Patients would benefit from knowing that vaccines are some of the most thoroughly studied products brought to market. They undergo rigorous testing and oversight, from both public and private organizations, for 10 to 15 years before being released for distribution. Post-licensure monitoring is ongoing, and the manufacturer may voluntarily participate in Phase IV trials to continue to test the safety and efficacy of a vaccine after release to market.
Monitoring adverse effects. In addition, in 1990, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration established the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) to “detect possible signals of adverse events associated with vaccines.”24 Most events reported are coincidental, but some common mild adverse events (like redness and swelling at the injection site) are often underreported.
Serious events are always thoroughly investigated and are often found unrelated. However, rare associations have been found. For example, an intestinal problem called intussusception, related to the original rotavirus vaccine, was discovered, and the vaccine causing it was removed from the market.25 A new, safer rotavirus vaccine option is now available. Patients need to know that we do have an effective system of checks and balances in which we can place our trust.
9. People can become paralyzed or stop breathing after receiving a vaccination. Why run those risks?
One of the most feared reactions to vaccination is Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which can cause paralysis. The CDC estimates the risk for GBS associated with the flu vaccine, for example, to be 1 to 2 cases per 1 million people vaccinated.26 Another potential concern is the rate of anaphylaxis following vaccination. However, in a 2016 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the rate of anaphylaxis for all vaccines combined was only 1.31 per 1 million vaccines.27
In the United States, the 2013 annual cost of 4 major vaccine-preventable illnesses in adults ≥50 years was estimated at $26.5 billion.
The risk of developing severe complications from an illness is much greater than that of developing complications from the vaccine meant to protect a person against that illness. In the United States, the population-based risk for influenza-related hospitalization in children, for example, is as high as 150 in 100,000 with as many as 125 deaths annually.26
Continue to: 10. Isn't vaccination a personal choice? How does my health/illness impact the community?
