Vaccinations: "I Cannot Tell a Lie," Said Our Founding Father

According to the College of Physicians in Philadelphia, in 1777, George Washington ordered mandatory vaccination for his troops in the Continental Army if they had not previously survived smallpox earlier in life. (Interesting timeline of vaccines- Click here). Some historians believe that a British commander in the revolutionary war may have intentionally spread small pox (just 1 example of early bio-warfare).

Vaccinations in some form or another were used as far back as 900 CE (or maybe earlier).

Many deadly illnesses have been eradicated or reduced due to vaccination.  For example, the crippling disease polio is virtually unheard of due to vaccination in children.  
Photo of president Franklin D Roosevelt with Polio complications. Click to hear NY Times audio clip.

There seems to be many conspiracy theories against vaccination. Some of these theories were fueled by the infamous report by Andrew Wakefield in The Lancet in 1998 that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) in children can cause autism. The Lancet retracted this article in 2010 and Wakefield et al have been found guilty of deliberate fraud. Read more at the US library of Medicine- Click Here. 

Vaccines are generally safe and can greatly reduce the chance of severe, disabling illness and death.

Talk to your doctor to be sure you are up to date on your vaccines to prevent serious illness. There are some reasons to avoid a few vaccines and your doctor can explain to you which ones you may need to avoid.

In general, the following are recommended for adults: Influenza or FLU shot (every year); Tetanus with pertussis (once) followed by tetanus EVERY 10 years; Chickenpox (once- if born after 1980- talk to your doctor); Shingles (once-for adults over age 60); Pneumococcal (once for adults over 65 OR every 5-7 years for adults over age 18 with breathing problems such as asthma); HPV (to prevent a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer); MMR (measles, mumps and rubella); Meningitis vaccine (especially college or military individuals); Hepatitis A and B. There are a few other vaccines that may pertain to you which can be addressed by regular checkups with your primary care provider.

If you have questions about the above vaccines feel free to post a question below.