Columbia Science Review
  • Home
  • About
    • Executive Board
    • Editorial Board
  • Blog
  • Events
    • 2022-2023
    • 2021-2022
    • 2020-2021
    • 2019-2020
    • 2018-2019
    • 2017-2018
    • 2016-2017
  • Publications
  • COVID-19 Public Hub
    • Interviews >
      • Biology of COVID-19
      • Public Health
      • Technology & Data
    • Frontline Stories >
      • Healthcare Workers
      • Global Health
      • Volunteer Efforts
    • Resources & Links >
      • FAQ's
      • Resource Hubs
      • Student Opportunities
      • Podcasts & Graphics
      • Mental Health Resources
      • Twitter Feeds
      • BLM Resources
    • Columbia Events >
      • Campus Events
      • CUMC COVID-19 Symposium
      • CSR Events
    • Our Team
  • Contact

Measles Outbreak Linked to Anti-Vaccination

2/14/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Anna Christou

With 50 confirmed cases of measles, Washington is in a state of emergency, and the disease has spread to other states as well: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Texas have each reportedat least one case of measles this year.Measles is an extremely contagious, airborne disease caused by a virus that spreads from person to person through coughing and sneezing. The Mayo Clinicstates that measles is usually characterized by a fever, sore throat, and a skin rash; within days, it can escalate to severe complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis, which is the swelling of the brain. Measles can be prevented through the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is generally given in two doses—the first at around 12 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old—and is 97% effective. Implementing the MMR vaccination program in 1963 led to a 99% reduction in the number of measles cases in the United States. Measles cases continued to decline thereafter, however, starting in 2017, the rate of measles began to increase for the first time since the advent of the vaccination, in large part due to the anti-vaccination movement. In particular, anti-vaccination is linked to this year’s outbreak. 

According to theWorld Health Organization, vaccination, in general, prevents 2 to 3 million deaths every year and has the potential to prevent millions more if vaccination becomes more widespread. Vaccines prepare the body to fight a pathogen by activating the immune system. The immune system, which is in charge of protecting the body from infection, recognizes unhealthy cells that have entered the body and activates a response. Specifically, it releases a variety of white blood cells, including T cells and B cells, which travel to the site of the foreign invader. Both T and B cells develop a way to “remember” the invader in order to more efficiently fight the infection if the body is re-exposed. In addition, B cells secrete antibodies, which are proteins produced by blood cells that neutralize pathogens by latching onto them and thus effectively removing them from the body. On the other hand, T cells also directly kill microbes. Vaccines expose a person to a small amount of the virus—this activates the immune response and teaches the body, particularly the T and B cells, to develop a memory for a pathogen. That way, if a person is re-exposed to the virus, the T and B cells will more efficiently and effectively mount an immune response that protects the body.

However, many people with access and the ability to receive vaccines are reluctant to get vaccinated for a variety of reasons, including thinking that vaccines are unsafe and linked to autism; that acquiring immunity naturally is more effective; and that they will be protected by herd immunity.

The modern-day anti-vaccination movement began in 1998, when Andrew Wakefield, an English doctor, published a paper asserting that there was a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, spurring fear in many and receiving a significant amount of media attention. However, this theory has been completely disproven: the data has been proved to be unreliable and false, and numerous other studies have been conducted and have shown that there is no relationship between vaccines and autism. In particular, medical recordshave shown that the children did not show symptoms of autism, or if they did, this was not due to receiving vaccines, as they had already shown signs of autism before the study.

Another common concern is that the vaccine will overwhelm the immune system or even lead to the person contracting that disease. In reality, despite being exposed to the virus, one cannot get sick from the vaccine, because only a dead or a weakened version of the virus is injected into the body. Some people might experience a minor reaction to vaccines, such as a fever or rash, but this is not a reaction to an active virus but just the presence of a foreign pathogen.

In addition, some people have personal beliefs that building immunity naturally is more effective than receiving a vaccine. They think that if they contract the disease and survive, then they will be protected in the future. However, the problem with this philosophy is that in order to build immunity naturally, one has to contract the disease, which as described above, has very severe symptoms and complications and can pose a risk to others, as well. 

Finally, many people think that they will be protected if everyone else is vaccinated, misinterpreting the concept of herd immunity, which is the idea that an entire community is protected from a disease if immunity rates are sufficiently high. Specifically, as diseases spread amongst people in a community, if enough people are vaccinated, then the diseases will be less likely to spread. This, in theory, protects people who are not vaccinated. However, herd immunity only works when immunity rates are very high--close to 95%.That way, only the small unvaccinated cohort of the population, namely the immunocompromised patients who cannot be vaccinated or newborns who are not old enough to receive the vaccine, will be protected. However, if people with healthy immune systems and no allergies to vaccines decide to not become vaccinated and less than 95% of the population is immune, then those who are unvaccinated have a higher risk of contracting the disease. But, if everyone who is able to get vaccinated does so, then not only will the immunocompromised be protected but those who have been vaccinated will also be even safer, as the overall spread of the disease—and risk of contracting it— will be low.
​
As a result, especially given the link between anti-vaccination and the recent measles outbreak, it is very important to refute the anti-vaccination movement and spread of misinformation. Healthcare officials have started to draw attention to this issue: for example, the World Health Organization listedvaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten threats to global health in 2019. Realizing that vaccines do not make people sick, do not cause autism, and are far more effective and safe than trying to develop immunity naturally, is a step towards ensuring that people who can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Artificial Intelligence
    Halloween 2022

    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2022
    June 2022
    January 2022
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    July 2009
    May 2009

Columbia Science Review
© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Photos used under Creative Commons from driver Photographer, BrevisPhotography, digitalbob8, Rennett Stowe, Kristine Paulus
  • Home
  • About
    • Executive Board
    • Editorial Board
  • Blog
  • Events
    • 2022-2023
    • 2021-2022
    • 2020-2021
    • 2019-2020
    • 2018-2019
    • 2017-2018
    • 2016-2017
  • Publications
  • COVID-19 Public Hub
    • Interviews >
      • Biology of COVID-19
      • Public Health
      • Technology & Data
    • Frontline Stories >
      • Healthcare Workers
      • Global Health
      • Volunteer Efforts
    • Resources & Links >
      • FAQ's
      • Resource Hubs
      • Student Opportunities
      • Podcasts & Graphics
      • Mental Health Resources
      • Twitter Feeds
      • BLM Resources
    • Columbia Events >
      • Campus Events
      • CUMC COVID-19 Symposium
      • CSR Events
    • Our Team
  • Contact