Why Did Trump Have to Reverse His Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric?

United States President Trump, responding to spreading measles cases in the country, urged people to “Get your vaccinations” .

“Vaccines are so important!” he said, addressing reporters outside the White House.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that 22 states had reported more than approximately 700 cases due to the resurgence of highly contagious measles.

During his election campaign, Trump had previously linked vaccines and autism . Public health experts, however, say there is no connection between vaccines and autism.

Vaccination rates in the United States and many other countries have steadily declined since the 2000s because of many parents’ philosophical or religious attitudes. People known as anti-vaxxers hold beliefs that vaccines cause autism in children. There is a similar trend in our country: Turkey, where in 2011 only 183 families refused vaccination for their children, saw this number rise in 2017 to 23 thousand.

Trump’s warning came after hundreds of students and staff at universities in Los Angeles, California, were quarantined over suspected measles exposure.

Those at risk of infection were asked to stay home unless they could prove immunity to measles.

The University of California (UCLA) stated on 25 April 2019 that 82 people had no measles vaccination record. California State University stated that 156 people, including library workers and students, could not show vaccination records and could not remain in quarantine.

What had Trump previously said about vaccines?

Trump’s latest comments clearly contradict his previous public statements about vaccines.

During an election debate in 2015, he stated that vaccines were responsible for what he called an autism “epidemic.” He said he supported vaccines but wanted “smaller doses over a longer period.”

He also met with many prominent anti-vaccination campaigners before the 2016 election.

He also linked vaccines to autism in earlier social media posts.

Massive combined inoculations to small children is the cause for big increase in autism....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 23 August 2012

Translation: “Massive combined vaccination of small children is the cause of the large increase in autism ....”

How serious is the measles outbreak?

Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious health complications, such as damage to the lungs and brain.

Despite these dangers, vaccination rates are falling in many countries.

According to World Health Organization data, in the first three months of 2019, there were more than 110.000 measles cases worldwide, compared with the previous year representing an increase of % 300 .

In Turkey, the Ministry of Health schedule lists the following recommended (but not legally mandatory) vaccines: hepatitis B; tuberculosis; the five-in-one vaccine (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, inactivated polio, Haemophilus type b); measles, rubella and mumps vaccine; the four-in-one vaccine (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, inactivated polio); polio vaccine; adult diphtheria and tetanus vaccine; hepatitis A and chickenpox.

In the figure below the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health Childhood Vaccination Schedule can be seen:

In many developed countries, particularly in Europe, legal regulations are currently being debated to make childhood vaccination mandatory because vaccine opposition endangers public health.

What is the situation regarding mandatory vaccination and vaccines in Europe?

• France: From January 2018, France made a total of 11 vaccines in its schedule mandatory. These cover diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, Haemophilus influenza type B infections, hepatitis B, pneumococcal infections, invasive serogroup C meningococcal disease, measles, mumps and rubella.
  In France, families refusing vaccination face imprisonment starting at 6 months and a fine of 3 thousand 700 euros.
• Italy: In 2017, the number of mandatory vaccines rose from 4 to 10. They cover diphtheria, polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenza type b, measles, rubella, mumps and chickenpox.
  In Italy, families who do not vaccinate their children face fines ranging from 100 to 500 euros.
• Czechia: 9 vaccines are mandatory.
• Slovakia: The number of mandatory vaccines is 10.
• Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary: As in France, all three countries have 11 mandatory vaccines.
• Latvia: There are 13 mandatory vaccines.
• Greece: Greece has the highest number of mandatory vaccines in Europe, with families having their children receive 14 mandatory vaccines. Unlike other countries, vaccines for hepatitis A, influenza and other types of pneumococcal infections are also on the mandatory list.
• Belgium: Belgium has only one mandatory vaccine: the polio vaccine. The other 11 vaccines are on the recommended list.
• England: There are no mandatory vaccines, but during the first 4 months after birth, 6 vaccines are recommended: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenza type b and hepatitis B.
• Germany: Vaccination is also only recommended in Germany. In Brandenburg, vaccination against measles became mandatory in April 2019. German health minister Jens Spahn recently initiated a debate about mandatory vaccines. The worldwide measles outbreak worries officials, so discussion has begun on a law to make vaccination compulsory. However, since 2015, families refusing vaccination for their children can already face a fine of 2 thousand 500 euros.
• Estonia, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Luxembourg and Turkey: Like England, they only recommend vaccination; it is not yet mandatory. If free childhood vaccines become compulsory, parents who fail to have them administered could face imprisonment and judicial fines.

