Vaccinations suck
I wasn't going to write for the Hive Learners post this time around because I have to go to work in just a short period of time. Then I saw the title : Vaccinations and I groaned to myself. Yeah, I think I really should write on this one. Now I'm writing not because I like getting needles. Nope. I hate needles and hate shots. Yuck. Having said there I certainly DO get vaccinations on a regular basis. However there is a time and place for vaccinations.
Please don't believe the misinformation
Now I've heard some things which I truly don't believe. My mother believes that the COVID vaccinations were the governments way to kill old people so they could save money on old age security payments. Sorry Mom, I really don't believe that. I had one person come into the pharmacy convinced that I was a government agent giving COVID shots to mind control the population. I know for 100% certainty that isn't true. Why? The simple fact is that I don't give ANY injections. Period. Sure in my province Pharmacists CAN give injections but its optional and one of the big reasons I'm a Pharmacist and not a Doctor is because I looked at IV's, needles, and stuff like that and thought....Nope...not for me.
However, there don't think that the drug companies are all in the clear when it comes to vaccinations either. Some people said that COVID was just a hoax perpetrated by big government and big pharma to make BIG profits for the drug companies. Now I'm certain COVID wasn't a hoax as I know people from the pharmacy who died from it. Big Pharma did profit from it though as there was a huge demand for the vaccine. There is money in vaccines and where there is money corporations will actively pursue it. Does that mean they put a lot of advertising dollars into getting people to get their shots. Absolutely. Are some of those shots important? Absolutely. Are all those shots important....well, that's where it gets interesting.
However, there is one reasonable way to figure out if a shot is useful or not. Look at the government payments.
Governments don't like spending money
People ask me. Why does the government pay for MMR, Polio and DPT shots (Measles, mumps, rubella / Diptheria/Pertussis/Tetanus) for children but it doesn't cover Arexxvy or Shingrix for elderly? I'm sure there are other reasons but I tell them this:
MMR and DPT save them money.
There is a saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".
Well lets look from a government perspective. Polio vaccine. Give it to children and it costs the government money. Don't give it to children and you have a young person who will need government support to help with their polio which costs a lot more money. Do what's cheaper: Give the Polio vaccine.
But does the Polio Vaccine have side effects? Of course it does but if you look at the numbers it still makes sense. Let's look at the Oral Polio Vaccine. It was effective but has been phased out because the injectable version is much safer. Oral : 3 in a million chance of a problem. Injected : 1 in 10 million-- and the problem is milder. But lets look at the oral version : 1 in 3 million doses causes Polio. About 760 cases from using the vaccine. Number of cases prevented : 30 million.
Many individuals think : Why on earth would I give myself that tiny chance of polio when I don't have to! But they miss the point. If no-one is vaccinated their risk goes way up. On the vaccine side 760 cases on the non-vaccine side 30 million. I know which risk factor I'm going with but everyone is free to choose the side they want.
But not all vaccines are cures!
People often ask me how effective the Shingrix vaccine is and I typically tell them...Effective enough that I got it when I was the proper age for it, but you need to know the numbers.
Now I don't give exact numbers because if I go into case studies people glaze over very quickly. Here is how I do explain it. If you haven't had chicken pox you likely won't need the shingles vaccine as shingles is chicken pox...round 2 when the person is older and the immune system weakens. (I might tell them to get immunized against Chicken pox but that's a different discussion). Then I tell them the bad news. You sure realize that even if you get the Shingrix vaccine you can still get shingles though.
That's when people get upset. Why am I paying money for something that doesn't prevent Shingles.
So, I use that as my cue to tell them a bit more. If you get Shingles there are generally three outcomes. You could be in agony for a few weeks (most of the time). You could be in agony for a few months (less common) or you could be in agony for the rest of your life (still happens). If you get the Shingles vaccine: You are less likely by far to get shingles but if you do it will be milder and shorter lived. No life long debilitating shingles for you.
In that light, is it effective? I'm putting my money on yes it is--literally, as I got the shot close to my 55th birthday.
The same is true with the flu vaccine. Most people don't know the difference between a flu and a cold. They get the flu shot and get mild symptoms of a cold and say the shot gave them the flu. Well, I often feel lousy after getting the flu shot. Aches, malaise, and generally feeling icky. Then again, I've also had the flu. No thank you. Never again. I'll take the flu shot side effects every time. Even better, most people have milder side effects than I do...I'm just one of the unlucky ones.
But look at every vaccination carefully
However, I will also say that not every vaccine is created equal! Some vaccines have more side effects. Some vaccines just aren't necessary if you aren't in an area where the disease is prevalent. Sure I could get Japanese encephalitis vaccine but as my chances of getting it where I live are nil why would I bother? Other vaccines have modest benefit (but I'm not going to give names as I don't want to start a flame war). One that I looked into was Tuberculosis vaccine. With the rise of tuberculosis in the world I was suitably concerned about getting it. It's a nasty disease.
But in the end I am not getting the vaccination. First reason: It is just not that effective in adults. Efficacy is from 0-80% depending on where you live and what strains of tuberculosis are in your area. Efficacy also depends on when it is given. As an infant it has much better effect than if you get it as an adult. So... With 50% efficacy...maybe. Possible side effects. Limited prevalance of tuberculosis in my area and limited transmission of tuberculosis from person to person on casual contact I made a decision. I'm not getting that vaccine.
Again: It is MY choice. Some people may say "I want it!" and they wouldn't be wrong.
At the end of the day I just wish people would look at the firm data. The firm data does come from the manufacturer in my opinion. Absolutely they can hide biases in the numbers. Statistics can say almost anything you want them to if you work the numbers hard enough. However, if you learn how to read the actual data and the real numbers you can get very good information from the manufacturers. Reason: If they outright lie it can be huge lawsuits and big losses for them. Companies hate losses. If they told the truth but obscured behind numbers they work to make themselves look better? Well, they didn't lie but a little digging could have revealed more of the story.
Let me give you an easier to understand example:
As a pharmacist there was an advertisement going around about Tylenol as a pain relieves. It showed a woman in a maternity ward with her baby. She was talking about how she was in pain after childbirth and was surprised when the doctor gave her Tylenol. The message that was hinted at: Tylenol is strong enough for severe pain from childbirth so it must be good for other pain too. That always irritated me. The doctor likely gave Tylenol because it is overall safer for the mother and baby. Opioids would be addicting. NSAIDS have a risk to stomach, kidney and can lead clotting issues. If I'm a doctor and want to give something that I know is safe? Tylenol. Is it as powerful as Ibuprofen? Maybe not, but why risk side effects?
In that case there is the marketing "Tylenol is powerful!" vs the reality "Tylenol is a safe and effective choice even if it may not be quite as strong.
End result: With manufacturers read through the marketing.
With Internet : Check the facts. There is a lot of misinformation out there.
Pharmacists aren't government agents trying to mind control the population through vaccinations. Or at the very least this pharmacist isn't.
And as a final note: I'm writing this off the cuff on a 30 minute timeline. I haven't taken the time to get links to every stat. They are my "from memory" and absolutely rounded numbers. I think the Polio vaccine is 0-80% and 50% in my area. I think the Oral polio vaccine is actually about 1 in 2.7 Million doses and so on. I'm NOT writing this to be pro or anti vaccine. However, I am saying there is a lot of misinformation, lies and strong feelings on the topic of vaccinations so... Go in to find the truth with an open mind. Your health is important and so is your choice.