Have you ever wondered why anti-vaccine folks always ask about vaccine inserts?
Would they really be happy if we handed them the entire vaccine insert before every visit?
Would they read the entire vaccine insert?
Or would they continue to only believe the parts that they think justify their decisions to leave their kids unvaccinated, unprotected, and at risk for getting life-threatening diseases?
Show Me the Vaccine Insert!
Let’s see what’s really in these package inserts…
“Measles, mumps, and rubella are three common childhood diseases, caused by measles virus, mumps virus (paramyxoviruses), and rubella virus (togavirus), respectively, that may be associated with serious complications and/or death. For example, pneumonia and encephalitis are caused by measles. Mumps is associated with aseptic meningitis, deafness and orchitis; and rubella during pregnancy may cause congenital rubella syndrome in the infants of infected mothers”
MMR II Package Insert
Wait a second!
How can anti-vaccine folks say that measles is a mild disease if the vaccine insert says that it “may be associated with serious complications and/or death.”
Have they really read this thing?
“The impact of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination on the natural history of each disease in the United States can be quantified by comparing the maximum number of measles, mumps, and rubella cases reported in a given year prior to vaccine use to the number of cases of each disease reported in 1995. For measles, 894,134 cases reported in 1941 compared to 288 cases reported in 1995 resulted in a 99.97% decrease in reported cases; for mumps, 152,209 cases reported in 1968 compared to 840 cases reported in 1995 resulted in a 99.45% decrease in reported cases; and for rubella, 57,686 cases reported in 1969 compared to 200 cases reported in 1995 resulted in a 99.65% decrease”
MMR II Package Insert
Full stop!
How can they say vaccines don’t work when the package insert provides these stats showing it does and goes on to say that “M-M-R II is highly immunogenic and generally well tolerated.”
“The recommended age for primary vaccination is 12 to 15 months.”
MMR II Package Insert
Why are some of these folks delaying or skipping their child’s MMR vaccine? The package insert says to give it at 12 to 15 months!
“Individuals first vaccinated at 12 months of age or older should be revaccinated prior to elementary school entry.”
MMR II Package Insert
That’s the part of the package insert that says to give a second dose before kids enter kindergarten.
“There are no reports of transmission of live attenuated measles or mumps viruses from vaccinees to susceptible contacts.”
MMR II Package Insert
And that’s the part that says they can stop talking about shedding.
Maybe we should make anti-vaccine folks read these inserts…
“The following adverse reactions are listed in decreasing order of severity, without regard to causality, within each body system category and have been reported during clinical trials, with use of the marketed vaccine, or with use of monovalent or bivalent vaccine containing measles, mumps, or rubella:”
MMR II Package Insert
Do anti-vaccine folks understand that some of the things that are listed in the adverse reactions section of the package insert haven’t actually been proven to be caused by the vaccine? They are listed “without regard to causality.”
When you see them talk about SIDS and autism and package inserts, this is what they are talking about.
What about all of the “hidden” ingredients that are listed in the package insert?
The ingredients that are so well hidden, they are listed right in the vaccine’s insert? Where does it mention all of the toxins that anti-vaccine folks are always talking about?
“…M-M-R II is highly immunogenic and generally well tolerated.”
MMR II Package Insert
The MMR vaccine works and it is safe.
It says so in the package insert.
More on Vaccine Inserts
- VAXOPEDIA – How to Read a Package Insert for a Vaccine
- VAXOPEDIA – Are Package Inserts Evidence That Vaccines Cause SIDS and Autism?
- VAXOPEDIA – Myths About Warnings and Adverse Reactions in the MMR Package Inserts
- VAXOPEDIA – Are Vaccines Evaluated for Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity or Impairment of Fertility?
- VAXOPEDIA – Vaccine Information Statements
- VAXOPEDIA – Is Meningitis a Side Effect of Vaccines?
- VAXOPEDIA – Do I Have to Sign a Consent Form Before Getting a Vaccine?
- VAXOPEDIA – How Do You Provide Informed Consent to Vaccination?
- Debunking anti-vaccine arguments: VAERS, package inserts, and the VICP do not prove that vaccines are dangerous
- Argument by Vaccine Package Inserts – debunking myths
- Package Inserts – Understanding What They Do (and Don’t) Say
- Vaccine Package Inserts: Not all you should be reading
- Anti-vaccine parents and the package insert paradox
- Debunking anti-vaccine arguments: VAERS, package inserts, and the
- VICP do not prove that vaccines are dangerous
- The vaccine package insert paradox
- FDA – MMR II
- Package Inserts
I can’t speak for anyone else, but, yes, I would read the whole thing. Just as I’ve read the full package insert for every medication I’ve ever been prescribed as an adult — because I believe in INFORMED consent and in taking personal responsibility for my health and that of my children. (Also because every. single. time. a doctor has given me drugs in the hospital, s/he has missed a relevant contraindication and I’ve had to catch these myself and ensure they make the necessary adjustments.)
But, please, tell me more about how the insert says that the vaccine works because it shows correlation. Last I checked, correlation did not equal causation. (And before you start in on a straw man argument, adhering to the *cautionary principle* is not the same thing as claiming proof of causation.) So much for science.