Everyone Should be Vaccinated
The Coronavirus, deemed a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, is all that people seem to be talking about, and rightfully so. The economy is facing a recession, both blue and white collar folks fear losing their jobs, most people are quarantined in their own homes without being able to watch their favorite sports leagues, and I’m sitting here wondering whether or not I will have a college graduation in two months. COVID-19 has been a catalyst for profound discussions about the myriad of flaws in our society. With that being said, it may be worthwhile to re-evaluate some aspects about our previous way of life by asking ourselves “What comes next?”
A common misconception is that scientists are working on a cure for COVID-19. Unfortunately, there is no actual “cure” because it is a viral infection, just like the common cold and the flu. A doctor may prescribe medicine to help ease your symptoms, but it’s ultimately up to your immune system to fight off a virus. The name of the virus is called SARS-CoV-2, which stands for “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2” (1). The best science can do at this point in time is prevent a virus through vaccination. Vaccines work by training the immune system to recognize and combat pathogens, either viruses or bacteria (2). After being vaccinated, one becomes immune to the particular strain it was exposed to. The reason COVID-19 continues to spread like wildfire is because it is highly contagious and no vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus currently exists. Scientists are working on a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, which can take at least 12 months to be licensed and manufactured on a global scale (3). But still, it is likely that a fraction of the population would refuse the vaccine based on a number of different reasons. These people are generally misinformed, as the benefits of vaccination have been thoroughly backed by science. Vaccines have saved countless lives and prevented worldwide pandemics, similar to the one in which we find ourselves today. The medical world is very clear that, barring a health exemption (i.e. allergy), everyone should be vaccinated.
A leading reason for vaccine opposition is the discredited link between vaccines and autism. The first study of this relationship came from a 1998 paper in which Andrew Wakefield, a British gastroenterologist, published a paper that described eight children whose first symptoms of autism appeared within one month after receiving the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine (4). Wakefield concluded that the vaccine caused intestinal inflammation in which non-permeable proteins entered into the bloodstream, ultimately traveling to the brain, negatively affecting development (4). However, there have been a number of studies that undermine Wakefield’s retracted paper, such as the absence of control subjects in his study and the fact that MMR viruses have not been found to cause intestinal inflammation (4). Considerable amounts of resources and even a double blind study involving thousands of kids have been conducted to further refute his claim. In summary, there is no relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism, and there should be no fear of autistic development as a result of vaccination.
One of the most frequently encountered vaccines is the flu shot, as it is intended to be administered annually. Some people refuse to get the flu shot because they think they will get sick from the flu regardless. This is only partially true. The flu shot provides immunity for that particular strain of the flu but it is possible for someone to still get sick from a different strain. This is because the flu virus, like all other pathogens, continues to mutate, which results in a number of different strains of the flu. In the scientific community, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses is tasked with naming particular viruses and diseases because there are so many different strains. So yes, the flu shot I received this year will only protect me from the particular strains present in the vaccine, but it is still a solid line of defense that’s better than nothing at all.
Additional opposition to vaccines comes from the fact that people care about what they put into their bodies, and are unsure of what is truly contained inside a vaccine. Some people prefer to be completely natural and reject anything that is not organic from entering their body. Some vaccines contain pork-derived products, which is forbidden in Islamic culture (5). This is why some states bar children with religious or philosophical objections to vaccination from attending public schools. The same is true of many public and private colleges and universities in the US. It is perfectly reasonable to be conscious about what enters one’s body and quite difficult to assert my opinion onto someone whose religion forbids them from vaccination. However, at the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading, and the risk of all other diseases we face, it is more important that we are protected from viruses than anything else.
Vaccination not only protects those who are vaccinated, but also the immuno-compromised and those with medical reasons to not be vaccinated. We're seeing today with COVID-19 that older folks are much more at risk than younger people. Similar to the flu, the vaccine would disproportionately benefit those older people. Given the scientific evidence for vaccination and the crisis we are currently facing, governments should consider mandatory vaccination. While these are plans for after the crisis, I'd like to encourage social distancing and quarantining now in order to help the healthcare system best handle the present crisis.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines: The Basics. [Online] March 14, 2012. [Cited: March 17, 2020.]
2. PublicHealth. How Vaccines Work. [Online] [Cited: March 17, 2020.]
3. Kormann, Carolyn. How Long Will It Take to Develop a Coronavirus Vaccine? The New Yorker. [Online] March 8, 2020. [Cited: March 19, 2020.]
4. Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses. Plotkin, Stanley, Gerber, Jeffrey S. and Offit, Paul A. 2009, Clinical Infectious Diseases.
5. Najera, Rene F. Very Few Religions Expressly Prohibit Vaccination, Yet Confusion Remains. The History of Vaccines. [Online] November 9, 2018. [Cited: March 20, 2020.]
6. Healthline. Understanding Opposition to Vaccines. Healthline. [Online] [Cited: March 17, 2020.]
