NOVA’s Vaccines: Calling the Shots
The Invisible Threat
Our lives are connected, can pose invisible threats, pass germs
Disease unseen for a century are returning, people dying in developed world
Some parents are electing not to vaccinate their children
Why and how vaccines work, what should be considered in vaccinating kids
San Francisco, CA
All parents want healthy children, becoming an expectation
90% of parents vaccinate children, 28 immunizations in first 2 years
Many concerns—how many given at one time, when they should be done
1% of parents don’t vaccinate at all—why and what are the consequences?
7 week old baby—whooping cough got there first before vaccinated—struggles to breathe—
perstussis—bacteria—bortadella persussis—nasty bronchitis, lots of coughing, can stop
breathing (1 in 100 will die)
No cure, antibiotics can help though
Rarely seen, but now back—50,000 cases in 2012, 20 died
Vaccine can wear off after a few years, so older children are vulnerable
Measles Outbreak
2011—30,000 measles case in Europe, UK, US
Unvaccinated orthodox community hit and spread quickly
Department of Health tried to keep it from spreading—spread in air—can remain for 2 hours—
spread in elevator, very infectious
90% of people who are exposed but aren’t immune get the disease
3 months, 3500 people exposed, 58 were infected, all unvaccinated
In 2000 had declared measles to be eradicated in US
Worldwide, some mainstream pockets of populations that choose not to vaccinate
Mom is vaccinating but has decided to spread out vaccinations more, another waited to start
schedule until 3 years old
Worry about their immune systems’ ability to respond, seizures
Need shots to enter kindergarten, can claim religious exemption
It’s ok to question vaccines—worthy being concerned about
1955 first polio vaccine was announced—parents knew first hand individuals with the
extremely virulent diseases, now they don’t seem as pressing
Rotovirus vaccine
1991—measles outbreak in Philly, watched several children helplessly die
The History of Vaccines
500 years ago 1 in 3 children died before age of 5
Evolved from traditional medicine—India—smallpox—line up to buy disease—draw blood
from healthy person, rub with scabs from infected individual
Rarely get infected twice—get protection from first exposure
400,000 people would die from smallpox every year—introduced technique to England
Jenner—demonstrate that intentional infection with cowpox would prevent smallpox—name his
invention vaccine after vaca (cow)
People started to get concerned—inoculating with biological fluids but didn’t know how it
worked—made people afraid and question use (much like today)
Immunity—natural defense system
Depends on white cells to fight against disease
Look for specific germs, if don’t know it, white cells attack and replicate
Tag germs with antibodies to be disposed of
Leave behind memory cells—look for invader and sound alarm if it returns
Youngest people have the weakest immune system—germs have coevolved to evade our
immune system—white cells might not be strong or fast enough
Vaccine sends in weakened or dead part of germ, easier for immune system to win quickly
Different vaccines can be combined, reduces number of shots kids need
Very successful as a whole, few parents worry about losing kids to infectious disease
Herd Immunity
Measles outbreak in NY—majority of people exposed were vaccinated
The less the disease exists, the safer each person is—herd immunity
Need at least 95% of community to be vaccinated for it work well
Only 89% of France vaccinated against measles—2011 there were 15,000 cases
Risk tolerance is low but distorted notion of how invulnerable we are
Low vaccination can be amplified by mistrust and amplified by media
Play on people’s emotions—children hurt by vaccines
Dravet Syndrome
Seizures after getting vaccines, stopped breathing—vaccine caused fever—seizures continued
constantly
Bring son to neuroscientist
Dravet syndrome—severe seizures—mutations in a gene—not passed by parents—vaccine was
the seizure trigger (fever), not caused by vaccine
Rely on other people to keep their son safe
Majority of children don’t have any symptoms—some swelling, fever, one time seizure
Polio
Extremely rare cases—got polio—1990—got oral vaccine—hard to walk
Thousands of US children were paralyzed and died from polio
1955—polio vaccine—SULK, SABEN—rate plummeted by 99%
Small chance in oral form virus could mutate and become harmful—any cases are too many
2000 oral form was replaced by safer injectable form—too many had to suffer
Sometimes vaccines are blamed without any concrete evidence
Science of Autism
Autism—1 in 70 children are diagnosed on spectrum—unsure of cause
Noticed symptoms around time of vaccination—more vaccines and more children with disorder
Correlation doesn’t imply causation
Autism and MMR—published in major scientific paper—no one could replicate findings
Dozens of studies that don’t link vaccines and autism
Autism in DNA—runs in families—compare gene sequences
Play role in brain development and how brain communicates, may also have environmental
factors
Autism begins in the womb—10 and 24 weeks—fetal origin
HPV
Vaccine against cervical cancer—Guardacil—HPV—human papoloma virus
The most common cancer causing virus—70% of people catch it, some get cancer from it
Some see as lifesaving vaccine, others concerned that they don’t have the info to decide
Vaccinate boys and girls before sexually active (11 or 12)
Any intimate contact may spread virus, so some parents don’t want children to get it because
they don’t want to encourage sexual activity
Other parents advocate use—could have saved their children’s lives
Weighing Risk
Risks surround us every day—not just in vaccines
Vaccines aren’t risk free—side effects—life threatening rxn—1 in 10 billion
We worry about that 1 in 10 billion, make decision based on this fear
Make each decision when comparing risk to benefit
More people vaccinated, more protected everyone can be
Need to get back into mindset of polio times and realize that vaccines are better than no
vaccination
Personal exemption rates have increased to over 5%, CA has higher restrictions and
requirements for parents to opt out of vaccinating
Ethics--greater good for greater number of people
Name: _____KEY______________
Pd: _____
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VACCINES: Calling the Shots
Before we watch the DVD, predict whether each statement is TRUE or FALSE in the prediction column.
