A Father's Struggle Against Vaccines

Controversy concerning the risks of vaccinations will always exist. As is the nature of a preventative intervention, it is difficult to rationalize giving a completely healthy child an injection that is known to have varying degrees of sides affects5. Additionally, these injections are to provide immunity to children for diseases that have an extremely low risk of circulating within a population. Since these vaccines have been able to protect so many individuals from experiencing these dangerous infections, most parents do not even have personal experiences regarding the impact of these diseases. As such, many parents do not see the vaccine-preventable disease as a threat to their child. This often causes parents to not fully understand the risk their child has for contracting a disease and the subsequent danger of a vaccine-preventable disease infection verses the potential side effect of a vaccine which is normally only mild to moderate discomfort for their child15.

As parents are refusing to vaccinate their children against these “long-gone” diseases due to the concern for the vaccine’s safety, they are opening the doors for those diseases like polio and measles to devastate the whole American community once again. These parents react this way because they have different realities. For example, every american back when Franklin D Roosevelt was alive knew what polio was and what it was capable of due to the effect that it had on a nation's president. Nowadays, parents are drawn to campaigns on the safety of vaccinations because of celebrities or other personalities that are protesting against vaccinations due to personal negative experience with expressed vaccine. Since many parents nowadays have not had any personal experiences with most vaccine-preventable diseases they are quick to act when, for example, Jenny McCarthy speaks up about the possibility that autism can be caused by today's vaccinations because many americans have had personal experiences with this disease or are more familiar with this disease since it is widely covered in recent media.

“As healthy as my lifestyle seemed, I contracted measles, mumps, rubella, a type of viral meningitis, scarlatina, whooping cough, yearly tonsillitis, and chickenpox, some of which are vaccine preventable” (Parker 1). This quote by vaccine advocate Amy Parker, a woman who was not vaccinated as a child, shows just a glimpse into the life of an unvaccinated individual. Parents who do not vaccinate their children claim many different reasons for their decision. Three of the most popular reasons are: religious grounds, health problems as a result from vaccines, and the belief that the illnesses are rare. Each of these reasons can be proven as nonessential in the anti-vaccine argument.

This article discusses a few of the immunizations children under the age of two are expected to get and what ingredients are in vaccines. Children are expected to receive 32 vaccines by the age of two, most of them containing various toxins. These toxins are in vaccines in order to attempt to strengthen the immunity over the disease; however, they are also known to cause multiple serious diseases. The information from this article relates to my TED talk because children are expected to have multiple shots by the age of two which may lead to dangerous health problems. This will strengthen my position because

Persuasive Case Study Analysis In the United States, there is a great ideological debate afoot regarding the vaccination of children.   In the 2015 editorial “I'm Coming Out... as Pro-Vaccine” parenting culture writer JJ Keith outlines various points of view regarding vaccines. While Keith’s agenda in the writings is expressly to defend and encourage the practice vaccinating children, the author also attempts to acknowledge, address, and rebuke the concerns of “anti-vaxers” (para. 11).

According to Jake Johnson in his critically acclaimed essay, Vaccines: Made for the Vulnerable, Given to the Weak-Minded, the key to societal progress is a healthy population. In the midst of a recent trend in boycotting essential vaccinations, Mr. Johnson presents a ridiculous proposal that encapsulates the exaggerated mindset of the Americans who are skeptical of vaccines. With a satirical approach through sarcasm and irony, paired with ridiculous interpretations of facts, Mr. Johnson urges the American population to recognize the benefits of vaccinations, and receive them as responsible citizens.

The source I located is entitled Calling the Shots: Why Parents Reject Vaccines. This book begins with an introduction that recounts a story of a little girl suffering from cancer who almost passed away from contracting a virus that could have been prevented had others who were able to receive immunization did so. This story focuses on the danger that unimmunized children bring to children with compromised health. It goes on to speak about where parental rights end and government rights begin and all the immunization laws that have ever been in place in America. Further in the book, the idea of rights is explored and how mandatory vaccinations would infringe upon the inherent authority parents have over decisions involving their children. Topics

Through the rise of technological advances in medicine, the vaccine has changed the world for the greater good of the human race. Making a great triumph and virtually eliminating an array of life-threatening diseases, from smallpox to diphtheria, thus adding approximately thirty years to many humans’ life spans. Although, a new complication has arisen, possibly linking neurological digression with this rise of new vaccines. Such a digression has forced parents to exempt their children from receiving vaccinations and brought forth mental anguish affecting the minds of many.

Most parents believes “that vaccination may actually be causing chronic health problems.”( “The Vaccine Controversy.” http://www.know-vaccines.org/?page_id=456.)

