The Importance of Vaccinating Children

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This is weekly dose of wellness brought to you by MemorialCare Health System. Here's Deborah Howell. Hello and welcome to the show. You're listening to weekly dose of wellness brought to you by MemorialCare Health System.

Deborah Howell
I'm Deborah Howell and today's guest is Dr. Emily Edwards, a board certified pediatrician practicing at MemorialCare Medical Group in Irvine. Dr. Edwards completed her medical training at Children's Hospital of Orange County in her medical practice. Dr. Edwards partners with both the parents and the children to promote a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle which includes emphasis on development, education, nutrition, exercise and illness prevention. She says there is nothing more rewarding than making a positive difference in the health and life of a child. We couldn't agree more. Welcome to you, Dr. Edwards.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Thank you. Thank you for having me this morning.

Deborah Howell
It's a pleasure. Today, we're going to be talking about the importance and benefits of vaccinations for children. So let's begin with the basics. What should parents know about vaccinating their children?

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Well, parents should know that, you know, vaccinations are one of the top public health achievement of the 20th century. Vaccines have contributed to, you know, a significant reduction in many childhood diseases such as diarrhea, measles and whooping cough. Other diseases, such as polio and smallpox have been eliminated in the United States due to effective vaccine. And nowadays, it's children in the United States to experience the devastating and often deadly effects of these illnesses that were once really common.

Deborah Howell
Right.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
And, you know, also because immunization programs of the 20th century have been so successful, a lot of time parents today haven't seen how badly these diseases can actually affect children if they are, you know, infected with these diseases.

Deborah Howell
Absolutely. We've read about him in old books, but face to face, it's a whole different story.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Absolutely. And a lot of times parents haven't seen us, but we doctors have.

Deborah Howell
Well, we're in a new age now, and so most common diseases are preventable, so let's talk about what are some of the most common diseases that are preventable.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Well, whooping cough is a big one. Measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, the hepatitis infections such as hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Influenza, meningococcal disease, pneumococcal disease. And the list goes on and on really.

Deborah Howell
Probably the most common one that you just mentioned is influenza.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Mhmm.

Deborah Howell
So important to get vaccinated for that.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Absolutely, you should talk with your physician about getting a flu shot every year. You know, we see complications from influenza. You know, hospitalizing children every year with sometimes deadly complications, unfortunately.

Deborah Howell
Yeah. What's the youngest? A child can get an influenza vaccination.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Six months.

Deborah Howell
Six months, OK.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Yeah. So, you know, especially for parents who don't have, you know, for parents who have young babies who are under six months, those babies can't be vaccinated, so it's even more important for the parents to receive their vaccinations and kind of create a halo around the child and protect their infant from getting them.

Deborah Howell
And the babysitter and the grandparents.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Exactly, exactly.

Deborah Howell
Are there some diseases, doctor, that have been totally eradicated due to vaccine and vaccinations?

Emily Edwards, M.D.
There are there are, you know, diphtheria used to cause a lot of. You know, death about 13,000 deaths, you know, per year in the 1920 from diphtheria, but now 2002 there was only one case that was reported nationwide and this is due to the vaccine.

Deborah Howell
Can I ask you to describe the symptoms of diphtheria?

Emily Edwards, M.D.
A fever, you know, extreme throat, swelling, shortness of breath, basically feeling like your throat is closing on you. Now and this is something I've never seen in my practice, but you know, it's something I read about in the textbook.

Deborah Howell
Let's hope you never do.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Yeah, definitely.

Deborah Howell
So recently, I think you know this and everybody knows this, that parents have been reluctant to vaccinate their children. Are there diseases that are coming back due to this trend?

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Unfortunately, there are, and the one that comes to my to the top of my mind, you know, is the measles infection and you know, there have been a lot of parents that have been resistant to give their children the measles vaccine, and because of that, it would be have a low lying, you know, level of this infection in the community. And you know, we were to get measles and once again, it can be a deadly infection and in babies especially.

