Painless Vaccinations

Branching off of my prior post dealing with vaccinations, I have found that there is a new method of vaccination in the works. This new method is called a microneedle vaccine patch. 

As can be seen from the picture above, the vaccine patch is very small. Believe it or not, this small little patch can be coated with the vaccine of choice and still be as effective as the traditional "shot" method. This patch is placed on the skin and is kept there for about 5 minutes. Unlike getting a shot, this method is relatively painless and requires very little skill to administer. The production patches will probable look less like a microchip and look more like a Bandaid.

 You can't really see them, but there really are needles in that white square!

While it is probably a few years out, this new method could revolutionize the way we think about vaccination. The common complaint is that people are afraid of needles and this is the reason why they do not get vaccinated. As a result, the rest of us have to suffer with people sniffling and sneezing around us. With this new method, what is there to be afraid of? I predict that this microneedle method will cause a jump in the amount of people vaccinated every year. This means less sniffling, less sneezing, and an overall better environment to live in.

TB

Be able to sneeze without sounding ridiculous. That means neither stifling yourself or spraying your immediate vicinity.

-Marilyn vos Savant

Additional Reading:

Maria del Pilar Martin, William C. Weldon, Vladimir G. Zarnitsyn, Dimitrios G. Koutsonanos, Hamed Akbari, Ioanna Skountzou, Joshy Jacob, Mark R. Prausnitz, and Richard W. Compans. Local Response to Microneedle-Based Influenza Immunization in the Skin. mBio, March/April 2012

Vaccination

There seems to be a controversy regarding the use of vaccines. Believe it or not, there are groups of activists who are firmly against vaccination. They seem to believe that vaccines cause autism, that they cause cancer, that they will anger God, and that there is no need for them. Now, I admit that there have been problems with vaccination and that the system has not always been perfect, but as with any aspect of medicine, it is an evolving science and continues to improve.

Some activists insist that vaccines directly cause autism. This claim has been thoroughly investigated time and time again. Each time this claim is found to be unjustified and false. There is not a scrap of evidence that shows vaccines are even remotely related to autism. The only basis for this accusation is that children who are diagnosed with autism have received vaccines. Think about it, children who are not autistic have also received these same vaccines and are just fine. 

Some other argument against vaccination center around the chemicals that are in vaccines. Activists want these chemicals, such as aluminum, removed. These compounds are called adjuvants. The activists' argument is that these adjuvants cause the body harm and are not necessary. Clearly a basic immunology course was not included in activist training. 

We can all agree that the sole purpose of a vaccine is to protect us against from getting some disease in the future. Vaccines work by giving us a small dose of either the non-infectious form of the disease causing agent, or the dead form. Our immune system, however, will not waste its time on something that is not harming us. So, how are we supposed to build immunity against something when our bodies won't give it the time a day. The answer is simple, adjuvants. These chemicals irritate our bodies just enough so that they send a 'danger single' to our immune systems and cause them to launch a response against the vaccine. This response is what builds up long-term immunity, called memory, and protects us from the diseases in the future. What happens if we listen to the activists and get rid of these chemicals? Simple, we start injecting ourselves with water because it will be just as effective as an adjuvant-free vaccine.

How quickly we forget diseases such as polio, smallpox, measles, mumps, and rubella. Older generations remember these diseases and remember the pain and suffering that victims felt. Younger generations, however, do not know what these diseases are and probably have never seen anyone with them. I can assure you that these diseases did not disappear on their own. Vaccination is what caused the decrease of these diseases and vaccination is what will continue to protect us. 

Unfortunately, as these activists gain strength, the number of parents refusing to vaccinate their children is on the rise. Unfortunately, people are choosing to put their trust in individuals who are uneducated in the sciences. As a result, we are seeing an increase in the number of cases of polio, measles, mumps, and rubella. These activists fail to report that these diseases, if survived, can maim their victims for life. Think carefully when considering vaccination. I strongly suggest you to follow your doctor's recommendation. 

TB

Do not let yourself be tainted with a barren skepticism.
-Louis Pasteur