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10 = 5 o Hills | Thursday, June 3, 2021 FACT OR FICTION: 5 COMMON VACCINE MYTHS BUSTED MEGAN DELAIRE mdelaire@toronto.com Infectious _ diseases, Which before the advent of the Nonetheless, hesitancy and the anti- vaccine movement still in- fluence how many dans | feel about immuni- zatio! While there are a vari- ety of cultural, political and societal factors that contribute to vaccine hes- itancy, misinformation unding vaccines doesn't help. Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Associa- tion, debunks some of the prevailing myths sur- rounding vaccines. MYTH: VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER Culbert said this myth, like many surrounding vaccines, relates to chil- dren, since many vaccines are intended for children. “The number one myth that will not go away is that the measles, mumps, ru- bella vaccine causes au- tism, and this is absolutely false. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim," he said. Another my vaccines to autism states that giving too - cines to children can trig- ger the disorder. “There's no evidence to link any other vaccines to autism,” he said. “And while the number of kids being diagnosed on the spectrum is increasing, this is more because the di- agnostic methods now di- HEARING AIDS that connect you and your loved ones, no matter where you are! agnose children with mil- der symptoms, and there's much greater awareness." MYTH: NEW VACCINES ARE APPROVED WITHOUT RIGOROUS TESTING Culbert said the fear that vaccines aren't safe, that they're not adequately tested for safety and are forced through the approv- too long for vaccines to be approved.” MYTH: THE DISEASES WE VACCINATE AGAINST AREN'T THAT SERIOUS Another misconception Culbert hears around vac- cines is that most of the dis- eases Canadians are vacel- nated against — like ae — aren't very serious al process, is rel- evant now, as the first CO- VID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada are ad- ministered throughout On- tario. Nonetheless, it isn't based in fact. "Canadians can have a high level of confidence in any vaccine that is ap- proved by Health Canada because it is a very rigor- ous approval process that these products go through," he said. "In fact, itis often a complaint of the industry that our system is too rigorous, that it takes theifp.ca Georgetown (In the Knolcrest Centre) haltonaudiometric.ca ‘Guelph St. (Hwy. 7) ry HALTON ry AUDIOMETRIC CENTRE HEARING AIDS & AUDIOMETRY Call now for a preview of the next generation of earing aid technology! Georgetown’s trusted choice for hearing care 905.877.8828 360 Guelph St., Unit 44 I stg ve Delrex Blvd fe sai hat although wn eat ad- ances have made the treatments for these ill- nesses more successful, that doesn't mean the ill- nesses are any less serious. "The fact is that measles outbreaks still happen, and complications do occur in 10 per cent of cases. People do still actually die from measles. Why would you risk?" he said. one and four babies in Can- ada every year." Scheduled pick-ups from e Culbert said approxi- mately one in 400 babies who survive pet sis —a serious childhood ilness fon permanent brain ane age. And tetanus, he said, kills at least 10 per cent of people who contract it. MYTH: IF MOST OTHER PEOPLE GET VACCINATED, MY FAMILY DOESN'T NEED TO Some Canadians reject vaccines on the grounds that the herd immunity achieved bye everyone else's immunizat makes it un- necessary ton their family ted. “The problem with this is it only works if enough people are being vaccinat- ed. If too many people take this attitude, then we won't achieve community immu- nity, which is that state at which an infection won't spread," Culbert said. He MAISON BIRKS EST. 1879 WITH TRUST Visit BirksGoldExchange.com or contact us at | (855) 873-7373 to learn more. metroland PARCEL SERVICES added that opting not to vaccinate also puts people with mpromis im- mune systems, especially children, at risk. MYTH: IT'S BETTER TO GAIN IMMUNITY NATURALLY FROM AN INFECTION THAN TH ROUGH VACCINATION Culbert said the idea that people should inten- tionally infect themselves or ine children with an infectious disease — for ex. ample, through a chicken- pox party — to gain immu- nity is flawed and danger- with some infectio: especial ith COVID-! 1, we know its not a lasting immunity, so you could easily become reinfected. ugh that if you SELL YOUR GOLD é We provide a simple, safe and convenient way for you to sell your unwanted gold, platinum and silver items from the comfort of your home. SCANTO ‘ORDER YOUR DELIVERY KIT