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Promoting Herd Immunity in Your Community (PI) Characterized by the Body’S Inability to Vaccines for People with Different Kinds of Make Antibodies

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Promoting Herd Immunity in Your Community (PI) Characterized by the Body’S Inability to Vaccines for People with Different Kinds of Make Antibodies Summer 2014 NUMBER 76 THE NATIONAL NEWSLETTER OF THE IMMUNE DEFICIENCY FOUNDATION Promoting Herd Immunity in Your Community (PI) characterized by the body’s inability to vaccines for people with different kinds of make antibodies. People with XLA do not PI and addressed the concerns those with make any protection for themselves when PI had about getting vaccine preventable they are vaccinated. “Many people view illnesses. The article emphasizes educating vaccination as a choice, not a must,” she parents and physicians about the critical said, “I’ve made it my mission to educate need for everyone to be vaccinated in order people that if they choose not to immunize, to maintain herd immunity. The article it could literally be fatal to my children.” states, “Parents who elect not to vaccinate Sonia and Holden were recently featured their children are actually placing themselves in a National Public Radio story for and their children at increased risk of serious advocating for herd immunity, or community infection and even death … The increased immunity. Herd immunity occurs when risk of disease in the pediatric population, in most of a population is immunized against part because of increasing rates of vaccine a contagious disease, such as measles or refusal increases potential exposure of mumps, and, for the most part, everyone in immunodeficient children.” that population is then protected against the Essentially, parents who choose not to disease because an outbreak is less likely. vaccinate their children not only put their However, for many years, some Americans families at risk of serious infection and even The Green family (clockwise from top left): have taken herd immunity for Continued on page 2 Colby, Harrison, Sonia, Davis, Langford and Holden. granted, thinking that infectious Holden, Harrison and Davis have XLA. diseases that were once common, Deficien ne cy With four boys ranging from ages 9 to such as polio, measles or whooping u F m o u m n 15, every day is busy for the Green family cough, have been wiped out. The I d a of River Forest, Illinois. There is always success of national immunization t i o something happening, from finishing up programs has made many n homework to rushing to soccer practice. complacent and caused them to But in the midst of the Green family’s busy think that vaccines are optional. schedule, mom Sonia makes time to get out As a result, herd immunity is being a simple message to all parents: Vaccinate threatened. your children to keep my children healthy. In April 2014, the IDF Medical National Presenting Sponsor Sonia, a law professor, and her husband Advisory Committee published an Details on Page 5 Colby, a lawyer, are the parents of Harrison article in The Journal of Allergy and (15), twins Holden (10) and Langford (10), Clinical Immunology* that reviewed IDF Walk for PI 2014 and Davis (9). Harrison, Holden and Davis the current body of knowledge Philadelphia – Boston – Los Angeles have X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia (XLA), about vaccines. The article made Greater Chicago – New York City – Houston a type of primary immunodeficiency disease recommendations about specific www.walkforPI.org This newsletter is sponsored The national patient organization dedicated to improving by an educational grant the diagnosis, treatment and quality of life of persons from Grifols. with primary immunodeficiency diseases through advocacy, education and research. Promoting Herd Immunity in Your Community death, but they also put those with Katerina (Katia) Birge, a 30-year-old Denver PI directly in harm’s way, like Sonia’s resident with Common Variable Immune sons. “My boys get monthly infusions Deficiency (CVID), is another example of of intravenous immunoglobulin, or IVIG, how telling your personal story can help which provides them with some of the people understand the importance of herd immunoglobulins (antibodies) that they are immunity. She successfully advocated lacking, and they take a nightly antibiotic,” for Colorado HB1288. In its original form, she explained, “Still, despite this medicine, the bill would have required that parents my sons are still vulnerable to disease.” talk with a medical professional or go through an online education module before Many don’t realize that childhood diseases, they would be granted a personal belief such as chicken pox and measles, are exemption from vaccinations, something dangerous. Here are just two recent California and Oregon have recently moved examples of the dangers posed by to do. By the time the bill received the final unvaccinated populations: