FILE - A healthcare worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Oct. 5, 2021, in Miami. U.S. regulators have opened up COVID-19 booster shots to all and more adults, Friday, Nov. 19, letting them choose another dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
FILE - A healthcare worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Oct. 5, 2021, in Miami. Credit: Lynne Sladky / AP

Once again I feel the need to comment on vaccines with the new guidelines coming out of the Department of Health and Human Services under RFK Jr. I find it so concerning that recommendations are now being made by people with no medical education or experience so it is necessary to educate U.S. citizens about the use and benefits of vaccines and immunization, especially for our vulnerable children.

As a pediatrician, my only concern is for the health and safety of our children. We spend decades studying to become doctors and, at this point in time, I have 40 years of experience to back up my education. We never stop being educated either, as we have to obtain continuing medical education credits every year. I say this to let you know that we are the best place to go for the best advice about vaccines for your children. All my children and grandchildren are vaccinated!

So let’s look today at the vaccines that have been taken off the list of routine childhood vaccines. Let me first say that I am very glad that many are not off the list but the other six are also important.

  1. Hepatitis A is a disease that is very common in many countries around the world and is a reason adults should also get hep A vaccine if they travel a lot. In our global society, hep A is also an issue in the U.S., not just other countries. It is spread through what we call the fecal oral route and can be spread through food when not hygienically prepared. Thirty percent of cases in children under 6 will develop hepatitis. There is no medication to treat this.
  2. Hepatitis B is a disease that is spread through body fluids such as exposure to the blood or sexual fluids of infected people. Infants are at risk when born to infected mothers (not all mothers are tested for hep B during their pregnancy). That is why administration to a newborn is important. If an infant is infected, they have a 90% chance of having chronic hepatitis B for their lifetime. This can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. There are antivirals to keep hep B in check but the above risks are maintained. One can have a liver transplant but there is  a likelihood of recurrence in the new liver. These chronically infected individuals must be concerned about transmitting hep B to sexual partners and to increasing deterioration if they drink alcohol. 
  3. The meningitis A vaccine is recommended for teens and young adults 16 to 23 years old as that is high risk time. This is a very fast moving infection that can kill within hours of symptom onset despite the best treatment. Antibiotics are effective if caught early but many times it is too late by the time treatment is started. 
  4. Meningitis B is also recommended for 16 to 23 year olds but especially for teens who will be entering college or the military where dorm/barrack living is the norm and hygiene is not always the best. Again, death can occur in hours and symptoms may be missed by a young person out on their own. I will say that I have seen teens die and come very near death in my own career. It is breathtaking how quickly this disease can progress.
  5. I will not comment on flu as it seems we put out the information every year publicly about the risk of flu.
  6. The HPV vaccine is still on the recommended list but is going down to one dose. Virtually all vaccines work and have longer lasting effects if an individual has a booster dose. We all know that from the tetanus shot you get if it’s been more than five years after your last one and you are injured. 

The last thing I have to say is that it pains me to see parents who were immunized as children deny that protection for their own children. I would challenge everyone to take a walk through the old section of your local cemetery and look at the ages on the tombstones. You will see many graves for children under 2 and that is mainly death due to vaccine preventable infectious disease. Now walk through the section of the modern era cemetery and see if you find many children interred. It is a very eye opening look at the efficacy of vaccines.

Patricia Edwards is a pediatrician based in Concord and is an American Academy of Pediatrics NH chapter representative.