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Let’s Talk Vaccines by Janet Lynas, Ph.D., N.H.D.

There’s a big divide on the topic whether or not to vaccinate. This topic has ended friendships and divided families.

So, I’m going to step in with the facts. But, first a short history into the past. I grew up in a time before vaccines were readily available. There were very few vaccines when I was a child. Polio was the most devastating disease and caused a lot of fear. Childhood diseases such as, rubella, rubeola, chickenpox, mumps, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, meningitis, killed thousands of children each year.

Mothers rushed their children to get the vaccines once they were developed. As a result, these diseases are almost unheard of in recent times. I ran across a photo of myself at the age of six recently. There was something on my left upper arm. I looked closely and realized it was the plastic shield over the chickenpox vaccine I had just gotten. A plastic shield was put over the inoculation to keep the child from scratching it.

I have two friends who barely survived polio. In addition to surviving polio, their lives have been very difficult. One is in a wheelchair and the other has to walk with the assistance of a cane. Soon, he too will be in a wheelchair.

 

Life in the 1950s as a child

Between 1915 and 1945, infections were the leading cause of death for young and middle-aged children. For those ages one to four, infections remained the leading cause of death until 2005.

A dramatic decline in the number of people dying from infectious diseases in the 20th century was seen as immunizations were introduced. Poliomyelitis (polio), diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella were all virtually wiped out during the second half of the 20th century, after childhood immunization was introduced.

During the 1950s an annual average of greater than 500,000 cases of measles and nearly 500 deaths due to measles were reported in the United States. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. Note that 90% of the people exposed to measles will catch it. One in four people who contract measles will need hospitalization.

Between 1950 to 1959 there was an average of 114 chickenpox related deaths per year. The most well-known side effect of chickenpox is shingles which shows up later in life. Very rarely, chickenpox can lead to more serious complications involving the nervous system (brain and spinal cord) in children.

I’m not going to go through each disease, but let’s just say that the childhood diseases were not as harmless as people tend to think. I had rubeola as a young child and as a result there was hearing damage and visual side effects.

Vaccine development

During the first stage of developing a vaccine laboratory research usually takes 2 to 5 years to identify the antigens to include in the vaccine.

The second stage consist of researchers conducting test to assess vaccine candidates’ immunogenicity and their ability to obtain the desired immune response. Next is focus on  short-term toxicology, formulation, and development of a scalable, efficient, and reproducible manufacturing process. This data collection and analysis can take around 2 years.

Third step is clinical trials. Clinical trials consist of three phases. Phase one is a two year process. Volunteers are recruited, usually around 100. This phase is to determine if the vaccine is safe to give and if there is a sufficient immune response to the vaccine. Phase 2 last 2-3 years while the vaccine is given to a larger group of people. Then phase 3 is a 5-10 year process. During this phase there are double blind studies conducted. This group is monitored for possible side effects and if antibodies will be produced by the individual for effectiveness in preventing the disease.

Step four can take 2 years or more to get FDA approval.

In step five, production of the vaccine is ramped up for general distribution.

Step six is continued tracking of the efficiency of the vaccine. Marketing and performance review is done in this step.

To make a vaccine, as you can see takes about 10 to 12 years. But, to be clear it can take 20 years.

My question to you, are you going to take a vaccine that has been developed in less than a year?

Can effective vaccines be made for viruses?

One definition on effectiveness of vaccines is:

Vaccine effectiveness was initially termed “field efficacy”. Essentially, vaccine effectiveness is a “real world” view of how a vaccine reduces disease in a population. This vaccine may already have been proved to be efficacious in clinical trials. This measure can assess the net balance of benefits and adverse effects of a vaccination program rather than the vaccine alone in field conditions.

Vaccine effectiveness is proportional to vaccine potency or vaccine efficacy but is primarily affected by how well target groups in the population are immunized, difficulties in storing, administering, cost, accessibility, availability, stability and manufacturing of the vaccine.

Resource: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Vaccine-Effectiveness.aspx

Sounds like a lawyer wrote these definitions.

Considerations on effectiveness
  • effect of the disease on the local prevalence and incidence of the disease it is targeted against. This needs to be considered over medium and long term as well
  • continued surveillance for the relevant disease following introduction of a new vaccine
  • maintenance of high immunization rates, even when a disease has become rare
  • maintenance of availability, adequate stability, low cost and wide coverage of the vaccine

Resource: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Vaccine-Effectiveness.aspx

Summary

I’m not going to give you my thoughts on vaccinations. My option is mixed, that’s all I will say about it. I have given you some basic information to help you do your own research.

