Where would we be without vaccines? A Mayo Clinic expert weighs in
It may seem like the anti-vaccination movement is a recent fad. In recent years, the pseudo-scientific coalition has gained a foothold in some circles, leading to various outbreaks of diseases long considered eradicated — including a 2017 outbreak of measles in the Twin Cities.
But on the latest episode of the Rochester Rundown, Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, chair of infection control at Mayo Clinic, says this is not a new problem for our society.
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🎧 As a reminder, new episodes of the Rochester Rundown can also be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and other leading podcast services.The anti-vaccination idea has been around for a long time — in fact, that distrust has existed since the first smallpox vaccine was created and made available to the masses in 19th century England. When the vaccine made it to America, the skepticism remained strong, including in Minnesota, where a newly-immigrated Rochester resident had to take a stand against the misinformation.
“In our very own backyard, there was an outbreak of smallpox,” said Dr. Sampathkumar. “There was a lady who claimed that her child died after a smallpox vaccination, and protested it, and was very influential in Minnesota. William Mayo, the elder Mayo, wrote an article in the local newspaper saying that this person was responsible for more than 10,000 cases of smallpox.”
The smallpox vaccine inevitably worked, becoming the main driver behind the disease’s worldwide eradication in 1980. Diseases like polio, diphtheria, and measles (even after the recent outbreaks), once considered major death threats, have now been reduced to afterthoughts thanks to the success of the various vaccines developed to fight them.
If those vaccines did not exist, or a majority of people simply refused to take them, Dr. Sampathkumar says the consequences would be irreversible — and society would look vastly different than it does today.
“It’s estimated that if we didn’t vaccinate children, over 250 individuals would die every hour of vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Dr. Sampathkumar. “So vaccines are literally saving lives every single minute.”
Dr. Sampathkumar added that any widely distributed vaccine must go through several phases of testing that normally takes multiple years — sometimes, close to a decade — to complete. If there is tangible evidence that a vaccine harms people at any point in the process, it’s back to square one.
It’s a long, arduous process to get a vaccine approved under normal circumstances — and while the process will remain arduous, the process towards a Covid-19 vaccine may come to an end sooner than we think.
Dr. Sampathkumar says progress towards a Covid-19 vaccine is being made at a record pace, with billions of dollars in funding and a concerted effort across the entire medical field. Procedural tasks that historically take months are being completed in days.
Currently, multiple different vaccines are in Phase 3 of testing, or small-scale human testing. Results on the first potential vaccines are expected in late October, and if there are no issues — no small feat — expect a roll-out within weeks of FDA approval. Dr. Sampathkumar says some drug companies are already attempting to get a head start on the manufacturing process.
“I think what has happened with Covid, is that the manufacturing is happening side-by-side with Phase 3,” said Dr. Sampathkumar. “They’re taking a little bit of a gamble, that yes, this vaccine is going to work, and they’re preparing for it by creating the vaccine, so as soon as it’s approved it’s ready to go.”
Any Covid-19 vaccine released in 2020 would likely be limited to high-risk people, and would not guarantee 100 percent immunity from the virus. Dr. Sampathkumar said to limit expectations - more towards a 60 percent reduction of symptoms — and to remain patient as the eventual vaccine roll-out begins.
Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.
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