Dallas News Editorial and Letter Response

http://www.dallasnews.com/editorial/letters/303563_tuesdayletters.html

Vaccine story misled

As physicians who provide care for children in Texas, we believe some parents may have been needlessly and dangerously alarmed by a report questioning the safety and value of vaccines for children that was broadcast at 10 p.m. Feb. 21 on WFAA, Channel 8.

Parents need to know these facts:

1) Vaccines have dramatically improved the lives of children. Tens of thousands of children died each year from measles, polio, whooping cough and other infections, diseases now rare because of effective and safe childhood vaccines.

2) The newest vaccine, Prevnar, is an extremely safe protection against the most common invasive bacterial infection in children. Pneumococcal infections cause 1,400 cases of meningitis, 17,000 cases of bloodstream infections, and 71,000 cases of pneumonia each year in U.S. children under age 5.

3) Some of the persons presented as “experts” on the television report represent single-issue fringe organizations. Their statements were misleading and scientifically inaccurate.

4) Parents must educate themselves on health care issues of their children. Such health information should be sought from respected professional organizations with credibility and earned public trust.

Reliable resources concerning childhood vaccines include the American

Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org), the National Network of

Immunization Information (www.immunizationinfo.org), and the Centers for

Diseases Control and Prevention (/www.cdc.gov).

It is extremely disturbing that the television report raised needless fears in the minds of parents, creating barriers to vaccines that our children need. It will be tragic if any child dies or is mentally or physically disabled because this report caused parents not to immunize their child against devastating diseases with vaccines that mainstream medical science has found to be safe and effective.

MOLLY DROGE, M.D., President-elect, Texas Pediatric Society, Plano

DANIEL NALE, M.D., President, Pediatric Society of Greater Dallas, Dallas

And 279 other doctors

Letter in response:

Hats off to WFAA for being honest enough to present the real story on Prevnar. Too bad some Dallas Pediatricians feel the need to censor and re-spin the story for parents.

I agree that parents need to educate themselves. Who better than the people who will have to live with the consequences of the decision - good or bad - to make the decision? Some good sources of information from doctors include www.aapsonline.com and www.mercola.com. I bet parents find a little different spin there than from the AMA and the AAP.

I would argue, however, that Prevnar has been proven safe. Children in the Prevnar study were 4 times more likely to have seizures, four times more likely to have stomach problems, and a significantly higher number developed asthma that children in the “control” group, who were not really in the control group, meaning got no vaccine, but got a DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL vaccine!

Indeed, only against the first 17 cases of bacteremia, did Prevanr work as desired. Prevention was not near the efficacy level expected, especially where it came to ear infections. The Finland study showed the benefit on ear infections was less than 4%. Parents can make good decisions based on real benefits and risks. They shoule be allowed that right when it comes to any and all vaccines. I spend lots of time educating clients and parents on the benefits and risks of vaccines and natural immunity that comes from contracting the disease. I have found parents to be caring, concerned about the welfare of their children, and smart enough to weigh the issue. Let’s quit discarding parents and let them make the final decision.

Rev. Kathryn Rateliff, CCE, CCCE, SM, CPE