Brief Notes
Effect of Anti-Vaccine Movements on Pertussis Control
Source: Gangarosa EJ, Impact of anti-vaccine movements on pertussis control: The untold story. Lancet 1998; 351:356-361.
Gangarosa and associates assessed the effect of anti-vaccine movements that targeted pertussis whole-cell vaccines by comparing the incidence of pertussis in countries where high coverage with DTP vaccines was maintained (Hungary, the former East Germany, Poland, and the United States) with countries where immunization was interrupted by effective anti-vaccine movements (Sweden, Japan, United Kingdom, Russia, Ireland, Italy, and the former West Germany). Pertussis incidence was 10-100 times lower in countries where high rates of immunization were continued than in countries where immunization programs were compromised by active anti-vaccine movements.
These anti-vaccine movements were well-organized campaigns that sought to stop the use of pertussis vaccines by means of news stories, television interviews, lectures, popular articles, and books.
Television programs were aired that showed children allegedly damaged by the vaccine and their distraught parents. Some outspoken medical authorities became leaders in these movements. In each of these countries, the incidence of pertussis cases and mortality sharply increased as the percent of children immunized declined. Pertussis incidence was 10-100 times lower in other countries where high immunization rates were maintained.
Especially interesting was a comparison of neighboring countries with high and low vaccine coverage. In Norway, there was no change in the high immunization rates. During the same time that Sweden reduced immunizations, there was a low incidence of pertussis in Norway, while, at the same time, its incidence escalated in Sweden. A similar pattern occurred in East and West Germany.
Despite active anti-vaccine campaigns in the United States, the rate of immunization did not change significantly, perhaps because vaccination is required for school entry. However, one probable result of these campaigns was the passage of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Act.
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