- Related topic: Routine vaccination program and 4 important vaccines you should know about even though they are not in the program (detailed) 

Further information: Scientific data on AUTISM and VACCINES

The vaccine-autism connection first emerged with a study published in The Lancet medical journal in 1998. It concerned 8 children with autism-like reactions after the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. Although the symptoms did not exactly match those of autism, claims of a potentially “regressive” type of autism drew scientific attention to this speculative issue. Hundreds of studies were conducted and results presented. Partly because of these studies and findings, discussed later in this article, in 2010 The Lancet’s editor-in-chief Richard Horton announced that the study published in 1998 contained entirely false findings and claims, and that there were deviations in the researchers’ data. Andrew Wakefield, who conducted the study, was struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC) in May 2010 for professional misconduct and inaccurate medical records.

Studies following this paper published in 1998 generally focused on 2 hypotheses:

1. Whether the MMR vaccine is associated with autism 
2. Whether thimerosal (a mercury-containing antimicrobial preservative used in inactivated vaccines) is associated with autism

The association between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism

Andrew Wakefield attributed the autism-like symptoms he called “autistic enterocolitis” to combined administration of the MMR vaccine, claiming these symptoms would not occur if separate vaccines were given. Following these bold assertions, journalists and parents took steps toward postponing or even completely rejecting vaccines. The scientific community urgently conducted numerous studies in response to these dangerous actions. The first major meta-analysis was conducted in 2003 across 120 studies. It found that, compared with placebo (an intervention without active ingredients), the vaccinated group experienced some side effects, such as joint symptoms and thrombocytopenic purpura, but that an association with autism, aseptic meningitis, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis was not demonstrated.

Similarly, a meta-analysis published in 2012, covering 14.700.000 children and comprising 27 follow-up and 17 case-control studies among 58 studies in total, found no association between the MMR vaccine and autism, asthma, leukemia, type1 diabetes or Crohn’s disease. In 2014, Taylor LE and colleagues obtained results consistent with the first 2 studies in their meta-analysis, stating that a vaccine-autism connection was not real.

A study by Greenberg and colleagues showed that all these scientific facts and proven data were insufficient to remove parents’ doubts! In Canada, among parents with children under 5, the attitudes of 150.000 parents toward vaccination were surveyed. While 92 percent found vaccines safe, 8 percent were suspicious; investigating their reasons showed that 28 percent of this group were suspicious because they thought vaccines would cause autism.

Both meta-analysis results and recent studies show that concerns about vaccines causing autism are unfounded and that vaccines missed because of these fears increase the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases and deaths from them.

The thimerosal–vaccine relationship

After the MMR vaccine, the second most blamed agent is thimerosal, a mercury-containing additive that prevents microbial contamination of inactivated vaccines. It gained more attention after publications opposing an MMR-autism link. Reports around 1998 of side effects from mercury in vaccines (autism-like effects such as irritability, depression and visual problems) led manufacturers in 1999 to reduce thimerosal doses or use vaccines made without it, allowing comparisons in studies. One such study was published in 2007 in the respected medical journal New English Journal of Medicine. It found no difference in autism diagnosis between children vaccinated with thimerosal-containing vaccines and unvaccinated children or those given vaccines with reduced thimerosal doses!

Scientists were concerned because thimerosal contains ethylmercury, which resembles methylmercury, and it was unknown whether it would cause the effects of methylmercury poisoning. However, ethylmercury leaves the body more quickly, so its effects may differ. Such concerns prompted close attention and careful review of research findings; published studies have found no association between thimerosal and autism.

Hundreds of studies and scientific publications demonstrate that there is no association between vaccines and autism.

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