From the BBC:
"Vaccines: Low trust in vaccination 'a global crisis'”
It's a numbers game... if some people are not vaccinated, it
can cause a big problem for us all. Public mistrust of vaccines means the world
is taking a step backwards in the fight against deadly yet preventable
infectious diseases, warn experts. The
biggest global study into attitudes on immunisation suggests confidence is low
in some regions. The Wellcome Trust analysis includes responses from more than
140,000 people in over 140 countries. The World Health Organization lists
vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats to global health. The global survey reveals the number of people
who say they have little confidence or trust in vaccination.
When asked if vaccines were safe:
79% "somewhat" or "strongly" agreed
7% somewhat or strongly disagreed
14% neither agreed nor disagreed
When asked if they believed vaccines worked:
84% agree either strongly or somewhat
5% either strongly or somewhat disagree
12% neither agreed nor disagreed
Why does it matter?
There is overwhelming scientific evidence that vaccination is
the best defence against deadly and debilitating infections, such as measles. Vaccines protect billions of people around the
world. They have completely got rid of one disease - smallpox - and are
bringing the world close to eliminating others, such as polio. But some other
diseases, such as measles, are making a resurgence and experts say people
avoiding vaccines, fuelled by fear and misinformation, is one of the main
causes. Dr Ann Lindstrand, an expert in immunisation at the WHO, said the
current situation was extremely serious. "Vaccine hesitancy has the potential, at
least in some places, to really hinder the very real progress the world has
made in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases," she said. "Any
resurgence we see in these diseases are an unacceptable step backwards." Countries
that were close to eliminating measles have been seeing large outbreaks. Data
shows a rise in cases in almost every region of the world, with 30% more cases
in 2017 than 2016. A decision not to vaccinate, for whatever reason, poses a
risk to others as well as the individual from being infected themselves. If
enough people are vaccinated, it stops the disease from spreading through a
population - something experts call "herd immunity". Imran Khan, from the Wellcome Trust, said:
"We are really concerned at the moment because for measles, anything less
than 95% coverage can lead to outbreaks and that is what we are seeing."
Where was trust low?
Some people living in several higher-income regions were
among the least certain about vaccine safety. In France - a country among
several European ones now experiencing outbreaks of measles - one in three
disagreed that vaccines were safe, according to the survey. That was the
highest percentage for any country worldwide. People in France were also among
the most likely to disagree that vaccines were effective, at 19%, and to
disagree that vaccines were important for children to have, at 10%. The French
government has now added eight more compulsory vaccinations to the three
children in the country already receive. Neighbouring Italy - where 76% agreed vaccines
were safe - recently passed a law that allows schools to ban unvaccinated
children, or fine their parents, after immunisation rates dwindled. The UK has yet to go this far but Health
Secretary Matt Hancock has said he "won't rule out" the idea of
introducing compulsory vaccinations if necessary. The US has also been
experiencing its own measles outbreak - the biggest to hit the country in
decades, with more than 980 confirmed cases in 26 states in 2019 to date. In
Northern America, and Southern and Northern Europe, just over 70% of people
agreed that vaccines were safe. The
figure was as low as 59% in Western Europe, and 50% in Eastern Europe. In
Ukraine, which reported the highest number of measles cases in Europe last year
(53,218 in total) - only 50% of people agreed vaccines were effective. This
figure was 46% in Belarus, 49% in Moldova, and 62% in Russia.
Where was trust high?
Most people in lower-income areas agreed vaccines were safe.
The highest number was in South Asia, where 95% of people agreed, followed by
Eastern Africa, where the figure was 92%. Bangladesh and Rwanda had nearly
universal agreement about the safety and effectiveness and have achieved very
high immunisation rates despite many challenges in physically getting vaccines
to people. Rwanda became the world's
first low-income country to provide young women universal access to the HPV
vaccine that protects against cervical cancer. Mr Khan said: "It shows
what can be achieved with concerted effort to improve vaccine uptake."
What makes people skeptical?
In the survey, people with more trust in scientists, doctors
and nurses tended to be more likely to agree that vaccines were safe.
Conversely, those who had sought information about science, medicine or health
recently appeared to be less likely to agree. The Wellcome report does not explore all of
the reasons behind low confidence but researchers say there are likely to be
many factors involved. Some of it may be
complacency - if a disease has become less common, then the need to get
immunised may feel less pressing when weighing the benefits against any
possible risk. All medicines, vaccines
included, can have side-effects. But vaccines are thoroughly tested to check
they are safe and effective. The internet means beliefs and concerns about
vaccines can be shared in an instant, spreading information that isn't
necessarily based on fact. In Japan, concerns about the HPV vaccine and a
reported link with neurological problems were widely publicised, which experts
think knocked confidence in immunisation in general. Similarly, in France,
there was controversy about a pandemic influenza vaccine - accusations that the
government bought high quantities of the vaccine and unsubstantiated claims
that it had been made too quickly and couldn't be safe. In the UK, there has
been misinformation circulating about the MMR jab and autism. Dr Lindstrand said: "One of the most
important interventions to counteract doubts and worries about vaccines is to
have health workers really well trained and able and ready to recommend
vaccinations based on scientific truth and to be able to respond correctly to
questions and concerns that parents have and communities have."
^ While any vaccine can have side-effects on some people it
is still a good idea to get vaccinated. The only people who should not be
vaccinated are those with previous medical conditions that have a higher risk
of side-effects or other problems if they do get the shot. For everyone else it
should be mandatory to be vaccinated. There is no reason that nearing the 3rd
decade of the 21st Century any country should have the kinds of
diseases (like measles) that can easily be prevented with a simple shot. There
are always those uneducated and skeptic people who will only people what they believe
regardless of any facts or evidence given to them. Sadly, those kinds of people
are helping to get themselves, their children and other people sick. ^
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.