Denying children vaccines will do more harm than good

Denying children vaccines will harm more than help

EDITOR:

This is in response to the concerns expressed about vaccines in a recent letter in The Vindicator.

While I agree with the concerns raised by the writers regarding the increasing number of vaccines the children are receiving and the potential for side effects, I would like the following facts to be known:

1. Originally, the vaccines were developed to prevent diseases that were killing or crippling people in the hundreds or thousands every year. Some of these vaccines were crude, considering today’s standards but from a benefit/risk perspective, their use was fully justifiable.

2. With the passage of time, vaccines have now been developed and recommended for use to prevent even those diseases which cause only 50 to 100 deaths in this country in a year and a few hundred hospital admissions with some resulting in residual disabilities.

The question we face is this: Can we knowingly not recommend the use of these vaccines to prevent these 50 to 100 deaths from a particular disease when it is known that the vaccine itself is extremely unlikely to cause any major side effects or death? Some of the “alleged” side effects are still under investigation, for example, links to autism.

3. Physicians and vaccine manufacturers are aware of the potential problems with vaccines and have been working on improving them. Several years ago, the DTP vaccine was reformulated, resulting in great improvement in side effects.

Recently mercury has been removed from all vaccines except one product with miniscule amounts still necessary to be used as a preservative.

4. At present, several trials are being conducted to evaluate the interaction of vaccines when used in different combinations. Our own practice is involved in some of these multinational/multicenter trials, and the results will be published in the near future.

There is definitely a need for continued evaluation and research to improve the vaccines and use prudent judgment in their use; however, we have to work with what we have. Not giving the vaccines will harm more people than giving the vaccines.

KHALID IQBAL, M.D.

Pediatric Associates of Youngstown

Coverage of graduations in region appreciated

EDITOR:

Thanks to The Vindicator for allotting the space, photographers and reporters to cover the 2008 graduations at local high schools.

I sold high school yearbooks for 35 years in this area and know first-hand how important graduation is to the seniors and the school communities.

Oftentimes their many accomplishments go unnoticed to the general public. However, your efforts in chronicling their contributions are thankfully recognized.

KEN BRAYER

Boardman

Wouldn’t it be nice if our leaders represented us?

EDITOR:

We, in the United States, have a federal government of representatives, senators and congressmen, a president and a vice president. It has been discussed in the last several months that in the upcoming election, we are going to elect our leaders. I belong to the Libertarian Party whose candidates offer only to be your representatives. We believe this is an important difference.

Most people do not need to be led. And, if we were to follow anyone, would you choose our politicians to lead us? Personally, I have not had any desire to be led by anyone in government. It would be nice if some of our government officials would represent us. It would be nice if they might try to understand the problems of ordinary people.

It would be nice if they would let us solve those problems for ourselves instead of being told what to do by persons who claim to be our leaders.

It would be nice if some of our representatives could simplify the governmental regulations that so often hamper our work and our solutions.

The Constitution makes it illegal to have titles of nobility in the U.S. government. Surely if the framers of the Constitution wanted us to have a government of leaders, they would have promoted the titles of lords, nobles and even kings. These titles would have indicated that these people were our leaders. By denying these titles, the framers were telling our government to represent us, not ask us to follow them. The gentlemen who wrote the Constitution were very wise indeed.

Let us, in 2008, see which candidates will offer to represent us.

DONALD BUTLER

Warren

Medicare should delay home medical care reforms

EDITOR:

Medicare bureaucrats are rolling out a new “competitive bidding” program for home medical equipment and services that are required by some senior citizens and people with disabilities.

This sounds good. Who can argue with competition? But the way this federal program has been designed is a disaster — for patients, providers, and taxpayers.

Homecare providers, disability organizations, and a growing number in Congress know that this bidding program will stifle competition and put qualified homecare providers out of business.

As a result, the program will reduce the availability of care for seniors and disabled Americans who require home medical equipment and services, such as home oxygen therapy, power wheelchairs, and hospital beds used at home.

While the bidding program is touted to save money, a true accounting would have to include the higher costs of delayed hospital discharges, more frequent emergency room visits, and the impact of failed businesses and lost jobs in home-care — the most cost-effective sector of Medicare.

Congress should delay this program for at least 18 months so it can review serious questions about access to care, quality, and fairness.

DIANE VOLOSIN, Controller

Boardman Medical Supply

Girard