There are a few points I want to make:

  1. Look at evidence base performance. Look who’s behind the money for the study. If the money is coming from the industry trying to prove a point, throw it out. Look for a study where the money for the research is coming from a group who has no vested interest in the results.
  2. Viruses mutate. How effective can a vaccine be when a virus mutates rapidly? Vaccines for the flu is one example. Thousands of people get the flu vaccine each year. However,  thousands still get the flu and thousands die from the flu. Not all viruses mutate easily, but the ones developing from the common cold or rhinovirus, coronavirus, RSV and parafluenza do.
  3. In light of the political chaos, do you really want to put your health in the hands of politicians? Their agenda is not your health! Do you want to take a chance on a vaccine that has not gone through the process of safe development?

The Fear Factor Coronavirus by Janet Lynas, Ph.D., N.H.D.

I don’t get caught up in the fear factor the news media likes to generate. Being a former Infection Prevention nurse, I always look at Evidence Based Practice reports (EVP). Let’s look at the evidence on the Coronavirus.

Facts Just The Facts

The Coronavirus (CoV) is a large virus family with 7 known types.

As a zoonotic virus, CoV can be transmitted among animals and people.

Coronavirus infections are rampant in the fall or winter seasons.

For now, the only treatment options for CoV patients are supportive care and symptom relief.

The corona virus gets its name from the Latin word corona meaning crown or halo because that’s what it looks like under a microscope. I’m not going into the scientific information on the technical aspects of the virus. If you want to know more about the virus and the RNA component you can look it up. For this article, I  will give you the basic facts to help you put the fear factor aside.

So, the coronavirus is not new!

Symptoms

The most common symptoms are breathing difficulty, cough, fever, and shortness of breath. In severe cases pneumonia, kidney failure, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and worst, death may develop.

The disease is transmitted by droplets such as coughing, sneezing or a person’s sputum while talking. It is also passed along by being in close personal contact. Remember, you most likely would get it by touching a contaminated surface, like shaking hands with someone infected who has coughed into their hands and not washed them.

However, touch is not the way the disease is transmitted. It’s not going to absorb through your skin. Once it’s on your hands, you would have to touch your face with the contaminate for the virus to enter your body, by touching your mouth, eyes or nose.

The KHU1, 229E, OC43, and NL63 are more common than you think. Their effects could range from mild to moderate infections like that of the common cold.

WASH YOUR HANDS!

Flu vs Corona Virus

Remember, in an average year, flu leads to about 20,000 deaths nationwide and many more hospitalizations.

As of Feb. 28, 2020, the flu has much more of an impact on Americans than COVID-19. You can find up-to-date information on COVID-19 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

COVID-19: Approximately 3,048 deaths reported worldwide; 2 deaths in the U.S., as of March 2, 2020.

Flu: 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide; 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.

Both viruses are treatment by support of symptoms. Antibiotics do not work on viruses, only bacterial infections.

Past Fear Spreading

Remember the SARS-causing virus spreading to over 24 countries in Asia, Europe, North and South America. SARS cases have dwindled until there are no longer reported cases from all over the world since 2004. It too came out of China.

Then there was MERS-CoV syndrome coronavirus coming out of the Middle East. First discovered in 2012, this type of coronavirus infection was recorded to have infected around 2,500 people.

For MERS, there have been no documented human-to-human transmission or community outbreaks apart from close contacts. The main known source for MERS-CoV was dromedary camels.

Let’s not forget the Bird Flu! It goes on and on…

Prevention

Coronaviruses are sensitive to heat. Ultraviolet light, non-ionic detergents, liquid solvents, and oxidizing agents also affect the virions adversely.

Colds, flu, and coronaviruses can be prevented by frequent, thorough hand washing, coughing into the crook of your elbow, staying home when sick and limiting contact with people who are infected.

Conclusion

Don’t fall into the fear that the news media likes to cause. The paper surgical mask will not prevent you from getting a virus because they are not fit properly over your face. There are gaps where viruses can get through. The mask will only help by preventing you from putting you hands around your nose or mouth.

The most effective prevention for any virus is to WASH YOUR HANDS!