Vaccines less effective in kids exposed to PCBs

[jodi f.]

Children exposed to PCBs in their first years of life are less likely to develop immunity to disease after they are vaccinated, according to a new study. Overall, the study shows that cumulative exposure to environmental PCBs – particularly leading up to 18 months of age – may decrease immune system development, leaving vaccinated children still at risk for developing disease.

The full article:  http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/vaccines-less-effective-in-kids-exposed-to-pcbs/

[KellyT]

The full article was very interesting...thank you Jodi for posting this.

I noticed that the children in the study were given different vaccinations on a different timetable than here in the US. They had diphtheria and tetanus given at 3, 5, 12 months and 5 years. (It was noted that towards the end of the study, some children were vaccinated with newer formulations that included pertussis and polio and that this resulted in lower antibody concentrations for tetanus and diphtheria.) In the US, we give tetanus and diphtheria with pertussis at 2, 4, 6, 18 months and 5 years. A similar study would be very interesting done in the US, although we don't generally eat pilot whale blubber!

[myqute]

I don't trust vaccinations much.  They are getting to be like bug-resistant antibiotics.