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Talking to Friends About Vaccines — Dangerous?
Social trends have a bigger impact on vaccination rates and the spread of illness than we thought, say Harvard scientists. Small changes in how people view a vaccine’s “costs”—meaning side effects, as well as money and convenience – can turn a contained outbreak of an illness into a major epidemic four times the size.
California is in the midst of its worst epidemic of the potentially deadly whooping cough in 50 years – are attitudes and social trends contributing to the spread of the disease?
According to WebMD, it’s likely. The site recently quoted the chief of the California Department of Health’s infectious disease center as saying that the pattern of outbreaks matches with counties – for example Marin County north of San Francisco – where more parents refuse vaccines. According to WebMD, a 2008 study also showed whooping cough outbreaks in parts of Michigan where parents opted their kids out of school immunizations.
The biology team at Harvard used mathematical modeling to show how people imitating and influencing each other through social networks cause big changes in a population’s “herd immunity” to a disease. They also showed that raising the cost of a vaccine causes people to take the “free-riding” stance – relying on other people getting the shots instead.
The article reminded me of my own state of mind during last year’s swine flu outbreak. Getting the vaccine was inconvenient (parents were forming lines outside clinics at 5 a.m.) and the opinions of my friends (and by association, the opinions of their friends) swayed me back and forth about whether to get the shot for my son. In the end I didn’t, but I’m still not exactly clear why — I had a fuzzy sense that there were risks, but it wasn’t based on anything concrete.
That’s the danger, say the researchers. Because the whole system of immunity across the population is fragile. I guess the take away is: talk to your doctor, or whoever you trust to give you sound medical advice and then stick to your guns. Don’t hop on the internet or talk to a neighbor. If enough people do that, they say, we’re all in danger.
Image: Flickr/ad-vantage
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Laure68 commented on Aug 03 10 at 9:27 pmThe swine flu shot is a great example. It was exactly the same as the seasonal flu shot, only it contained the H1N1 virus. The seasonal flu shot contains 3 types of flu virus determined in January. The swine flu outbreak happened after this, so an additional shot had to be included. Still, I knew people who had no problem with the seasonal flu shot that were scared of the swine flu shot. This was all based on word-of-mouth fear mongering about a “new” vaccine. This year the H1N1 virus will be included in the seasonal shot.
The anti-vaccine information on the web is, frankly, revolting. They push misinformation and fear to get to people, and often make statements that are actually completely untrue. And then certain people think themselves “too smart” to listen to the CDC and their doctors, but have no problem believing a random person on the internet with no background in science or medicine.
This is a subject that really gets my blood boiling. People need to get their kids their shots, on-time per the CDC schedule.
Rosana commented on Aug 04 10 at 9:50 amThat is why is sooo important to read about the topic and make up your own mind. Perception is what drove this economy to the state is in right now and will continue to do so. It is very scary that the same (clueless) perceptions could affect the health of my child.
Rosana commented on Aug 04 10 at 9:52 amShould have wrote children. Still getting used to having two babies :)
Karen commented on Aug 06 10 at 1:19 amDo some research, vaccines are not natural or safe, they are filled with aborted fetuses and monkey kidney cells…not to mention… were we meant to get 8 diseases, dead or alive, at one time? I dont think so. As well, some diseases were almost abolished before the vaccine even came out….and look at the rates of ADHD, ADD, Autism etc, coincidence?? but lets close our eyes, lets just keep injecting our children with aluminum, ammonium, formaldahyde, neomycin, thimerisol, aborted fetus and so on, and find out the outcome in another 10-20 years or so when we really know the long term side effects of these shots…
Marj commented on Aug 06 10 at 3:37 pmI’m with you Laure. Drives me nuts too. Seriously people, get your science from scientists. Would you go to a barber to fix your car? A shoe store to buy books?
Laure68 commented on Aug 06 10 at 7:52 pmKaren – this is a prime example of people believing anti-vaccine propaganda without thinking. Basically everything you are saying is false and misleading, but you blindly believe some non-scientific source. Thankfully most people have more sense.
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