Vaccination from the patient's perspective H&S

Question 1

What proportion of people (on average) must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity? How does measles differ?

Answer 1

• Usually around 70-90%

- Measles it is around 95%

Question 2

What are the lessons learned from history regarding vaccinations?

Answer 2

• Vaccines provoke popular myths and story telling
• Compulsory vaccination can fuel controversy and mistrust
• Anti-vaccination arguments tend to focus on vaccines being ineffective and causing harm
• Support from healthcare professionals and the public trust is key to successful immunisation programmes
• Brilliant immunology advances require public policy and service delivery to be successful

Question 3

How would you discuss vaccination risks with parents?

Answer 3

1. The risk of not vaccinating your child is significant - measles is highly contagious
2. Vaccination is extremely safe and most side effects are very minor
3. Most serious allergic reactions are very rare and we have equipment to deal with them
4. The risks of not vaccinating are far greater than vaccinating