Part 2: Mad About the Chicken Pox Vaccine!

See part 1 for my views on vaccines in general...

Here's why I don't like it:

1. Prior to widespread vaccination, 90% of Americans were immune by age 20. Prior to this age, the disease is benign. In adulthood, it can be very dangerous, even deadly. In pregnancy, it can cause horrible complications for the unborn baby. Children who are vaccinated will become non-immune at some point in adulthood, unless they receive booster shots. These facts and more are available in this easily navigatable report from a little school called Harvard University. Most children have health insurance. Many adults in America do not, and therefore do not receive non-emergency medical care, such as booster shots. So, without the shot, 90% of Americans will be immune in adulthood, when chickenpox is dangerous. With the vaccination, how many will still be immune in adulthood? I don't know, but I know it will be less. So what is the real motivation for the widespread use of this vaccine? That parents will miss less days from work!

2. According to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, pediatricians with more patients in managed care (ie: with private health insurance) were markedly more likely to recommend the vaccine than peds with more patients on state health assistance programs.

3. And to top it all off, this new study now indicates that because of the vaccine for this generally harmless childhood disease, there are now increased rates of shingles, an illness related to chickenpox, which is extraordinarily painful for about 6 - 8 weeks, and a very serious disease.

If parents want to immunize their kids against chickpox to keep from missing work, fine. That is absolutly their right as a parent. But let's not mandate that every child receive this vaccine, and let's not pretend medical science supports it.