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Editorial: Vaccines save lives; denial, fear undermine public safety

Sat., Jan. 24, 2015

The flu-related death of a 37-year-old hot dog vendor and the alarming measles outbreak that began at Disneyland have shined a spotlight on vaccinations.

Chad Rattray, who died Monday, was healthy, relatively young, and had been vaccinated against the flu. He’s the profile of a person who wouldn’t be expected to suffer such a tragic death. That’s precisely why it was so stunning.

Flu shots have not been as effective this season, but they still give vaccinated people a 23 percent better chance of avoiding illness. In years when the shot is a better match for active viruses, the effectiveness rate is 50 percent to 60 percent, the Los Angeles Times reports. Still, even at 10 percent effectiveness, the immunization could prevent 13,000 hospitalizations of elderly Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The number of people hospitalized for the flu is up in Spokane County, with most of the patients age 60 or older. Of the six people who have died this flu season, Rattray was the only one under the age of 60. News that this year’s shot isn’t as effective has probably led to more people skipping it. But that’s an unhealthy roll of the dice.

Misconceptions about the flu shot don’t help either. Polls show that more than 40 percent of the public believe the flu shot (or nasal mist) can give you the flu. That’s false. The viruses in the shots have been inactivated.

As the CDC website says, “In randomized, blinded studies, where some people get inactivated flu shots and others get salt-water shots, the only differences in symptoms was increased soreness in the arm and redness at the injection site among people who got the flu shot. There were no differences in terms of body aches, fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat.”

Still, disbelief and distrust abound in public health, and nowhere is that more dangerous than with childhood vaccinations. Thanks to vaccines, measles was essentially eradicated in the United States 15 years ago. But a growing anti-vaccination movement has helped it mount a comeback.

The outbreak that began just before Christmas at Disneyland has spread to at least five states, including Washington. At least 70 people have been diagnosed with measles. Of those whose immunization status is known, the vast majority were not vaccinated. Disneyland and California school districts are asking unvaccinated people to stay away.

The anti-vaccination movement began growing when a 1998 study – since retracted – linked inoculations to autism. There is no credible research to support this, but the National Autism Association remains skeptical of mainstream studies and public health data. Pop culture figures continue to spread unfounded fear.

Immunization is one of modern medicine’s greatest achievements. Vaccinations have saved untold lives. But virulent strains of denial are reversing progress and putting more people at risk.