The number of childhood immunizations seems to keep growing and becoming more complicated. This makes it harder for parents to keep themselves informed on a critical aspect of their children’s healthcare. The following includes five brief capsules of recent news to keep you updated on issues that impact your family’s healthcare needs:
- Vaccines don’t cause autism - For years, there has been a debate in the healthcare industry about the impact of childhood vaccines on increasing autism rates. Recent research, however, offers some solid evidence that vaccines are unrelated to the dramatic increase in reported cases of the devastating developmental disorder. As reported in the medical journal Pediatrics, researchers examined the health records of 20,000 children exposed to varying dosages of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, as well as vaccines containing a mercury-based preservative. They found that there was no connection between inoculation and autism. Healthcare officials for the study suggested that possible reasons for the rise in the reporting of autism were a broader definition of what is considered autism, increased awareness of the disorder and earlier diagnosis of those with the health condition.
- Rotavirus vaccine close - A new vaccine for rotavirus is on the horizon. Approval from a panel of government healthcare advisors for the new vaccine Rotateq - which protects 98% of infants and young children from the health risks of severe diarrhea caused by rotavirus - is good news for parents. Each year in the United States, 2.7 million children get the debilitating and sometimes deadly disease.
- The “immune overload” controversy grows - “Immune overload” is a commonly-used phrase in the arguments concerning vaccine health-safety. It refers to the belief that healthy infants and young children can’t tolerate the number of vaccines currently recommended. That number has grown steadily from the four recommended in the 1950’s (polio, pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus) to the dozen now suggested by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). And, even more are in the research pipeline. The healthcare facts, however, show that today’s children actually receive fewer antigens (foreign substances that provoke an immune response) than were given in 1950. This is due to sophistication and targeting ability of modern vaccines produced by our healthcare community. Physicians and researchers insist that a child’s immune system can’t be overloaded by inoculation. Instead, vaccines work in the opposite way: they strengthen the healthiness of the body’s immune system.
- A new, improved tick vaccine has been developed – Good news for parents and their family’s health. Previous vaccines for tick-borne encephalitis contained a compound that sometimes produced severe immune reactions such as life-threatening anaphylactic shock. See your healthcare professional for details if you live in an area with reported tick infestation.
- Adolescent inoculation shouldn’t be neglected. Despite a necessity for good health, teenagers notoriously resist receiving inoculations. As a result, a teenager’s health can be susceptible to a variety of diseases that could have been prevented - including pertussis (whooping cough). Healthcare professionals are seeing more cases of pertussis - not in infants and young children but in adolescents and young adults. Parents need to be consistent in managing their teenager’s healthcare. Be mindful to follow-through on inoculating your teens . . . even if they protest.
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