May 2007

Parents Pack Newsletter

Possessing, Accessing and Communicating Knowledge About Vaccines

In this issue:

Feature Article: Animals and Vaccines
Spotlight: Healthpolitics.org
Did You Know?. . .Edible Vaccines
Ask the VEC - MMR Vaccine and Pregnancy

Feature Article: Animals and Vaccines

The benefits of vaccines are often discussed as they relate to people. Vaccines keep people healthy, decrease the transmission of diseases throughout the population, and decrease the costs associated with medical care. However, animal vaccines are of benefit to people as well. Obvious benefits include keeping pets healthier and decreasing the costs of veterinary care. But they also decrease the number of human cases of disease by preventing diseases that are transmitted to humans by animals (e.g., rabies). And by keeping farm animals, such as chickens, healthy with immunizations, we can raise more animals and our grocery bills stay lower.

Animal vaccines can prevent human disease

One of the best methods for controlling human rabies in the United States is by immunizing pets. In some other countries where dogs and cats are not routinely immunized against rabies, the animals are the major source of rabies cases in humans. However in the U.S., most exposures occur by inadvertent contact with wildlife. The types of wildlife that account for mostexposures in the U.S. vary, depending upon the geographic location. In the eastern part of the country, raccoons account for most human exposures and in the western and central parts of the U.S., skunks are the primary transmitters to humans. Foxes account for most human cases in the northeastern states that border Canada and in Alaska.

Animal vaccines can help the grocery bill

During the 1928 presidential campaign, Republicans promised that a vote for Herbert Hoover would continue the prosperity started by Harding and Coolidge; they promised the proverbial "chicken in every pot." But it wasn't a president who delivered on this promise, it was a scientist. Dr. Maurice Hilleman developed a vaccine that would ultimately decrease the cost of chicken from two dollars to 40 cents and eggs from 50 cents to 5 cents per dozen. The vaccine that Dr. Hilleman developed prevents a disease in chickens called Marek's disease, which causes leg paralysis and cancers of the skin, ovaries, liver, kidneys, heart and spleen of the animals. It is caused by a herpesvirus that spreads easily throughout a flock as well as to neighboring flocks. Prior to the availability of the vaccine, Marek's disease claimed about 20% of the chicken population throughout the country.

Your thoughts

Vaccines continue to have important implications in many aspects of our lives. If you have thoughts about the role of vaccines in our lives or know of other indirect benefits of vaccines, we'd like to hear from you. Email us at contactPACK@email.chop.edu.

If you enjoyed the story about the chicken vaccine and would like to read more, look for "Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases" by Paul A. Offit, MD, on bookstore shelves in June 2007. Dr. Offit's new book tells the history of vaccines through the life of Dr. Maurice Hilleman. In addition to the Marek's disease vaccine, Dr. Hilleman, who passed away in April 2005, made nine of today's recommended vaccines for children.

Spotlight: Healthpolitics.org

Dr. Mike Magee hosts a weekly internet-based program about topics relating to health and policy. Each program includes audio, video, informational slides, and downloadable podcasts. While the topics vary broadly, Dr. Magee has addressed vaccine-related items including "Why Kids Need Their Shots." To register for a weekly email alert or view past programs, visit www.healthpolitics.org.

Did You Know?. . . Edible Vaccines

Scientists are researching the possible delivery of vaccines through foods such as potatoes, bananas or corn. The plants are altered so that when they reproduce, they also make the vaccine. Although none of these vaccines are available to date, the hope is that these types of vaccines could be used to simultaneously feed and immunize populations in developing countries, control overpopulation of animals such as deer, or prevent diseases that are primarily transmitted through wild animals. For example, Lyme disease is transmitted to deer ticks from wild mice, so a vaccine eaten by the mice could potentially decrease transmission of the disease.

Ask the VEC — MMR Vaccine and Pregnancy

Q. I am pregnant with my second child and my 1-year old recently got his MMR vaccine. Someone told me that my son's vaccine could cause my unborn child to suffer birth defects from rubella. Is this true?

A. No. The MMR vaccine can be given to children who live with pregnant women or immuno-compromised people. While the MMR vaccine contains live measles, mumps and rubella viruses, they are weakened so much that they are not usually transmitted from the recipient to others. Even if the virus was transmitted, it is too weak to cause harm.

Send us your comments

If you have any comments about this newsletter or suggestions about how we can make our Web site more helpful, please send your comments to contactPACK@email.chop.edu.

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