Reader's Blog: Fluoridation of water leads to immune deficiency

It is difficult not to notice growing attention regarding measles outbreaks and the recent call by Health Minister Simon Harris to introduce mandatory vaccinations. While vaccinations have clearly benefitted public health, the attention has focused solely on one factor; that is rates of immunisation. However, there has been no comment regarding other factors.

It is widely accepted that vitamin A deficiency impairs immunity thereby increasing the risk of measles. Evidence also suggests that vitamin A deficiency lowers the antibody response to some vaccines, including measles, tetanus, rotavirus and diphtheria toxoid vaccinations. Thus, measles outbreaks can occur among vaccinated individuals as reported in the American Journal of Public Health, when a measles outbreak occurred in a school in Boston with a documented vaccination level of 98%. Vaccinated individuals were sources of infection for approximately 50% of cases.