Vaccines: Calling the Shots

In today's era of global travel, viruses can spread quickly (e.g., Ebola). At the same time, some parents—perhaps lulled by a false sense of security—wind up delaying or skipping shots for their children, while one percent of the population simply chooses not to have their kids vaccinated at all. Filmmaker Sonya Pemberton's PBS-aired NOVA documentary looks at the "invisible threat" of infection, as well as the clamor of conflicting voices in the Internet age that create doubt and confusion about the necessity and effectiveness of vaccination shots. Required shots vary from state to state, and also allow for exemptions due to personal or religious reasons. Viewers here are warned that whooping cough, measles, and polio, once feared and deadly but now almost extinct, can make a swift return if "herd immunity" (the number of people in a community protected by vaccination) drops by even a few percentage points. Vaccines: Calling the Shots chronicles the story of the incredible breakthrough discovery that led to vaccines: namely, that the introduction of a small dose of a disease like smallpox into the human body would actually help fight off the more deadly effects. We now know that our bodies can make "memory cells" that are able to identify invaders and activate when needed to create immunity. In recent years, emotional stories suggesting a link between childhood immunizations and autism (based on a 1998 report that is now widely discredited) have gone viral on the Internet. Another reason for avoidance is sparked by the sexually transmitted HPV virus—known to be a factor in cervical cancer—as some parents fear that inoculating their children will encourage sexual activity. Most doctors and health officials interviewed here strongly advocate vaccination, while admitting that some vaccines can be a "trigger event" for things like seizures. One doctor notes that it's always a balancing act of risk vs. benefits, but the general agreement is that vaccinations are critical to making people safe from major diseases. With the recent resurgence of measles making headline news and renewing the vaccine debate, this timely documentary is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)