This post was written by Duane Hougendobler, MD, PPG – Pediatrics.
I have practiced pediatrics for over 40 years. My fascination with infectious diseases and their devastating impact on children inspired me to enter the field. Over the past decades, I have witnessed extraordinary improvements in the overall health of our nation's children, particularly in relation to infectious diseases. One of the major factors behind this change is the development of childhood vaccines. In the following sections, we'll discuss their impact, the risks of declining vaccination rates and the policies in place to ensure their safety.
Advancements in public health
It's easy to overlook how dramatically children's health has improved in a relatively short time. In my grandmother's generation, families often lost half of their children to infectious diseases like tetanus, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, pneumonia, meningitis and influenza.
As our nation has grown and public health measures have become more widely implemented, it is now rare for a child to die from an infectious disease. Many factors can account for this, including better sanitation, cleaner food supply and better hygiene. However, even with these measures in place, many diseases would continue to spread without effective vaccines.
Real-world consequences
When I began practicing in the early 1980s, I frequently performed workups for sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis, especially during the winter months. Diagnosing these conditions required blood draws, X-rays and spinal taps. The systematic use of modern vaccines has resulted in a dramatic reduction in infectious diseases and a correspondingly greatly diminished need for these procedures.
Recently, declining vaccination rates in many countries have led to a resurgence of preventable diseases. As a result, the need for these invasive procedures is increasing once more.
In conflict zones like Gaza, disruptions to healthcare services have left many children without access to their routine vaccines. As a result, there was an outbreak of polio — a disease that had been eradicated from Gaza decades before.
Additionally, falling vaccination rates in the United States have contributed to several outbreaks of measles and whooping cough. As healthcare providers, we are concerned that our region could be vulnerable as vaccination rates continue to fall.
Vaccine hesitancy and safety
Understandably, some people may have concerns about how vaccines are made and the substances they contain, particularly regarding potential byproducts of the process. However, all medications, food and even breast milk contain small amounts of metals and other trace products.
Most vaccines in the United States no longer contain preservatives since our sophisticated manufacturing, transportation and storage systems make such additives unnecessary.
One important aspect of vaccine safety that is not generally recognized is the role the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has played. They’ve been the watchdogs for vaccine safety. Healthcare providers are legally required to report any incidents of adverse vaccine effect on a child to the CDC. This policy allows the CDC to keep a watch over the entire country so isolated issues do not go unnoticed. They have been instrumental in making sure the vaccines used in the U.S. remain safe and effective.
Final thoughts
I encourage all parents to have frank and open discussions with their healthcare providers about the vaccines before making decisions that could affect their child's health and even life. The CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics websites also provide excellent information on vaccines.
If your child does not have a provider, you can find one by visiting the website here or calling 877-PPG-TODAY.
