Chapter 1

Introduction

Many have questions about vaccines because we no longer see the diseases they prevent. That is because the vaccines work. Because all these infections are still present and capable of causing harm, it is important to understand both the infections and the vaccines.

Diseases We No Longer See

Why would someone write a book about diseases we don’t see anymore? The answer to that important question, of course, is that you still need to know about the diseases that vaccines prevent because all of them, except smallpox, can—and likely will—return.

Many find making vaccine decisions difficult because they are uncertain about the actual risks and benefits of both the diseases and the vaccines. In this book, I address the following questions: what are the infections and illnesses the vaccines prevent? How likely are you or your child to be exposed to those infections? If you become infected, how likely will you be to have one of the more serious outcomes? What are the actual risks of vaccine side effects? Do unimmunized neighbors place you or your child at risk? Additionally, I want you to know how to assess the quality of the information you find elsewhere about vaccines.

Questions I am frequently asked are: do we really need all those vaccines? Does my baby really need that many shots? Are they safe? To answer these questions, you need to understand the infections, the possible outcomes of the infections, what the vaccines’ potential risks as well as benefits are, and how each particular vaccine actually works.

People who delay immunizations risk contracting the infection, but equally important, they can spread the infection in the community, even to some who have been completely immunized. However, that risk differs for each vaccine-preventable disease. That is why we all need to understand the infections, how they are spread, and what the actual risks are if we are exposed to those infections compared to the risks of the vaccines that prevent them.

In the past, everyone knew these diseases because they saw the damage they caused within their families and neighborhoods. Now, many do not know much about them because they don’t see the illnesses or their impacts. They do, however, hear all the time about other illnesses some claim were caused by vaccines—no matter what the experts say.

It is important to understand just how serious the diseases vaccines prevent can be and why you still need to fear them. But it is also essential to understand that developing one of these infections does not mean enduring the most serious outcomes. Also, just because someone is not immunized does not mean they will be exposed to and become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease. For each infection, it is important for you to know why and how the unimmunized can place you and your family at risk.

I began this book after I spoke to a young mother whose child was recovering after a severe infection that could have been prevented by a vaccine. She told the physician caring for her child that she had been confused by the differences in what she heard about vaccines at the clinic compared to what some of her friends said and what she read on the internet. Because she did not know what to do, she did nothing. I asked if she would allow me to tell others about her experience. She started to cry and said, “Dr. Myers, why didn’t anyone tell me about this awful disease?”

That is a very important question. Because we do not see these diseases anymore, many are unaware of the devastation they are capable of causing—not to everyone but to some. This book is about these infections, the various illnesses they can cause, why people feared them so greatly, how the vaccines were developed, and why we still need to use the vaccines to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

The great irony about vaccines is that because they work, people don’t see the diseases they prevent anymore. They don’t know anyone who was injured by one of these diseases. And we doctors have not been very effective in teaching about the illnesses that vaccines prevent. Indeed, there are now physicians who don’t know much about these diseases either.

The development and use of vaccines has been one of the greatest public health achievements, as important as sanitation and safe drinking water are, for reducing the chances of developing infections and the diseases they cause and improving the lives of countless people. Even though we don’t see these diseases anymore, all are still present and capable of causing injury. For each infection, I will explain why it continues to pose a risk and how it could reappear in the US.

Unfortunately, people often hear about someone who believes they or their child had something bad happen to them after a vaccination, either directly from the person supposedly harmed or indirectly through someone the listener trusts. My first book, Do Vaccines Cause That?!, was meant to help you evaluate vaccine safety concerns; this book is meant to help you understand why the diseases vaccines prevent are still important and dangerous.

People who delay vaccines are important to all of us. Their fear places all of us at risk from some of these vaccine-preventable diseases. These people have told us they are concerned there are too many vaccines, afraid vaccines may cause serious side effects, and worried their child’s immune system might be overwhelmed by vaccines. They don’t think they or their child are at risk for these diseases, and they think these diseases aren’t all that bad anyway. I will address all of these issues, and when I express an opinion that is my own (as opposed to what is established by evidence), I will try to make that very clear.

How This Book Is Organized and My Objectives

To ensure everything you read here is correct, I had colleagues review the accuracy of what I have written. I also had a group of parents and grandparents who have not been medically trained review the content to check that I haven’t used misleading or technical language without explanation. I found out just how important that last group of readers is when I wrote my previous book, Do Vaccines Cause That?! Returning home from a trip, I picked up a manuscript chapter my spouse had been reading for me. She had tried to rewrite whole paragraphs! After talking with her about what she had written, it quickly became obvious how I had confused her. Some of the words I used meant something quite different to each of us. She wisely suggested I add a table of these words and expressions to explain their different meanings. I will include an updated version of that table here. In addition, when I need to use a technical term, I will define it.

Table 1-1. Meanings of Some Technical and Conversational Expressions