Deborah Howell
So can vaccines cause side effects? And if so, what are the most common ones?

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Sure, the you know, vaccines, like any medicine, can cause side effects that the most common side effects are minor. Some can get a sore arm, redness or swelling where the shot was then headache, fatigue or, you know, kind of low grade fever.

Deborah Howell
Mm hmm.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
And so those are the things that are most common. And then, of course, if your child ever gets hives or swelling around the mouth or face or, you know, has a high fever with vaccines, you should notify your doctor right away.

Deborah Howell
OK, but not be too alarmed because these are common side effects.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Correct.

Deborah Howell
OK, now we can't talk about immunization and vaccines without thinking about autism. Do vaccines cause autism, in your opinion?

Emily Edwards, M.D.
No. You know, unfortunately, the problem with autism is that we don't exactly know what causes it. There's definitely a genetic component to autism, and unfortunately, vaccines have gotten a bad rap because right at the same time as you're vaccinating your child with vaccines, autism symptoms can start to develop. So there's you know, there is the thought out there that there is a relationship. But study after study after study has shown that, you know, vaccines that vaccines do not cause autism.

Deborah Howell
All right, so let's put that nasty rumor to rest.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Absolutely.

Deborah Howell
OK, it's good to hear it from you. Your lips in such a positive affirmative, you know way because really there is a lot of, you know, the internet. There's so many stories and people get hysterical. And you know, you need to talk to a real physician about these things.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Absolutely, absolutely. And you, you know, I can't imagine any, you know, pediatrician or physician who would say otherwise. You know that vaccines do not cause autism. And I think, you know, the strongest testimony I always give to my patients is that I have a 15 month old daughter and, you know, I vaccinated her on schedule and right at twelve months, she got the MMR vaccine. Just like all the other kids, you know, and all parents worry about autism, I worry about autism, but vaccines do not autism.

Deborah Howell
All right. Really, really, really good to hear. My husband got whooping cough last year and we were all very surprised. Even the doctor took a minute or two to diagnose.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Yeah.

Deborah Howell
It seems to be really kind of rearing its ugly head again.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
It is. It's coming back. And that's and that's goes back to the booster issue. Why it is so important for adults to get their whopping cough boosters, you know, check in with their doctor on the schedule that they need it. But we have seen a resurgence of whooping cough, which is why you know, we are recommending the booster. And the problem with the whooping cough is that it is causing the most problems in young babies who not get vaccinated, you know, and babies who are less than six months old and you don't get your first whooping cough vaccine in general and your two month old. So that window there, where they're getting infected and they're usually getting infected from adults who got the booster as an infant child, but their immunity has, as you know, worn off. So for all the parents out there and grandparents, you know, it's important to ask your physician if you need the whopping cost booster.

Deborah Howell
And big brothers and sisters, you too. Anyone in contact with that baby. All right, doctor. If our listeners want more information on vaccines and immunizations, where can they go?

Emily Edwards, M.D.
They can visit the Centers for Disease website at CDC.gov. Or the American Academy of Pediatrics site at HealthyChildren.org.

Deborah Howell
That's healthy children.org. Very, very easy one to remember. Any final thoughts because we've got about 60 seconds left.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Nope, just vaccinate often and regularly.

Deborah Howell
Perfect. Well, can't get better advice than that and just follow through and we'll all be a lot healthier and more well as we go into the fall season. I want to thank you so much, Dr. Edwards, for finding the time to talk to us today about protecting our kids and our families and our friends, of course, through vaccinations. It's been a pleasure to have you on the show.

Emily Edwards, M.D.
Thank you. It's my pleasure.

Deborah Howell
I'm Deborah Howard. Don't forget, get your vaccination timely and often and of course, every family member. And please join us again next time as we explore another weekly dose of wellness brought to you by MemorialCare Health System. Have a fantastic day!