I don’t get too frazzled by things in general. It’s important as an anesthesiologist to keep your cool and to keep your wits about you. Well, I just about lost it today when the topic of vaccines came up and someone sent me this video. Granted, I did my due diligence and watched that video. I’m typically open to suggestions and people’s opinions.
First of all, my criticism isn’t about his holistic or chiropractic care. My criticism is about his “expertise” in medicine and vaccines, which he isn’t qualified to opine. The guy in the video has absolutely no understanding of how statistics work. Going to a website to show data where you just show numbers of deaths doesn’t validate your point. Sadly, it’s shocking to me to see that people believe in this hack. I can’t even put it politely because it’s people like him who spread the word that vaccines are harmful and cause more harm than good… and people actually believe him.
So, let me present you with real data that shows the value in vaccines coming from an M.D. and not a chiropractor. By the way, look at the makeup of the scientific advisory panel of this organization.
Here’s a video I would rather watch: ZDoggMD
The Facts
Busting Vaccine Myths — this site dispells in detail all the things antivaxxers claim are “harmful” in vaccines.
10 Facts on Immunization from the World Health Organization
UNICEF: Immunization Current Status
WHO: Q&A on Immunization and Vaccine Safety
WHO: Antibiotic Resistance and Vaccines
WHO: Immunization coverage and fact sheet
Wikipedia: Eradicated Diseases
ChildTrends: Databank Immunizations
OECDdata: Childhood Immunizations
The Studies
Our World in Data: Vaccinations
The Journal of Pediatrics. Volume 124, Issue 6, June 1994, Pages 869-874. Childhood vaccination against chickenpox: An analysis of benefits and costs
Impact of Childhood Vaccination on Racial Disparities in Invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae Infections
HealthyChildren.org: Vaccine Safety – Evidence
Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 48, Issue 4, 15 February 2009, Pages 456–461. Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses
Pros vs. Cons
ProCon.org: The History of Vaccines
WHO: 6 Common Misconceptions of Vaccines
8 Common Arguments Against Vaccines
PublicHealth.org: Understanding Vaccines
Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 4, Issue 3, 1 July 2017. Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: A Review and Call to Action.
Implications for the Future
Physicians face the burden of the anti-vaccine argument
My Take
I want the best for myself, my family, and my friends. I will continue to be a voice for pro-vaccines. Given all the existing research and statistically significant data, I do believe that vaccines are beneficial in preventing disease.
Key points:
- Do your research
- Listen to the experts in the field (not quacks who pretend)
- Do no harm
- Get vaccinated! You’re protecting yourself and others around you!
Love. Laughter. Life. Medicine. 