Is Societal Trust in Vaccines Eroding?
The development of vaccines has undoubtedly been one of the greatest achievements of the medical profession. Vaccines have collectively saved millions of lives and allowed a much-needed escape from many of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. However, vaccines have been so effective in eliminating diseases that some now doubt their utility, believing that they now offer more risks than benefits. In part, false claims of their linkage to diseases such as autism have been the cause of this irrational fear. In addition, individuals seem to be more afraid of the rare side effects that vaccines pose rather than the deadly risks of actually contracting these diseases. As a result, there has been a recent rise in diseases such as measles for which highly effective vaccines have long been available.
The New York Times recently reported that the number of measles cases quadrupled in Europe in 2017, with close to 95% of cases in countries like Italy stemming from children that received either no vaccinations or insufficient doses of vaccines. The same trends were observed in Romania, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine. Small pockets of outbreaks are extremely concerning news. Not only do they result in the unnecessary loss of lives, but they also hint at changing attitudes of people towards vaccines. The reality today is that most people have not experienced the horror and fear of living through major pandemics like smallpox or even measles before the MMR vaccine. This can easily lead them to believe that these diseases are now extinct and there is no need for unnecessary exposure to vaccines. However, in doing so, these people not only expose themselves to the risk of contracting deadly diseases but also to their communities. Many immuno-compromised individuals rely on herd immunity to shield themselves from these diseases due to their inability to take live vaccines.
The governments in these countries need to invest more resources into pro-vaccination campaigns in order to quell doubts about vaccines and paint a positive narrative about the benefits that they have to offer. If necessary, governments must implement stricter guidelines for vaccinating children for entry into public school systems. In addition, medical professionals on the frontlines of patient care should constantly reinforce the importance of vaccinations in keeping deadly diseases at bay. Despite the immense successes of vaccines in the last century, they will only provide the greatest benefits going forward if societal trust in their utility is maximized.