This paper was prepared by the Encephalitis Society with advice from Dr Natasha Crowcroft, Consultant Medical Epidemiologist, Immunisation Department, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections

Immunisation (Vaccinations)

Immunisation (vaccination) is the safest way of creating immunity in humans and animals against certain diseases. Before vaccines were invented the only way to create immunity in the body was to tolerate a bout of the disease in question. Once endured, and providing you survived, your immune system could fight off any future infections of a similar nature before they took hold.

Immunity by vaccination is achieved by injecting small amounts of a killed or weakened micro-organism (or germ). These have been modified so that they can no longer cause the diseases against which they protect. This allows the body’s normal defences to build immunity against that particular disease. Vaccination has the same effect on the immune system so it is ready to fight off any future infections, but it hasn’t had to deal with the potential damage of the disease.

Some people think vaccine preventable infectious diseases aren't a threat nowadays because they are rarely heard of. They are rarely heard of because of vaccination. It is one of the greatest public health achievements in history. Literally millions of premature deaths have been prevented, and countless children have been saved from serious illnesses, their complications and the permanent damage, both physical and mental, that can result.

While vaccines are much safer than actually having the disease, they, like all medicines can carry a small risk of adverse reaction. The majority of adverse reactions are very mild, but can, very rarely include post-vaccination encephalitis. The risk of developing vaccine-related encephalitis is extremely small in comparison to the health risks associated with the diseases that vaccines prevent. Importantly, the data indicates that vaccines are in the order of 1,000 to 100,000 times safer than running the risk of contracting the disease.

An Example
Measles - one in 5,000 children contracting wild measles will develop acute encephalitis: 3 out of 20 (of those who develop encephalitis) will die from it with 20-40% of those will be left with permanent after-effects. (www.uvig.org/faqsheets/child.asp)

Less than 1 in a million will develop encephalitis from the vaccination which is less than the incidence of all types of encephalitis.
(www.medinfo.co.uk/immunisations/mmr.html)

In a study carried out in Finland between 1982 and 1986 of over ½ million children, it was found that the incidence of encephalitis in the 3 months following a MMR vaccination was no different to the overall incidence.
(Makela, A. et a. l (2002) Neurological Disorders after Measles – Mumps – Rubella Vaccination PEDIATRICS Vol 110 No 5)

There is no way of predicting who will have an adverse reaction to a vaccination. The individual’s susceptibility may be determined by their genetic background and previous immunological history. A checklist for contraindications can be found at www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/contraindications.htm and contraindications are also included in the Department of Health’s guidance available at www.dh.gov.uk/greenbook

Further information (provided by www.cafamily.org.uk)

Immunisation Programme
Department of Health
Room 602A
Skipton House
80 London Road
London SE1 6LH

Fax: 020 7972 5758

Web: www.immunisation.org.uk and http://www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk/

Provides information for parents on vaccination and has downloadable factsheets on most of the routine vaccines.

Sense
11-13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3SR

Tel: 020 7272 7774
Fax: 020 7272 6012
E-mail: info@sense.org.uk
www.sense.org.uk

Sense is the UK's largest organisation for children and adults who are deafblind or have associated disabilities (many of which were caused by infections such as rubella)

The Health Protection Agency
Immunisation Department, Centre for Infections
61 Colindale Avenue London NW9 5EQ

www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/vaccination/vacc_menu.htm

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is an independent body that protects the health and well-being of the population.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have the same vaccination programme:

The Health Promotio Agency for Northern Ireland
18 Ormeau Avenue
Belfast BT2 8HS

Tel: 028 9031 1611
Web: www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk/Work/Parentschild/immunisation/menu.htm

National Public Health Service for Wales
Unit 1 Charnwood Court
Heol Billingsley
Parc Nantgarw
Cardiff
CF15 7QZ

Telephone 01443 824160
Fax: 01443 824161
general.enquiries@nphs.wales.nhs.uk

Health Protection Scotland
Clifton House
Clifton Place
Glasgow
G3 7LN

Tel: 0141 300 1100
Fax: 0141 300 1170
Email: hpsenquiries@hps.scot.nhs.uk

Health Education Board Scotland
Woodburn House
Canaan Lane
Edinburgh
EH10 4SG

Tel: 0131 536 5500
Text: 0131 536 5503
Web: www.hebs.scot.nhs.uk

Other organisations providing parents with alternative views:

Justice Awareness and Basic Support (JABS)
1 Gawsworth Road
Golborne
Warrington WA3 3RF

Tel: 01942 713565
Fax: 01942 201323
e-mail: jabs@jabs.org.uk
Web: www.jabs.org.uk

Offers support to parents who believe their children have a health problem following immunisation.

The Informed Parent
PO Box 4481
Worthing BN11 2WH

Tel/Fax: 01903 212969
Web SIte: www.informedparent.co.uk

Provides an alternative view of immunisation to the official stance and supports parents regardless of decisions made.

The views expressed in these websites and other quoted resources represent those of the authors and are not the views or official policy of the Encephalitis Society and its Professional Panel.

Last modified: 06/06/07