Myths and Facts about Vaccination 关于疫苗接种的传言和事实

Although vaccine preventable diseases have become uncommon in many countries, the infectious agents that cause them continue to circulate in some parts of the world. In a highly inter-connected world, these agents can cross geographical borders and infect anyone who is not protected. In western Europe, for example, measles outbreaks have occurred in unvaccinated populations in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom since 2005. So two key reasons to get vaccinated are to protect ourselves and to protect those around us. Successful vaccination programmes, like successful societies, depend on the cooperation of every individual to ensure the good of all. We should not rely on people around us to stop the spread of disease; we, too, must do what we can.

尽管疫苗可预防的疾病在许多国家已经不再常见，但引发这些疾病的传染性病原体依然还在世界的某些地方传播。在相互联系极为密切的当今世界，这些病原体可以跨越地理疆界，感染缺乏保护的人群。例如在西欧，自2005年以来，麻疹疫情就曾发生在奥地利、比利时、丹麦、法国、德国、意大利、西班牙、瑞士和英国的未接种人群中。因此，选择疫苗接种的两个主要原因是要保护我们自己和保护我们身边的人。成功的疫苗接种计划犹如成功的社会，依靠每个个体的通力合作，才能实现全民的福祉。我们不应依赖由身边的人来遏止疾病传播；我们自己也应尽到个人的一份力。

The diseases we can vaccinate against will return if we stop vaccination programmes. While better hygiene, hand washing and clean water help protect people from infectious diseases, many infections can spread regardless of how clean we are. If people are not vaccinated, diseases that have become uncommon, such as polio and measles, will quickly reappear.

如果停止免疫接种计划，通过接种所预防的疾病会卷土重来。虽然改善个人卫生、勤洗手并使用洁净饮用水能保护人们远离传染病，但无论环境多么清洁，许多传染病依然能够传播。如果不进行免疫接种，一些已经不常见的疾病，如脊灰和麻疹，会很快重新出现。

Vaccines are very safe. Most vaccine reactions are usually minor and temporary, such as a sore arm or mild fever. Serious health events are extremely rare and are carefully monitored and investigated. You are far more likely to be seriously injured by a vaccine-preventable disease than by a vaccine. For example, in the case of polio, the disease can cause paralysis, measles can cause encephalitis and blindness, and some vaccine-preventable diseases can even result in death. While any serious injury or death caused by vaccines is one too many, the benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risk, and many more injuries and deaths would occur without vaccines.

疫苗非常安全。对疫苗的大多数反应，如胳膊酸痛或轻度发热，通常都是轻微和暂时的。出现严重健康事件的情况极为罕见，并且会得到细致的监测和调查。疫苗可预防的疾病产生严重危害的几率要远大于疫苗产生危害的几率。例如，脊灰能导致瘫痪，麻疹能导致脑炎和盲症，一些疫苗可预防的疾病甚至能导致死亡。疫苗不但几乎不会导致任何严重伤害或死亡，它所带来的益处也远远大于其风险。没有疫苗，会出现更多、更多的伤害和死亡。

There is no causal link between the administering of the vaccines and sudden infant death, however, these vaccines are administered at a time when babies can suffer sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In other words, the SIDS deaths are co-incidental to vaccination and would have occurred even if no vaccinations had been given. It is important to remember that these four diseases are life-threatening and babies who are not vaccinated against them are at serious risk of death or serious disability.

疫苗的使用与新生儿猝死之间并不存在因果联系，但使用这些疫苗的时间正是婴儿可能出现新生儿猝死综合征（SIDS）的时期。换言之，新生儿猝死综合征死亡与疫苗接种是同时偶发，即便没有接种疫苗，也会出现死亡。关键是不要忘记这四种疾病都是致命性的，婴儿如不进行接种预防，就会面临极大的死亡或严重残疾的风险。

Vaccines interact with the immune system to produce an immune response similar to that produced by the natural infection, but they do not cause the disease or put the immunized person at risk of its potential complications. In contrast, the price paid for getting immunity through natural infection might be mental retardation from Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), birth defects from rubella, liver cancer from hepatitis B virus, or death from measles.

疫苗与免疫系统相互作用产生的免疫反应与通过自然感染产生的免疫类似，但疫苗不会导致疾病，也不会使接种者受到潜在并发症的威胁。相比之下，通过天然感染获得免疫可能会付出高昂的代价，例如，b型流感嗜血杆菌（Hib）感染会导致精神发育迟缓，风疹会导致出生缺陷，乙肝病毒会导致肝癌，麻疹则能导致死亡。

Vaccine preventable diseases do not have to be ‘facts of life’. Illnesses such as measles, mumps and rubella are serious and can lead to severe complications in both children and adults, including pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness, diarrhoea, ear infections, congenital rubella syndrome (if a woman becomes infected with rubella in early pregnancy), and death. All these diseases and suffering can be prevented with vaccines. Failure to vaccinate against these diseases leaves children unnecessarily vulnerable.

疫苗可预防的疾病并不是“难免”的。诸如麻疹、腮腺炎和风疹一类的疾病不但严重，而且可在儿童和成人中导致严重的并发症，其中包括肺炎、脑炎、盲症、腹泻、耳部感染、先天性风疹综合征（孕妇在怀孕早期感染风疹会引发此症）和死亡。所有这些疾病及其带来的痛苦都可以通过接种疫苗避免。不接种疫苗来预防这些疾病，会使儿童易受疾病侵害，而且这种受害并无必要。

Scientific evidence shows that giving several vaccines at the same time has no adverse effect on a child’s immune system. Children are exposed to several hundred foreign substances that trigger an immune response every day. The simple act of eating food introduces new antigens into the body, and numerous bacteria live in the mouth and nose. A child is exposed to far more antigens from a common cold or sore throat than they are from vaccines. Key advantages of having several vaccines at once is fewer clinic visits, which saves time and money, and children are more likely to complete the recommended vaccinations on schedule. Also, when it is possible to have a combined vaccination, e.g. for measles, mumps and rubella, that means fewer injections.

科学证据表明，同时接种几种疫苗不会对儿童的免疫系统带来不良反应。儿童每天接触数百种异物，这些异物都能诱发免疫反应。就是吃东西这个简单的动作，也能将新的抗原带入体内，而且人的口腔和鼻腔内就有无数细菌在生存。一名儿童因患普通感冒或咽喉痛而接触到的抗原数量远远超过疫苗接种途径的接触。一次接种几种疫苗的一大好处是可以少去医院，从而节省时间和金钱，而且更可能的情况是，儿童是按程序完成推荐疫苗的接种。此外，如果有可能进行诸如麻疹-腮腺炎-风疹疫苗一类的联合疫苗接种，就能减少注射次数。

Thiomersal is an organic, mercury-containing compound added to some vaccines as a preservative. It is the most widely-used preservative for vaccines that are provided in multi-dose vials. There is no evidence to suggest that the amount of thiomersal used in vaccines poses a health risk.