Historical Perspectives on the Antaean Animadversion of Vaccine Science in the 21st Century

Should rare immunologic, neurologic, and other adverse events be indications to withhold vaccination?

“…Other underlying issues that may cause seizures around the time of vaccination include epileptic encephalopathy and benign epilepsy (51). Similarly, there is a commonly-held belief that the whole-cell pertussis vaccine of the 20 th century caused infantile encephalopathy (3). Despite refutation of such a link between this vaccine and severe neurological disease by expert researchers of infectious diseases (52), acellular pertussis vaccines were developed and first licensed in the United States in 1991.…”

“…One of the greatest myths against vaccine science of the 20 th century that still lingers in the 21 st century has been the persistent assertion that the MMR vaccine, typically the measles component, causes autism in young children. There are many factors at work in this claim based on historical underpinnings of two centuries of anti-vaccine views, parental anger at false claims by health care professionals (HCPs) for decades (1940s to 1980s plus) blaming autism on "cold" mothers, and confusion of parents and HCPs between temporal versus etiologic associations (2,3). Parents would see their young children receive the MMR vaccine and be diagnosed within 1-2 years with autism (2,3).…”

“…There are many factors at work in this claim based on historical underpinnings of two centuries of anti-vaccine views, parental anger at false claims by health care professionals (HCPs) for decades (1940s to 1980s plus) blaming autism on "cold" mothers, and confusion of parents and HCPs between temporal versus etiologic associations (2,3). Parents would see their young children receive the MMR vaccine and be diagnosed within 1-2 years with autism (2,3).…”

“…A now-retracted paper was published in Lancet in 1998 linking autism to the MMR vaccine by claiming it causes "autistic enterocolitis". That work fueled the hysteria against vaccines, mercury, and vaccine components (2,3). The author's status as a registered physician in the UK was revoked.…”

“…Research shows that millions of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths have been prevented by widespread application of vaccine science (1). Despite this success in vaccineprevented morbidity and mortality, concerns about the effectiveness and safety of immunizations have continued to echo since the dawn of vaccine development (2,3). Within the last few years, vaccine hesitancy has risen to such a level as to be identified by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 threats to global health in 2019 (4).…”