|
|
|
|
|
New study: Americans may be overvaccinated Julie Deardorff New research suggests that America might be overvaccinating its kids--children are supposed to receive 48 doses of 14 vaccines by age 6- and that we might want to re-evaluate and adjust the immunization schedule. But not because of health concerns; the vaccines might just be unnecessary and waste a lot of money. The problem is that doctors often underestimate how long vaccines will be effective, meaning people are getting booster shots when their immunity levels most likely do not require it, according to the study by researchers with Oregon Health & Science University published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers were initially trying to figure out how long immunity could be maintained after infection or vaccination. They expected immunity would be long-lived following a viral infection and relatively short-lived immunity after vaccination, especially because this is why booster vaccinations are required.
Instead, they found that "immunity following vaccination with tetanus and diphtheria was much more long-lived than anyone realized and that antibody responses following viral infections were essentially maintained for life," explained study co-author Mark Slifka, an associate scientist at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute. Doctors have been told the tetanus vaccine, for example, is supposedly effective for a period of 10 years. But based on this study and the work of others, the researchers now believe that once a person has received his or her primary series of vaccinations he or she is are likely to be protected for at least three decades. It's still critical to vaccinate, the researchers say, and overvaccinating the population poses no health or safety concerns – it may just be unnecessary under certain circumstances, according to the study. In fact, switching from a 10-year to a 30-year policy for tetanus shots--something Sweden has done--can save hundreds of millions of dollars on health care. But vaccines can cause adverse effects, which is why there's a Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System in place. (Or, if you find this system too cumbersome, try this link.) Before giving your child shots, ask these questions, suggests the National Vaccine Information Center, a vaccine safety watchdog group that works to prevent vaccine injuries.
|
||||
