Ref: The LANCET, 1/31/98
<<<<< ANTI-VACCINE MOVEMENTS AND WHOOPING COUGH: THE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES? (pp 356-61)
Controversy surrounding the use of vaccines to immunise children against pertussis (whooping cough) has been intense. Although such vaccines have been important in the control of the disease, opposition in the form of anti-vaccine movements has led to disruption in immunisation programmes.
In a Review in this week's Lancet, Professor Eugene J Gangarosa and colleagues from the USA argue that, despite these movements, pertussis vaccines "continue to have an important role in global immunisation." Of vaccine-preventable diseases, pertussis rivals measles and neonatal tetanus in importance and severity among children in the developing world.
Millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths occur each year. Because the disease is so serious and so difficult to treat, prevention is essential. However, the investigators say that the decrease in pertussi incidence resulting from vaccination may have generated the impression that the disease was becoming milder and easier to treat; consequently, they argue, attention has shifted from the disease itself to the adverse effects that opponents believe vaccination causes such as brain damage and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
After extensive study of material and information on pertussis vaccines and immunisation, Gangarosa and colleagues claim that the alleged adverse effects of pertussis vaccines have been misrepresented. They go on to argue, moreover, that pertussis incidence in countries that have maintained high vaccine coverage (such as Hungary, Poland, and the USA) has been 10 to 100 times lower than in countries where immunisation was disrupted by anti-vaccine movements (such as Japan, Australia, and the UK). But they also acknowledge the beneficial effects of anti-vaccine movements, such aa encouraging the "surveillance of adverse events".
Contact: Dr Eugene Gangarosa, Gangarosa International Health Foundation, 5305 Greencastle Way, Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA; tel +1 770 491 0688
Please mention The Lancet as the source of this material.>>>>>>>
I posted this here because some of Dr. Ganarosa's comments from this article recently appeared in a news article but led one to believe that he was part of the anti-vaccine movement. Obviously he isn't.
Now my perspective is that anything that encourages "surveillance of adverse events" is in the best interest of all .
Of course such information will also further varify that the highest level of safety for the pertussis vaccine is provided by NVX's CERTIVA. TIME IS ON THE SIDE OF NVX.
The SAFEST DTaP VACCINE WILL BE THE VACCINE OF CHOICE.
If there is a pediatrician out there that thinks otherwise, you can bet he won't be attending to my grandchildren.
Approval will come soon and at that time I will have a lot more to say. I think we all can expect to see a lot of good things happening with NVX in the next several months. :-} |
