Should the U.S. adopt Denmark’s vaccine schedule for children?
FIVE AT 535 ON YOUR HEALTH TONIGHT. MORE BIG CHANGES UNDER DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW FOR CHILDHOOD VACCINES IN THE U.S. WE ARE NOW LEARNING FEDERAL OFFICIALS WANT TO DO WHAT DENMARK DOES AND RECOMMEND FEWER SHOTS FOR AMERICAN KIDS. JOINING US NOW, DOCTOR SCOTT HADLAND, CHIEF OF ADOLESCENT MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM FOR CHILDREN. ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE YOU, DOCTOR HADLAND. THANK YOU, DOCTOR HATLEN, YOU’VE LOOKED AT THE VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS IN BOTH COUNTRIES, SO WHY CHOOSE DENMARK? AND HOW DOES THEIR LIST COMPARE TO OURS HERE IN THE US? WELL, DENMARK HAS SEVEN FEWER DISEASES AGAINST WHICH THEY VACCINATE. AND YOU KNOW, THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, WHICH HAS SHOWN SOME AVERSION TO VACCINES, HAS GRAVITATED TOWARDS THAT AS A STRATEGY. AND TO BE VERY CLEAR, DENMARK HAS MADE THE DECISION TO VACCINATE AGAINST FEWER DISEASES BECAUSE IT’S ACTUALLY A COST ISSUE FOR THEM. THEY’VE THEY’VE SAID THAT IT’S ACTUALLY NOTHING TO DO WITH WHETHER OR NOT THE VACCINES ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE, BECAUSE THEY ARE. LET ME GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF ILLNESSES THAT WE’VE BEEN VACCINATED AGAINST HERE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT THEY DON’T IN DENMARK. NUMBER ONE, RSV, THIS IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF HOSPITALIZATION IN INFANTS IN THE UNITED STATES. WE VACCINATE AGAINST THIS. BUT DENMARK DOES NOT. CHICKENPOX IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE. NOT ONLY CAN CHICKENPOX BE A PRETTY DEVASTATING ILLNESS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, BUT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE CHICKENPOX VACCINE ACTUALLY PREVENTS SHINGLES THROUGHOUT THE LIFE COURSE. AND SO THIS IS, AGAIN, A DISEASE THAT WE’VE DECIDED TO VACCINATE AGAINST HERE IN THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE IT’S SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. AND IT HELPS. INTERESTING. OKAY. SO LET’S COMPARE SOME OTHER CATEGORIES. RIGHT. THE U.S. HAS 342 MILLION RESIDENTS, DENMARK. 6 MILLION. GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE U.S. IS FOURTH LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. DENMARK IS THE SIZE OF MARYLAND. ARE THOSE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES? YEAH, THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES, RIGHT. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A POPULATION THAT’S 56 TIMES BIGGER THAN DENMARK MEANS THAT IF WE HAVE AN OUTBREAK OF A VACCINE PREVENTABLE ILLNESS, THAT’S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE SUCH A GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE COUNTRY AS WELL. I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT DENMARK HAS UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE, RIGHT? WE DON’T HAVE THAT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. AND A LOT OF FAMILIES AREN’T ABLE TO SEEK CARE OR RECEIVE CARE IF THEY DON’T HAVE INSURANCE. AND SO IF THEIR CHILD GETS A VACCINE PREVENTABLE ILLNESS, THEY COULD AVOID CARE BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT CARE WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE. AND SO AGAIN, VACCINATION IS A WAY TO PREVENT THESE THINGS FROM HAPPENING TO BEGIN WITH. SO OF COURSE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PARENTS OUT THERE THAT LIKE THE IDEA OF FEWER SHOTS FOR THEIR KIDS. LOOK, WE’RE ALL PARENTS HERE, AND I THINK WE ALL CAN REMEMBER, WHAT IS IT, THE TWO MONTH CHECKUP WHERE KIDS GET A NUMBER OF SHOTS AT THE SAME TIME. SO DO YOU THINK THERE’S A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE COULD BE A COMPROMISE OUT THERE ON THIS SCHEDULE THAT MIGHT WORK FOR EVERYBODY? KEEP PUBLIC HEALTH SECURE HERE. BUT ALSO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, PUT THESE CONCERNS OF PARENTS AT EASE. YEAH. AS A PEDIATRICIAN AND A DAD, I’M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THIS. I MEAN, NOBODY WANTS TO SEE THEIR CHILD EXPERIENCE A NEEDLE. IT’S UNCOMFORTABLE. RIGHT. BUT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE’RE THINKING ABOUT A COMPROMISE HERE, THE IDEA HERE IS ACTUALLY NOT TO COMPROMISE ON A CHILD’S HEALTH AND NOT TO DO WHAT’S EASIEST IN THE MOMENT, BUT ACTUALLY TO DO WHAT’S RIGHT FOR THE CHILD AND FOR THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY. AND THE VACCINE SCHEDULE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO PROVIDE VACCINES WITH THE LOWEST NUMBER OF SHOTS GIVEN AT PRECISELY THE RIGHT TIME IN A CHILD’S LIFE TO PREVENT THE MOST SEVERE OUTCOMES FOR THEM. AND SO THIS IS ALREADY BEEN THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED IN A WAY TO MINIMIZE SHOTS FOR KIDS AND IS REALLY MEANT AND SET UP IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT’S REALLY TRYING TO PREVENT DOWNSTREAM HARM THAT MANY PARENTS WANT TO AVOID. OKAY. THANK YOU, DOCTOR HEDLUN
Should the U.S. adopt Denmark’s vaccine schedule for children?
Dr. Scott Hadland from MGH Brigham discusses what it would mean for the U.S. to adopt the Denmark vaccine schedule for children along with his thoughts about less vaccines.
Dr. Scott Hadland from MGH Brigham discusses what it would mean for the U.S. to adopt the Denmark vaccine schedule for children along with his thoughts about less vaccines.