vote, however, the education component • The annual number of U.S. whooping was gone. But the bill does require cough (pertussis) cases has climbed to Colorado schools and daycares to make Katerina (Katia) Birge at IDF Advocacy Day, May 8, 2014 over 41,000 cases, killing 10 children in their vaccination rates public on request California in 2010. and potentially changes how often parents engaging celebrities, talking to your friends who do not agree with vaccination have to and neighbors, all help. At first, my friends • In the first five months of 2014, the U.S. sign a personal belief exemption. thought it was too much of a bother to get had 288 cases of measles. About one in the flu vaccine, but once I could make it seven of those people were hospitalized, “It’s a start, but we are going to need to personal, people started to understand.” and about 90% of those who contracted push a stronger version of the bill next the disease were unvaccinated. session,” explains Katia, “My involvement What Parents Can Do In addition to the dangers from with the bill was kind of an accident. After I Parents should communicate with schools, complacency, some have falsely accused stopped working as a journalist…I interned send emails or letters to the principal, vaccines of contributing to everything from with Dr. Irene Aguilar, a state senator. Her nurse, and even science teachers about PI autism to ear infections. The reality is that office started working on this bill, and it and immunizations. Sonia noted, “My kids’ vaccines are safe, and they are estimated to just happened to apply to me personally. science teachers were very receptive, then save 6 to 9 million lives per year. But more I contacted the Colorado Children’s they asked the boys to share more, and members of the PI community must help Immunization Coalition and asked what I invited me to come to talk to their class. spread the word, as Sonia is doing. could do to help increase herd immunity. I One teacher even played the NPR piece for used social media and attended every town the class to make the kids more aware of hall meeting that I could to tell my story.” Make It Personal ‘herd immunity’.” Telling your personal story can make a Katia added, “Dr. Paul Offit appeared on Sonia encourages her boys to be advocates surprisingly large impact. Sonia noted, “I’ve the Colbert Show, which helped to spread for themselves and be open to explaining found the most effective way to educate the word about the importance of vaccines. PI. She also advises parents of children people is to make it personal.” In her blog We connected with IDF, the National with PI, “Know what your child is most post** for VoicesforVaccines.org, Sonia said, Hemophilia Foundation and many others. I susceptible to and alert their school or “If you are a parent who is vaccine-hesitant never saw so many people put aside their work. For my boys, their weak point is their or who has chosen not to vaccinate, my egos to pass this bill. We received hate mail lungs. They’re susceptible to pneumonia, plea to you is this: My kids are my heart and had to make some concessions, but and viral meningitis scares me the most.” the bill was signed into law in May.” and soul, just as yours are to you, and I Other measures parents can take to protect need your help to keep them healthy and “I learned that not everyone is willing to their children include avoiding play dates safe. I would do the same for you.” listen,” she continued. “Social media, with non-vaccinated children and consider 2 IDF ADVOCATE *IDF MAC Immunization Promoting Herd Immunity in Your Community Recommendations keeping them home on days when there “Whatever you do, just talk about it,” Sonia is a serious, infectious disease outbreak recommended, “If I learn that someone’s from which their immunoglobulin (Ig) new baby just got their shots, I share that http://primaryimmune.org/idf-medical-advisory- replacement therapy would not protect on Facebook. And I make sure that my committee-publishes-vaccination-recommendations/ them. privacy setting ensures it can be shared. Tell your story. Make it personal – then Ideas to Get Started people really get it.” **Sonia Green’s Blog Post on VoicesforVaccines.org Take small steps to advocate for community Learn more about advocating immunity. Start with emails to friends and for herd immunity at family. Ask them to educate themselves www.primaryimmune.org/immunizations. about non-vaccinating and know the risks. In all cases, parents and patients with PI Post to Facebook or whatever social media should consult their healthcare providers tool you use. Submit a blog post to IDF for immunization recommendations and or VoicesforVaccines.org. Comment on further information. blog posts and news articles related to http://www.voicesforvaccines.org/please- vaccination and emphasize the importance help-me-keep-my-children-healthy/ of herd immunity. Specific Recommendations for Immunization of Children and
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