ABCs OF CHILDHOOD VACCINES PRIMARY VACCINATIONS Terms To Remember • Thimerosal: A preservative used in some vaccines in very small amounts • MMR: A combination vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella • Hepatitis B: A widespread, infectious disease of the liver • Pneumococcus: A bacterium that is a leading cause of meningitis (a brain and spiral cord inflammation) and blood infections in adults and children • Varicella: The scientific name for chickenpox Routine Vaccinations Protect Against 12 Major Diseases. • Measles • Mumps • Rubella (german measles) • Polio • Pertussis (whooping cough) • Diphtheria • Tetanus • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) • Hepatitis B • Varicella (chickenpox) • Pneumococcal disease • Influenza (flu) Concerned Parents Have Wondered About These Five Vaccine Issues: • The use of Thimerosal (ethylmercury) as an additive in vaccines • An unsubstantiated link between the MMR vaccine (combination for measles, mumps, and rubella) and autism • The necessity of vaccinating children against hepatitis B • Pneumococcal conjugate (a new vaccine to protect against meningitis) • The relative danger of varicella (chickenpox) Thimerosal • Thimerosal is preservative that contains a form of mercury (ethylmercury). • Thimerosal was used in very small amounts for over 50 years as a preservative in some vaccines. • Thimerosal was originally added in multi-dose vials of vaccines. It protected these vaccines from bacterial contamination. • Mercury can have toxic effects in large amounts. However, there’s no evidence that the tiny amounts of thimerosal in vaccines has ever caused problems for infants receiving these vaccines. • Today, with the exception of some flu vaccines, none of the vaccines used in the U.S. to protect preschool-aged children against 12 infectious diseases contain thimerosal as a preservative. • Scientists and doctors understand the concerns some parents have about preservatives and additives in vaccines. • The medical and scientific communities are committed to ensuring the safety of vaccines. • Even though there is no convincing evidence of any harm, in June, 2000, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued a statement saying thimerosal should be removed from vaccines as soon as possible. • CDC is working with vaccine manufacturers to remove thimerosal from vaccines as part of a nationwide effort to reduce the amount of mercury children are exposed to, including mercury in food and medicines. MMR Vaccine: Is It Really A Factor In Autism? • Some parents and others have expressed concern about a possible link between the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and the development of autism in children because: - MMR vaccine is first given at age 12 to 15 months. - The first signs of autism (e.g. poor social interaction and speech, repetitive behaviors) often appear between 12 to 18 months of age. Independent Studies Have Found No Link Between Autism and MMR. • A United States study by Dr. Loring Dales showed that the number of autism cases in young children increased even when the number of MMR vaccines decreased over the same time period! • A British study by Dr. Brent Taylor showed that the number of diagnosed autism cases did not increase after the MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988. • If a link existed between the MMR vaccine and autism, then one would expect the number of autism cases to increase or decrease over time as the number of children immunized with MMR decreases or increases over the same time. No study has shown this trend. • Additional well-designed studies in the United States and in Europe have found no association between the MMR vaccination and autism. You Can Be Certain That, In The United States, Monitoring Continues. • The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) organized a panel of independent scientists to study MMR and autism. • An IOM report issued in May, 2004, concluded “that childhood vaccines are not associated with autism”. • Despite studies and reviews of thousands of cases, MMR vaccine has not been scientifically linked to autism. • Autism research and monitoring will continue to be high priorities at CDC to help answer important questions about this condition. Why Vaccinate Children For Hepatitis B? • Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver that can be transmitted in the following ways: • Through contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person • Through unprotected sexual contact with an infected person • During birth, when the virus passes from an infected mother to her baby • Because of common scrapes, falls, and lack of personal hygiene, children (particularly in daycare settings) are more exposed to bodily fluids than you may think. Children Get Hepatitis B Too! • Before the vaccine was introduced, 20,000 children under age 10 became infected each year. • In 1999, only 89 cases of acute hepatitis B were reported in children under 10 years old. • Children, teenagers, and adults who get hepatitis B can have lifelong serious health problems. • Infants who catch hepatitis B from their mothers at birth are at a greater risk to suffer a premature death from liver cancer or liver failure later in life. • Vaccinating early against hepatitis B assures children's immunity when they are the most vulnerable to the worst complications of hepatitis B and before they enter the high risk adolescent years. • Hepatitis B vaccine is the best protection a child can have against this dangerous and lifelong disease. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was licensed in 2000. • The fact is, work on finding a vaccine started all the way back in 1911. That's proof that vaccines can sometimes take decades to develop. • Scientists kept working because pneumococcus bacteria causes about 1 in 5 cases of bacterial meningitis in the United States and is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine: Saving Children's Lives • Pneumococcus bacteria is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis infection in children under five. • Meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, can lead to brain damage, mental retardation, and even death. • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine provides superior protection against this serious and deadly infection. • Meningitis symptoms in children are less obvious than in adults. The disease can go undetected and untreated. Vaccination can protect children from this uncertainty. Varicella (Chickenpox): Not A "Harmless" Childhood Disease • Many people believe chickenpox is a harmless illness. • 1999, an average of one child a week died in the United States from complications of chickenpox. • These complications include encephalitis, a brain infection; severe staph and strep secondary infections (flesh-eating strep and toxic shock syndrome); hepatitis; and pneumonia. Key Facts • A whole range of government, medical, and scientific organizations work continually to make sure childhood vaccines are safe and effective. • When concerns arise, action is taken. • Even if no scientific evidence is at hand, the companies that make vaccines and the government agencies that oversee them put safety first. • Childhood vaccination remains the only real defense against many diseases. Without vaccinations, children are at risk for lifelong health problems and premature death. • Immunization is recognized as one of the greatest 20th century achievements in the prevention of death and disease in children all over the world. Additional Resources • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: www.cdc.gov. Click “Vaccines & Immunizations,” then click “NIP Home Page” in the right column. Or, go directly to www.cdc.gov/nip • National Immunization Hotline: 800-232-2522 • Parent's Guide to Childhood Immunization: Publication available online at www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/ • For information on vaccine testing and licensing: www.fda.gov • For information about local health care resources: www.naccho.gov or look under "public health" in the blue pages of your local phone book • For information on children's health insurance: www.insurekidsnow.gov • Additional ABCs of Childhood Vaccines slide shows cover the following topics: Risks of Not Vaccinating; How Vaccines Work; Natural Immunity; Vaccine Safety