Health & Science blog

By Rebecca Knight

The Lancet, last month, retracted its controversial 1998 study that linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism.

To be clear: the only evidence that showed a connection between vaccinations and the neural development disorder has been formally expunged from the scientific record.

Here is a link to the FT’s article about the now discredited study:
Lancet retracts MMR link to autism

And yet, the damage has been done. Because of the study, many parents became fearful about vaccinating their kids, and today some children are getting very sick – and even dying – from vaccine-preventable diseases. What a tragedy.

Full disclosure: I am the mother of a two-year-old girl, and I have followed my paediatrician’s advice about the schedule of immunisations to the letter. The reason is simple: I believe that I am fortunate to live in a country (the US) and at a time when I can protect my daughter against dangerous diseases like polio, measles, and – as I was recently reminded – even mild illnesses like chickenpox.
 
A few days ago, I developed a weird rash on my upper back: small angry red sores that itched and burned. I thought perhaps it was an allergic reaction to my laundry detergent, or that I had sweat through my gym top and it caused an irritation to my skin. I tried some remedies along those lines, but nothing made a difference.
 
Finally I made an appointment with my doctor. Diagnosis: shingles, an infection that results from the reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox.

I got a prescription for an antiviral medication and some suggestions for over-the-counter anti-inflammatory meds to reduce swelling. No big deal. 
 
But, as any parent of small children will tell you, sickness isn’t just about you anymore. “Am I contagious?” I asked.
 
“Not exactly,” said my doctor, adding that people can’t catch shingles from you, but they can catch chickenpox if they haven’t already had it or had the chickenpox vaccine.  ”Are you a family that vaccinates?” she asked with some trepidation in her voice. “And is your daughter up to date on her shots?”
 
“Yes,” I said. “She is on schedule.”
 
“Oh, thank goodness,” she said, her expression showing pure relief. “Otherwise your daughter would be at a real risk of getting very, very sick.”
 
I remember that I had chickenpox as a kid, and while it was no picnic – I felt scratchy all over and I missed school for a week – it wasn’t too terrible either.  So when I got home I did a little reading online. Chickenpox can be serious and even deadly. Apparently, even healthy children can develop grave complications from it, such as pnemonia, a bacterial skin infection, or encephalitis.
 
Before the vaccine, which was first licensed in the US in the mid-1990s, there were an average of 10,600 hospitalisations and 100 to 150 deaths caused by the disease a year in this country.

Today the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends two doses of the vaccine. The first dose is typically given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second at 4 to 6 years of age.
 
I was already sold on the importance of vaccines, but this experience has reinforced my beliefs. The best way to improve public health is to prevent people from getting sick. Immunisations are a great way to do that.
 
Here is a link to a recent column by Margaret McCartney about the MMR vaccine: Facing the facts about the MMR vaccine