.gov.Misconception 2: The Human Papillomavirus Vaccination is Only for FemalesThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a plethora of information on the importance of getting the HPV vaccine ... but only if you’re a female aged nine to 26.Recently, the vaccine was approved for use by males as well, though the recommendations for its usage were not clear-cut. According to a May 27 article in Time magazine, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed its provisional recommendation from 2009 that the HPV vaccine (Gardasil) against Human Papillomavirus infection is both safe and effective in males in preventing genital warts.”However, the CDC also recommended that the “HPV vaccine should not become part of the regular vaccination schedule” for men. This is partly because doing so would not be cost-effective, and because “most men who get HPV (of any type) never develop any symptoms or health problems."It is important to note that only the Gardasil vaccine (as opposed to the other HPV vaccine, Cervarix) has been recommended for males. The story of HPV vaccinations for men is still unfolding, so be sure to talk to your doctor about it, and stay abreast of the newest developments from the CDC.Misconception 3: All Tamiflu Drugs Are Created EqualTamiflu is a pill prescribed to treat the flu when symptoms have been present for two days or less, and is intended to shorten the duration of the illness and/or render symptoms less severe. It can also be taken preventatively in some circumstances. Last year, a special H1N1 Tamiflu was released following the swine flu outbreak. But not all Tamiflu products are equally safe and authentic.In fact, on June 17, the FDA warned consumers about a potentially harmful product called “Generic Tamiflu” that was being sold over the Internet. “FDA tests revealed that the fraudulent product does not contain Tamiflu’s active ingredient, oseltamivir, but cloxacillin, an ingredient in the same class of antibiotics as penicillin,” an FDA news release announced. Some Tamiflu may also be expired or otherwise inauthentic, so to talk to your doctor and consult the follwoing resources next flu season before starting your doses of Tamiflu.
About Counterfeit Drugs
Misconception 4: Measles is No Longer a Risk for Travelers and People Worldwide
Since the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, the threat posed by
measles has decreased significantly. Indeed, the World Health Organization
reports that solely between 2000 and 2008, measles vaccination resulted in a
78% drop in measles deaths.
However, despite being vaccine-preventable, measles remains a leading cause
of death among young children. There are an estimated 10 million measles
cases reported each year, and according to WHO, there were 164,000 measles deaths
globally in 2008, which is nearly 450 deaths every day or 18 every hour.
Although WHO reports that 95% of measles deaths occur in low-income
countries with “weak health infrastructures,” measles outbreaks also occur in
Europe and can be a danger to U.S. travelers or expatriates.
For information about recent outbreaks and advice for travelers, check out this
CDC page
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Misconception 5: There is a Proven Connection Between Immunization and Autism
Some sources assert that some vaccinations use a mercury-containing organic compound called thimerosal which is harmful to infants, and that the high rate of vaccinations in the United States is linked to the similarly high U.S. autism rate:
However, most recent government-approved literature on the subject has noted that the FDA has almost entirely eliminated the use of thimerosal in vaccines for young children, and that there exists no direct or proven connection between autism and immunization.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote this year that they support the conclusion of a scientific review by the Institute of Medicine, which stated that ‘the evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism."
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