How Well Do Vaccines Work?
One of the main arguments from vaccine opponents is that vaccines do not work. The fact is that there is no vaccine that can protect its recipient 100 percent of the time. It is entirely possible to receive a vaccine and still become infected from the germ that the vaccine is designed to protect. However, all vaccines do work most of the time. Keep in mind, however, that there are very few things in life that work perfectly all the time. Your car, your computer, and even your body will fail at one time or another, but you 25 do not stop driving your car just because there is a possibility that it might malfunction.
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The chickenpox vaccine does not offer 100 percent protection to all of its recipients, either. Many children who have received the vaccine still got chickenpox, although the symptoms are much milder. This is the reason why doctors now recommend a booster chickenpox vaccine so that the shots can better protect your child.
Scientists and doctors know that certain vaccines work better than others. For example, vaccines against tetanus, polio, and smallpox work extremely well. These vaccines protect their recipients more than 99 percent of the time if they are exposed to these germs. On the other hand, it is well known to physicians and many patients that some vaccines do not always protect people from getting the infection. The flu vaccine is a good example. Even in communities where most of the members are vaccinated, outbreaks of flu can still occur in the winter.
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This differential in immune response is also seen in a scenario not involving vaccines. Most of you are aware that once a person recovers from the chickenpox he or she is immune for life. However, a small percentage of individuals may get chickenpox again for the second time.
Vaccines can fail for a number of reasons. Some people's immune systems are simply not as responsive to immunization as others. In addition, some people's response to the immunization fades more rapidly than others. In other words, these people's immune systems do not keep the record against germs as long as the majority of the population. For these individuals, the vaccines work temporarily, but the protection derived from vaccination wanes over time.
To put the effectiveness of vaccines in perspective, compare immunization to the use of seat belts. Wearing a seat belt doesn't give you the ability to cheat death. Although seat belt usage offers some degree of protection against serious injuries and death, it doesn't give you the license to drive recklessly. Even though seat belts do not always protect you from injuries in an accident, it doesn't mean that you should stop wearing one.
