Vaccination is a simple and effective way to prevent infectious diseases that would otherwise kill millions of people. In fact, according to the Pneumo Experts Group on Prevention, vaccination prevents 2 to 3 million deaths each year worldwide.
Vaccines are antigen preparations capable of provoking an adaptive immune response in the body to viruses or bacteria that are inoculated through them.
What are vaccines made of?
They are usually of two types, virus or bacteria; and these are usually administered either live and attenuated; either dead or inactivated.
In the case of viral vaccines , viruses are usually administered dead, so they cannot cause disease in the body (chickenpox, yellow fever, rubella, mumps, and measles). Although the viruses are dead, their presence is sufficient to provoke the immune response.
On the other hand, bacterial vaccines can be administered either with dead bacteria such as cholera, or typhoid fever; or with attenuated bacteria, that is, live but inactivated as occurs with diphtheria, pertussis, meningococcus, or pneumococcus. The latter, the attenuated ones, present a better cellular response, require less doses and the body’s protective response is longer lasting.
It is possible that, speaking of vaccines, you have heard some alarmist claims, such as that vaccination can be dangerous or not recommended. Next, we are going to dismantle 5 of the most widespread myths.
1. Vaccination has become unnecessary, thanks to improved diet, running water and hygiene.
It is true that the sanitation of water and food has improved the quality of life of the human population, and has minimized the risk of infectious diseases. However, there are still diseases that can spread easily, regardless of the hygiene of an individual, or of a population. Diseases that are rare today, such as whooping cough, polio, or measles, could reappear were it not for vaccines.
2. Vaccines contain preservatives that are dangerous to health
This is one of the most recurrent fears, especially for parents who are going to vaccinate their children. But vaccines are safe , because they undergo strict evaluation controls during their clinical trials, and even after they are marketed.
It is true that vaccines can cause some adverse side effects in some individuals , but these are considered, and are usually mild and temporary, such as fever or pain at the site of infection.
3. Vaccines cause autism
This is one of the most famous myths, and we explain its origin.
In 1998, the scientific journal The Lancet published an investigation that related the application of the triple virus with the appearance of autism. However, years later it was shown that the author of the study falsified the results, probably to gain prestige. Currently there are various investigations that have rejected this false hypothesis. And even The Lancet itself published a correction , which can still be read today on its official website.
4. Adults do not need to be vaccinated
When we talk about vaccination, the child population comes to mind. Indeed, childhood is the ideal time to get vaccinated, since during this stage, the immune system is still fragile and highly exposed. So why should we keep getting vaccinated after 14 years of age?
In adult life, experts warn that vaccination rates drop dramatically. This lack of habit is installed even among medical personnel: 25% of health professionals are not vaccinated.
However, we must not forget that vaccination plays an important role at every stage of our life.
For example, from 12 to 21 years, it is advisable to get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus.
In addition, the effect of vaccines diminishes over the years, and some require a booster dose, such as those for diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. The same is true of herpes zoster and chickenpox, since the complications of these are much more serious in adult life than during childhood.
Lastly, adults over 60 years of age, and adults with depressed immune systems, such as HIV carriers for example, are at risk for certain diseases, such as influenza or pneumococcus.
For influenza, an annual dose is recommended for all people over 65 years and adults and children who belong to a risk group.
For its part, pneumococcus can cause pneumonia, meningitis, otitis or sinusitis. In adults, pneumococcal pneumonia is the most frequent form of affectation, and in Spain, it is the fifth leading cause of death. Although the pneumococcal vaccine is usually administered before the age of 2 years, adults with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, diabetes, absence of the spleen, HIV, or other diseases that lower defenses are risk groups and should be vaccinated against pneumococcus. once a year.
In these delicate cases, it is best to collect a good medical history before vaccinating.
5. Vaccination is not necessary, but optional
This statement is half true, because in Spain vaccination is not compulsory, but voluntary. However, it is an act of responsibility and above all, of solidarity. Correctly complying with the vaccination schedule not only helps to avoid unnecessary risks, but also contributes to group immunity, which means that we can achieve, together, that some diseases are completely eradicated.
