Chickenpox Vaccine Loses Effectiveness After One Year

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http://mercola.com/2004/mar/6/chickenpox_vaccine.htm

 

 

Chickenpox Vaccine Loses Effectiveness After One Year

 

 

 

The effectiveness of the chickenpox vaccine decreases significantly after one

year, researchers found in a study prompted by reports of chickenpox outbreaks

among highly immunized groups. They also found that administering the vaccine to

infants younger than 15 months lowered the vaccine’s effectiveness.

 

 

 

The study included 339 children ages 13 months or older who had chickenpox. The

researchers found that the vaccine’s effectiveness went down a year after it was

given, from an average of 97 percent effectiveness during the first year, to 84

percent in years two through eight.

 

 

 

Further, the vaccine was 99 percent effective in protecting children who had

received the vaccine at 15 months or older, however, immunity decreased to 73

percent among children who had been vaccinated before 15 months.

 

 

 

Children who came down with chickenpox after receiving the vaccine reportedly

showed only “mild symptoms.”

 

 

 

Researchers say waiting to administer the chickenpox vaccine until a child is 15

months old could increase its effectiveness, however they note that this must be

weighed against the risks of leaving a child unvaccinated for an extra three

months.

 

 

 

Journal of the American Medical Association February 18, 2004;291(7):851-5

 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Not only did the vaccine not offer protection for many of the children who

received it, but if a child eats properly, the likelihood of any complications

from naturally acquired chickenpox is quite minimal. The natural infection is

far better at providing an immune protective response.

 

 

 

These scientists are fooling with some potentially huge problems. Now the

vaccine is not working to protect the children from chickenpox. What will happen

to these kids and others as they grow older and are far more prone to developing

the adult manifestation of chickenpox, herpes zoster (shingles)?

 

 

 

It is interesting that all of the news reports mention that the cases of chicken

pox in the vaccinated children were " mild, " insinuating that this is somehow

preferable to a " normal " case. However, what exactly does this REALLY mean?

 

 

 

Well, according to the CDC's Web site, in people vaccinated the " cases of

disease caused by the wild virus … are typically very mild, with fewer than 50

skin lesions and no fever. " The fact that there is no fever caused by the

chicken pox should throw up a BIG red flag to everyone. It means that the

natural immune response of the body, of which fever is an important part, is

being suppressed.

 

 

 

A good strong immune response to the varicella virus that causes chicken pox is

important for several reasons. First, it is a virus that will remain in the body

forever, as it lives in the nervous system even after the typical lesions are

long gone. In a healthy adult who had the natural illness, this should not be a

problem, as the immune system will keep the virus in check.

 

 

 

However, the " mild " chicken pox seen in some children given the vaccine may not

provide adequate lifelong protection from complications or reactivation of the

latent virus. Also, the varicella virus is a member of the Human Herpes virus

family and is also known as human herpes virus 3 (HHV3).

 

 

 

Since other viruses in this family can cause problems, naturally acquired

chicken pox may provide some protection against these other viruses as well.

Herpes viruses have been implicated in causing cancer, Bell's Palsy, and

multiple sclerosis.

 

 

 

" The Virus Within, " an excellent book by Nicholas Regush, is a pioneering

investigation into the potential adverse health effects of Human Herpes Virus 6

(HHV-6), and maintains that the virus may play an important role in AIDS and

chronic fatigue syndrome.

 

 

 

Chicken pox may be severe in infants, but if the mother has had the natural

disease and is breastfeeding, this should provide adequate protection from

complications, although it may be prudent to have the infant monitored by a

competent physician just to be safe. I am not sure if this protection extends to

mothers who were vaccinated, although I would guess that their antibody levels

would be much lower and therefore they may not be able to provide as much

protection.

 

 

 

Premature infants are also at greater risk, due to lower antibody levels against

the virus that are normally transferred from the mother.

 

 

 

In addition to infants, chicken pox can also be severe in adults, causing a

higher rate of complications and deaths than in children. This highlights

another big problem with the vaccine. Since it produces much lower antibody

levels than the natural infection, it is likely that when vaccinated children

become adults, they will be at a higher risk of these complications.

 

 

 

The topic of chicken pox is very apropos right now, as the incidence peaks in

the late winter and spring.

 

Related Articles:

 

Chickenpox Vaccine Increases Risk for Shingles

 

Children Who Had Chickenpox Vaccine Contract Disease

 

Chickenpox Vaccine Works LESS Than Half the Time

 

Merck Chickenpox Ads Aim at Parents' Fear, Guilt

 

Chicago Tribune Opposes Chickenpox Vaccine Mandate

 

Most Older Children Are Naturally Immune to Chickenpox

 

 

 

 

 

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