Did you know that there is a whole rapid response network dedicated to combating anti-vaccine attacks on the social media pages, web sites, and review sites of providers? Shots Heard Round the World is a digital calvary that comes to the defense of providers who face coordinated online attacks after standing up for vaccines. I have a feeling they may be pretty busy after today, which is #DoctorsSpeakUp Day.
March 5 is the day Doctors Speak Up on social media about vaccine science and promote vaccination. While the article that started the myth that vaccines are connected to autism was debunked almost 20 years ago, the anti-vaccine movement it created continues. Today, doctors are trying to counter that misinformation that has spread like wildfire online.
The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that live vaccines are made up of a weakened version of the bacteria or virus responsible for the disease, while some vaccines are made from dead forms of the organism. In other cases, an inactivated toxin that is made by the bacteria or a piece of the bacteria or virus is used. The vaccine tricks the body into thinking it is under assault, and the immune system makes weapons that will provide a defense when a real infection becomes a threat.
Sometimes one dose of a vaccine is enough to protect a person, but often more than one dose is needed. Some antibodies protect for a lifetime, but others need boosting. Some viruses such as the flu can change enough to make the existing antibodies ineffective. That's why the flu vaccine is needed every year.
Resources:
https://www.shotsheard.com/#home-1-section
https://twitter.com/hashtag/DoctorsSpeakUp?src=hashtag_click
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/How-do-Vaccines-Work.aspx
https://www.statnews.com/2019/03/04/vaccines-no-association-autism-major-study/
