Vaccines
have been in the news a lot lately, and they likely will continue to be for
quite some time. I want to start this explanation by stating that I don’t tell
my patients to refrain from getting vaccines. Vaccinations can be a good thing,
and it would be hard to refute the fact that some vaccines have helped to save
many lives in the last 60 years. When my patients ask me about vaccines, I tell
them that the best thing they can do is to get informed about the vaccinations
they’re considering and make a decision that takes into consideration all the
related risks and benefits. That said, here are a few of the vaccines that have
been under fire recently:
Influenza
vaccines: Commonly called flu
shots, a number of vaccinations for the influenza virus are on the
market today. Some of these vaccines include a chemical called thimerosal,
which contains mercury. Thimerosal is used as a
preservative in these influenza vaccines, and it’s about half mercury, by
weight. The toxicity of the mercury in thimerisol is currently being debated,
but no matter which side of the debate you fall on, here’s some good news: Some
influenza vaccines do not contain
thimerisol, so you have options if you want to get a flu shot but don’t want to
also get a dose of mercury.
The
bad news is that mercury-free shots can be difficult to locate, and some
doctors don’t know which type they have. In some states, the mercury-free
versions are reserved for Medicaid patients. The FDA has a lot of thimerosal
information on its Web site, including a list that shows you some of the
vaccines that do not contain the substance. Check out www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm.
Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
(DTP) vaccines:
Many forms of the DTP vaccine, which is commonly given to infants, contain both
aluminium and formaldehyde. Some people argue that the amounts of these toxins in
the vaccine are minimal and don’t cause any problems; others contend that the
substances are dangerous no matter how small the amount.
Polio vaccines: Many of the polio vaccines made today
are processed through the cells of Green Monkey kidneys. In previous decades, monkey
viruses have contaminated polio vaccine doses, and those doses were given to
the general public before the virus was discovered. Many researchers claim that
the problem is behind us, but some scientists believe we still need to be
concerned.
Hepatitis B vaccines: Most of the controversy surrounding
vaccines for hepatitis B centers on the use of the vaccine in children. U.S.
government data has shown that children under the age of 14 are as much as
three times more likely to suffer adverse effects from the hepatitis B vaccine
as they are to catch the disease in the absence of a vaccination.
