Fluoridation and Immunisation
The ever-vexed issues of the fluoridation of our water supplies and immunisation of our children have returned with great force in the past few weeks due to the waging of some online campaigns. The Internet has been a great boon to our lives but also a spreader of mischief and misinformation. There are a dozen conspiracy theories about both vaccines and fluoride, and they should not be taken seriously by anyone.
I am not a research scientist, so I look to the experts in the field to guide my thinking when considering these issues. The authorities that advise eminent bodies such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States of America are unanimous in their belief that fluoridation is one of the greatest public health achievements of the twentieth century and that immunisation against once-common killers has saved the lives of untold millions, as well as prevented pain, misery and disability to millions of others.
We are blessed to live in an age where we are not dying from contagious diseases in plague proportions. Part of the problem is that young people do not remember knowing anyone who died from measles or rheumatic fever, was disabled by polio, or rendered infertile from mumps. But my generation remembers. It was our relatives—our brothers and sisters; a brother in my case—who died of these diseases. We are very grateful to live in this era where a simple jab can prevent those tragedies.
Through water fluoridation thousands of communities internationally have reduced rates of tooth decay and improved oral health across their populations. Studies show that fluoridation can reduce the amount of decay in children’s teeth by up to 60 per cent. Anyone who has had a cavity drilled and filled by the dentist will realise how lucky people are to have fewer cavities.
Fluoridation is considered safe by the experts who have studied it. Our governments are not trying to poison us, cause us deadly diseases, or cruelly inflict misery. Fluoridation is sensible and cost effective, it benefits everyone in the community, and it helps us save money, time and pain throughout our lives by having less dental decay.
There are some real grounds for objecting to vaccines. Those who are concerned about the use of animals in research will lament their suffering during the testing of vaccine reliability. Those who avoid animal products or are allergic to eggs will want to avoid the vaccines that use egg albumen as a base. In the past some vaccines have been found to contain contaminants.
They have subsequently been withdrawn from use, but not before affecting a small portion of the population with some side effect. That is alarming but extremely rare. Edward Jenner, the father of immunology, is said to have saved more lives than any other human being. Vaccines are a miracle of human history and have prevented countless terrible deaths.
Vaccines are held to the highest standard of safety. The developed nations currently have the safest, most effective vaccine supply in history. Years of testing are required by strict legislation before a vaccine can be licensed for use in a population. Once in use, vaccines are continually monitored for safety and efficacy. But immunisations, just like any medication, can cause adverse events in a small number of users.
The decision not to immunise children also involves risk. Frankly, it is an irresponsible decision because it puts children and all others who come into contact with them at great risk of contracting a disease that may be dangerous or deadly. The majority of the population has to participate in immunisation programs for the so-called herd immunity to take effect.
There is much that medical science does not yet know, but it has gone to heroic lengths to provide alternatives to the terrible suffering and death that were common early last century. We have to educate ourselves, and those around us, by listening to the best authorities and tuning out the ignorant, the alarmists and the conspiracy theorists because their message is deadly.
I adamantly support fluoridation of the water supply and the childhood schedule of immunisations. I believe that all responsible, educated people have an obligation to do so for the common good.
