Given all the lively press that vaccines and vaccination have been generating lately, I thought another visit to the topic was in order to see what has changed. My stance on the topic has always been (at least since med school) one of healthy skepticism. There is a ton of varying viewpoints and evidence to wade through.
Let’s see how the subject is changing.
What’s New?
The vaccine industry, and health care in general, appear to be going through a maturation process. The scientific method of questioning assumptions and testing conclusions appears to be making a comeback in this marketplace. I think such critical thinking is long overdue and I am glad to see its return to our conversations.
Walking past the hyperbole and accusations from all sides of the vaccine and vaccination debates, we have found some issues that can use some attention.
Science Assumptions – With the more skeptical reviews of vaccines and vaccination of late, it looks as though the rigor normally associated with drug testing has not been as stringent. Questionable data and conclusions have been allowed to stand unchallenged and medication performance was not always scrutinized closely. Was disease treatment success attributable to just the drug introduction or could there be environmental factors also? Inquiring minds want to know.
Business Considerations – The presence of this elephant in the room of vaccine debate is starting to be recognized. How have profit, liability, and government management considerations factored into conclusions about vaccine safety and efficacy? The uncomfortable questions are being asked and some entities are starting to squirm. Bring on the scientific method!
Harmfulness – Ostensibly, vaccines and vaccination programs have been for the improvement of population health and the positive benefit of all participants. Noble goals but Nature typically declines to play by our rules. Drugs can and do harm a percentage of participants. Medicine does attempt to anticipate such occurrences and take corrective action, but poor outcomes do occur. Can healthcare do more?
Responsibilities – With so many probing questions about vaccine performance, it is natural for humans to seek a sense of justice in adverse vaccine outcomes. (Finger-pointing alone does little to help, however.) Going back to those business considerations, entities involved in vaccination have taken refuge in the law, the morality of which can honestly be questioned. Bringing back conversations of integrity and seeking solutions is a solid start.
Yea or Nay on Vaccines and Vaccination?
Making health decisions about your body, or the bodies of loved ones, remains a highly personal choice.
As a physician, one of my responsibilities in caring for patients is to provide informed consent. To educate the patient with pertinent information so that they can make a health care decision based upon knowledge. The good, the bad, and unknown of any choice.
As to the question, and not to hedge my bet, the decision to participate in vaccination is still a personal one with no clear-cut answer. For every drug, and vaccines are drugs (though they do tend to lack some of the more rigorous testing of other medications), benefits, harms, and side effects are all possible with their use.
Do your homework.
Someone will always be willing to sell you on the idea of using or buying a particular product. Vaccines are no different, so we need to be discerning. Ask questions, find answers, then proceed to your decision.
You really are the one in charge.
From a Decision to Action
It is tough being an adult most of the time. We have to keep doing these things that make us uncomfortable.
One of the more empowering things I have discovered is that we are also allowed to change our mind. If we discover information that is new to us, we can use that information and change direction on decisions. We cannot undo the physical world and what has already happened, but we can certainly choose to chart a new course if we see fit to do so.
Vaccines and vaccination are not a group or partisan decision, though they are sometimes presented as such. In this country, we have the freedom to do to our bodies as we deem appropriate (within reason and the law, of course).
It is a tough decision too. To evaluate the risks and benefits of using a vaccine vs. the possibility of disease. Both are valid considerations. Both are not easy subjects of thought.
One Last Thought
Given that reliable information arrives in only bits and pieces most times, I keep coming across a nagging question.
Is the problem with vaccines themselves or is it in how we use them?
Lots of people have lots of theories but I am still waiting for some solid data. I think pursuit of answers is important.
And I always have questions…
“I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.”― Richard Feynman
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