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Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Two

Yet many parents are asking if it is really ‘worth it’ to vaccinate their children. Ironically, while parents have taken an increased interest in their children’s health, offering them organic diets and chemical-free households, they are putting their health at risk by deciding to not vaccinate them because they don’t like the idea of injecting foreign substances into their bodies. The most common arguments anti-vaxers put forward in their defense are: 1. Concerns about vaccinations causing autism (however the overwhelming scientific consensus is that there is no causal link between the two). 2. The self-centred reasoning that their children don’t need to be vaccinated ‘because everyone else is’. Thanks to the National Immunisation Program, most young Australian adults have never seen first hand the effects of previously common diseases like measles, but the most serious complications besides death can include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Perhaps what parents should really be asking themselves is, could I live with myself if my child, or any child, died or was left severely disabled because I chose not to vaccinate my kids? Who is the AVN? Formerly known as the ‘Australian Vaccination Network’ (AVN), the peak body representing Australia’s anti-vaccination movement was recently forced to change their misleading name to the more accurate ‘Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network’. The AVN was recently stripped of its registered charity status because potential misinformation could impact on children’s health. The AVN says their aim is to encourage all Australian parents “to make an informed choice and a free choice when it comes to vaccination” but much of the information on the AVN website is ill informed. They make a lot of noise about perceived links between vaccines and autism despite numerous scientific studies having proven there is in fact no causal link between the two. pm Children ’s Health Age Disease immunised against Birth Hepatitis B 2 months Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis Polio Hib Hepatitis B Pneumococcal Rotavirus 4 months Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis Polio Hib Hepatitis B Pneumococcal Rotavirus 6 months Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis Polio Hib (refer to note 1) Hepatitis B (or at 12 months) Pneumococcal Rotavirus (refer to note 2) 12 months Measles Mumps Rubella Hib Hepatitis B (or at 6 months) Meningococcal C 18 months Measles Mumps Rubella Varicella Pneumococcal (refer to note 3) 4 years Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis Polio Measles (refer to note 4) Mumps(refer to note 4) Rubella (refer to note 4) Source: www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/provider/patients/acir/schedule.jsp Herd Immunity Although the majority of children in Australia are immunised, it is important to maintain high immunisation rates. When high percentages of people are fully immunised, diseases such as whooping cough and measles have less opportunity to spread because there are fewer people who can be infected. In addition, people who remain susceptible to infection – such as babies too young to be immunised and people with specific medical conditions that prevent them from being immunised – may be indirectly protected, as they are less likely to be exposed to disease. This concept is called “herd immunity” or “community immunity”. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), measles is a potentially serious and highly contagious disease (with a single infected person able to infect up to 17 - 20 other people). The WHO has advocated an immunisation rate of greater than 93% – 95% for all districts within a country to ensure measles elimination. Source: National Health Performance Authority www.nhpa.gov.au Healthy Communities: Immunisation rates for children in 2011–12 pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 55


Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Two
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