The controversy over vaccination has two sides, the one side believes that vaccines are a crucial part in saving lives. The other side, believes that vaccination do more harm then good. This controversy over vaccination has been going on since the introduction of vaccine. Vaccines were introduced to the medical community in the 1800’s by a physician named Edward Jenner. The controversy really started with the Vaccination Act of 1840, which made vaccines free for the poor. In 1853 the Compulsory vaccination Act was passed, that made all infants under three months of life, and if not done you were to pay a fine. The anti-vaccination league challenged the law, because they felt that the compulsory vaccination act challenged there basic rights

However, getting vaccinated for childhood diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough is important. Those vaccinations helped eliminate deadly diseases during childhood in the Western Hemisphere, but now some parents are refusing to vaccinate their children. In the article, “Beliefs about Childhood Vaccination in the United States: Political Ideology, False Consensus, and the Illusion of Uniqueness,” researchers present the notion that political ideology may influence a parent’s beliefs about vaccinations and whether a parent will vaccinate a child. Studies show that in the United States about 15% of children are under vaccinated because of their parent’s beliefs on vaccination. Additionally, 29% - 33% of parents believe that “having multiple vaccines at a young age can weaken a child’s immune system” (Rabinowitz et al., 2016, 2). These parents also hold the belief that a child’s immune system is able to protect itself from the virus and the side effects of the vaccine are far more detrimental to the child’s health. The research conducted revealed that parents with a liberal political ideology were more likely to believe pro-vaccination statements as fact, while conservatives and moderates consider statements as beliefs. Additionally, conservatives and moderates are less likely to than liberals to vaccinate their children before age two (Rabinowitz et al., 2016,

Vaccines save lives; fear endangers them. Vaccinations have been used since the 18th century to cure various deadly diseases, from smallpox to the influenza virus. On a global level, vaccination is one of the few cost-effective medical measures that result in universal benefit. Yet there have always been those opposed to vaccinations because of possible side effects. With the increase in technology and the ability to share ideas in modern society the anti vaccine movement has flourished making the eradication of disease and safety of the public a difficult task. The anti-vaccine movement in the United States is one which brings about a very serious issue of safety. Vaccinations are put in place to protect people; they are administered by trained professionals who weigh the costs and benefits of vaccines. Yet there are still people out there who refuse to be vaccinated out of fear and therefore decide for themselves the effectiveness of vaccines. In order to ensure a safe society the public needs to be educated about vaccine in order to make a truly informed decision.

The articles “Cognitive Processes and the Decisions of Some Parents to Forego Pertussis Vaccination for Their Children” by J. Meszaros, D. Asch, J. Baron, J. Hershey, H. Kunreuther, and J. Schwartz-Buzaglo; “Illusion of Control: The Role of Personal Involvement” by Ion Yarritu, Helena Matute, and Miguel A. Vadillo; and “Responding to Parental Refusals of Immunization of Children” by Douglas S. Diekema help to describe the relationship between non-vaccinating parents and pediatricians, and the cognitive biases that run this relationship. One question addressed in the article “Cognitive Processes and the Decisions of Some Parents to Forego Pertussis Vaccination for Their Children” is, “What are the factors leading up to a parent deciding that they will not vaccinate their children?” (Meszaros, Asch, Baron, Hershey, Kunreuther, & Schwartz-Buzaglo, 1996) This question is expanded upon further in “Illusion of Control: The Role of Personal Involvement” (Yarritu, Matute, & Vadillo, 2014) and “Responding to Parental Refusals of Immunization of Children.” (Diekema, 2005) The question that connects these three papers, and the question that must be answered, is “What are the cognitive biases that dictate the likelihood of a parent vaccinating their child, and how can pediatricians be more aware of and attempt to rectify these biases?”

The number of individuals who are unvaccinated or infected in the United States has increased (Sun). Vaccines recommended for children are crucial and result in fewer health risks and greater healthy lifestyles. Proponents agree that vaccines are safe and effective, while opponents disagree and believe that vaccines create more negative outcomes than positive ("Should Any Vaccines..."). Opponents attempt to influence and persuade the majority of individuals to stray away from their viewpoints relating to the encouragement of vaccinating children. The rising percentage of children and parents who reject immunization and protest safe vaccines indicate less triumph for sufficient immunization for the population. There are many detrimental risks that affect unvaccinated children, and supporting childhood vaccinations profoundly benefits each parent and child.

Despite vaccinations being credited for the control and elimination of several childhood diseases, there are still many critics who raise concerns about the necessity of vaccination. In a national study of parents performed in 2000, 19% indicated they had “concerns about vaccines” whereas in a subsequent survey performed in 2009 this number had risen to 50%. There has also been a rise in non-medical vaccine exemptions that has occurred over the last several years. In a 2010 national survey of physicians, 89% of respondents reported at least one vaccine refusal by a parent each month (Dempsey & Gowda, 2013). Opposers argue that making school vaccination mandatory is against their right to make personal medical decisions. They feel that the government has no place to force parents to vaccinate their children if the parents decide it is not in their child’s best interest. Many parents are disagreeable about the multiple vaccinations received at one time, which results in possible pain and discomfort for the child. Another argument against vaccination is the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Critics are concerned about the unknown risks vaccines pose to children. Some parents noted their child acquiring a “high fever” or beginning to “act different” after the administration of a vaccine. There is a belief that there is a connection between the measles vaccination and autism. Another theory is that the influenza