As we watch, conclude whether the statement is actually TRUE or FALSE.
Prediction
Actual
FALSE
1. Approximately 70% 90% of parents choose to vaccinate their
children.
TRUE
2. Vaccines can wear off after a few years, so some require booster
shots to provide the appropriate immunity.
FALSE
3. Approximately 50% 90% of people exposed to measles that are
not immune actually get sick from the virus.
TRUE
4. Families can claim religious exemption to avoid having their
children get the required vaccinations to attend school.
FALSE
5. In the 1500s 1 in 10 1 in 3 children died before the age of 5.
FALSE
6. Vaccines got their name from the word for sheep cow.
TRUE
7. Vaccines contain weakened or dead parts of antigens, making it
easier for immune system to win quickly.
MATCHING:
8. __B___ Pertussis
9. _C____ Measles
10. _A____ Smallpox
11. _D____ Polio
A. Causes small puss filled bumps on skin,
infection of cowpox created immunity
against this virus
B. Inflammation of the lungs, lots of
coughing, commonly affects infants and
young children
C. Causes fever and red rash on the skin,
US declared free of this virus in 2000
but has returned, very infectious
D. Affects the spinal cord leaving many
infected individuals paralyzed, infection
rate dropped by 99% when vaccine was
introduced in 1955
12.Define and provide an example of the following terms:
Eradicate
Herd immunity
Immuno-compromised
Virulent
Eradicate—to get rid of, measles was declared to be completely eradicated from the US in 2000
Herd immunity—safety in numbers, if 95%+ of community is vaccinated, unvaccinated are
protected because likelihood of disease appearing is very small—too many anti-vaxxers and
people who are immunocompromised are in trouble
Immuno-compromised—people with weakened, undeveloped, or non-existent immune systems,
people with AIDS/HIV, young and elderly, undergoing cancer treatments, etc
Virulent—extremely harmful disease, very severe and potentially harmful symptoms, viruses
like measles and polio are extremely virulent
13.AGREE OR DISAGREE with the following statements and EXPLAIN WHY:
The threat of contagious disease is underappreciated.
AGREE—vaccines have prevented the outbreaks that were typical in the past, general public
not used to the widespread losses that occurred during these times
Vaccines cause autism.
DISAGREE—study has not been able to be replicated, even though subjects were diagnosed
as being autistic after they had received vaccines, does not mean that vaccines CAUSED the
autism (correlation does not imply causation)
Vaccination and any associated risk is better than not vaccinating at all.
AGREE—most of the side effects are minimal and occur at a very low frequency, there is
more risk riding in a car than getting a vaccine
DISAGREE—if immunocompromised already, may be too much to handle, have to depend
on herd immunity to stay well
Name: _______________________
Pd: _____
+
√
0
VACCINES: Calling the Shots
Before we watch the DVD, predict whether each statement is TRUE or FALSE in the prediction column.
As we watch, conclude whether the statement is actually TRUE or FALSE.
Prediction
Actual
1. Approximately 70% of parents choose to vaccinate their
children.
2. Vaccines can wear off after a few years, so some require booster
shots to provide the appropriate immunity.
3. Approximately 50% of people exposed to measles that are not
immune actually get sick from the virus.
4. Families can claim religious exemption to avoid having their
children get the required vaccinations to attend school.
5. In the 1500s 1 in 10 children died before the age of 5.
6. Vaccines got their name from the word for sheep.
7. Vaccines contain weakened or dead parts of antigens, making it
easier for immune system to win quickly.
MATCHING:
2. _____ Pertussis
3. _____ Measles
4. _____ Smallpox
5. _____ Polio
E. Causes small puss filled bumps on skin,
infection of cowpox created immunity
against this virus
F. Inflammation of the lungs, lots of
coughing, commonly affects infants and
young children
G. Causes fever and red rash on the skin,
US declared free of this virus in 2000
but has returned, very infectious
H. Affects the spinal cord leaving many
infected individuals paralyzed, infection
rate dropped by 99% when vaccine was
introduced in 1955
6. Define and provide an example of/purpose for THREE of the following terms:
Eradicate
Herd immunity
Immuno-compromised
Virulent
7. AGREE OR DISAGREE with the following statements and EXPLAIN WHY:
The threat of contagious disease is underappreciated.
Vaccines cause autism.
Vaccination and any associated risk is better than not vaccinating at all.