Analysis Of Vaccination Exemption Assignment

Analysis Of Vaccination Exemption Assignment

Doe 6

John Doe

Professor Laurie Phillips

ENGL 1301-5xxxx

2 December 2015

Fear Those Who Fear: An Analysis of Vaccination Exemption

Vaccination is a topic that has been controversial since its invention in 1796 when Dr. Edward Jenner developed the first smallpox vaccine. By the twentieth century, vaccines against diseases such as measles, rubella, and diphtheria started to be widely used as a protection method (Carmichael 50). Immunization is acquired when a particular pathogen is injected in small doses to a person. Once the person’s body recognizes the pathogen, it creates antibodies against it. If the person is exposed in the future to the same pathogen, his or her body will have created antibodies to defend against the intruder. The more people in a community are immunized, the fewer the chances of infecting other people, even if an important number of people cannot be vaccinated due to aging or immunodeficiency. Having a vaccinated population reduces the probabilities of acquiring communicable diseases. This concept is called herd immunity (Ruderfer 78).

In the 1990’s, an anti-vaccination movement arose in the United States motivated by the media and nonscientific data. Anti-vaccine supporters argue that vaccines are not safe because they do not trust pharmaceutical companies. In 1998, a study case found a link between measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, a complex brain development disorder. For years, this study was used by parents as evidence to prevent the vaccination of their children. On the other hand, important organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have been promoting the use of vaccines and informing parents about the benefits of an immunized population. Presently, parents still can exempt their children from vaccination, arguing religious, philosophical, or even political reasons for it. This trend among parents has negatively impacted the vaccination rates of children in the United States, putting at risk many innocent lives. For this reason, personal belief should be significantly limited as an excuse for vaccination in order to protect susceptible people who cannot vaccinate for medical reasons, such as those who are receiving immunosuppressive treatment for cancer and other diseases.

Vaccination has performed an important role in preventing diseases around the world. One study estimated that vaccination prevents 2.5 million deaths each year around the world (Ruderfer 76). These numbers may not represent the American reality nowadays, but this is because successful vaccination programs have been applied in the past to prevent disease outbreaks in the country. Another study has determined that since 1924, 103 million cases of infectious diseases have been prevented by the use of vaccines (Welch 20). The role of immunization in our society is clear, and we should not forget about its importance. The fact that we do not see these diseases very often does not mean they have been eradicated, especially in this generation of people that travels and experiences different cultures around the world.

The movement that opposes vaccines has been founded on unscientific data and unrealistic fears. One of the most important references for the movement, the 1998 study that linked MMR vaccine with autism, was retracted by the medical journal that published it in 2004. Further investigation of this study found fraudulent data and conflict of interest among the authors (Offit 21). Unfortunately, these events did not change the opinion of many parents who still distrust vaccines and the pharmaceutical industry, despite the lack of real evidence. Many vaccine opposers refuse to vaccinate, selectively vaccinate, or delay the vaccination of their children (Welch 21). Any of these actions driven by non-medical excuses threatens the safety of newborns and the elderly who are the most vulnerable portion of our population.

Vaccination hesitancy in the country is causing an increase in cases of vaccine-preventable diseases. This is the most undesirable yet predictable consequence of having unprotected people in a population. A well-known case occurred in 2014 when a measles outbreak traced to a Disneyland park infected nearly 70 people. In the last year, the cases of measles, a vaccine-preventable disease, skyrocketed in the worst measles outbreak in decades (Siegel 11). Another similar event happened in 2012 when cases of whooping cough, a bacterial disease that causes a spectrum of respiratory problems, rapidly increased. More than 18,000 cases were reported in the United States (Weise 2). This whooping cough outbreak showed the highest number of cases in more than fifty years. A great number of these infections could have been prevented if a larger number of people had been vaccinated against these diseases.

MaryJo Perry, co-director of Mississippi Parents for Vaccine Rights, asserts that vaccines are still unsafe for certain children. She explains that each child’s organism may react differently to vaccines, and doctors cannot predict which one will have a side effect. For this reason, parents have the right to make educated decisions to protect their children’s health. Perry also argues that because pharmaceutical companies cannot be accountable in court for the safety of vaccines, her organization firmly protects the right to vaccine exemptions (7).

Vaccination safety has been a major concern for the authorities since the publication of the infamous article about vaccines and autism. Several scientific studies have investigated and evaluated these safety concerns without finding any evidence of severe adverse effects. A recent report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association studied nearly 100,000 children until the age of five without finding any link between MMR vaccine and autism (Jain 1536). In fact, delaying vaccinations reduces the probabilities of a child completing the full schedule of immunizations (Robinson 38). As a result, the right to exempt vaccinations puts the entire population at risk of infection from a preventable disease. In this case, the common good of an entire country should be prioritized over the irrational fears of a minority.

In conclusion, personal belief should not be considered a valid reason for vaccination exemption. This type of exemption does not have scientific foundation and is causing major health problems in our society. The recent vaccine-preventable outbreaks should be a red flag for all of us. The time to protect the most vulnerable portion of our population has come. Newborns and the elderly should not be placed at risk by a movement that is driven by unrealistic fears and misleading information.

Works Cited

Carmichael, Mary. “Giving Globally: The Search for Solutions–A Shot of Hope.” Newsweek Vol. 150. 1 Oct. 2007: 50+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.

Jain A, et al. “Autism Occurrence by MMR Vaccine Status among US Children with Older Siblings with and without Autism.” JAMA. 21 Apr. 2015: 1534-1540. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Offit, Paul A. “The Anti-Vaccination Epidemic.” Wall Street Journal. 25 Sep. 2014: A.21. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Perry, MaryJo. “Let Parents Make Informed Choices.” USA Today. 28 Jan. 2015: A.7. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Robison, Steve G, et al. “Frequency of Alternative Immunization Schedule Use in a Metropolitan Area.” Pediatrics. July 2012: 32-38. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Ruderfer, Daniel, and Leonard R. Krilov. “Vaccine-Preventable Outbreaks: Still with Us After All These Years.” Pediatric Annals. Apr. 2015: 76-81. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Siegel, Marc. “Fear Measles, Not Vaccines.” Wall Street Journal. 27 Jan. 2015: A.11. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Weise, Elizabeth. “Whooping Cough Is on the Rise.” Gannett News Service. 19 Jul. 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

Welch, Matt, et al. “Should Vaccines Be Mandatory?” Reason. Apr. 2014: 18-26. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.