Vaccines have been saving lives for hundreds of years. The first advances into this area of medicine were made in the 1700’s in England. The technology behind vaccines and inoculations have advanced tremendously. There has always been controversy and distrust surrounding vaccines. In today’s information age, people have access to more information and research than they did before. It should make the science behind the vaccines more clear but in many cases it just becomes more muddy.
Vaccines are produced by creating an antigen. It’s crown on primary cells or cell liners. Bacteria are grown in a bio-reactor. After the antigen is created, it is isolated from the cells that were used to grow it. The vaccine is formed by adding stabilizers and preservatives. An adjuvant is also added and this helps to enhance the immune response to the antigen. The use of preservatives in the vaccines has been a major area of concern and discussion. Many vaccines rancho palos verdes need a preservative to prevent a serious adverse effect. In 1928 a Staphylococcus infection killed 12 children that had been inoculated with a vaccine which did not have a preservative. Today there are several preservatives available. One of the more controversial is thiomersal, which preferred because it is more effective against bacteria, has a longer shelf life and improves stability, potency and safety. However, this preservative is currently not being used in childhood vaccines because of its mercury content. Also, several controversial claims have been made stating that thiomersal contributes to autism.
Some people claim that the risks involved in vaccines outweigh the risks of the rare adverse effects of immunization. These disputes have covered the morality, ethics, effectiveness and even the safety of vaccines. Some individuals even claim that vaccines are ineffective against disease. Others feel that a vaccine impedes their individual liberties. One of the more widely known controversies involves whether or not there is a link to vaccines causing autism. The scientific community has generally rejected this idea. In fact, in 2011, Andrew Wakefield, the leading medical doctor and researcher promoting the idea that autism was linked to vaccines was found to have been motivated by economic gain to falsify his research data and eventually had his medical license removed.
Controversy and vaccines have been around since they were first created. Remember to do your own research and keep in mind that vaccines save lives.
