Anti-Vaccine Case Study

Although the negative claims behind anti-immunization stances are deceptive and discredited, some parents find it difficult to accept that vaccines are necessary and safe. Many of these reasons are due to personal or religious beliefs that have persuaded parents to bypass immunizations for their children. Consequently, health officials are seeing disquieting rises of diseases that are easily preventable. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has reported hundreds of measles cases in the United States in 2011, the largest number in 15 years (Ben-Joseph, Elana). Essentially, almost all of these cases were in individuals who had not received a vaccine shot. Also found in the article was that a great amount of the quarrel over the shots comes from a 1998 study that tried to connect autism to a type of vaccine that defends against measles. However, there has been no scientific evidence that a vaccine or a combination of any of the shots induces autism. Undoubtedly, the doctor that wrote the article, calling vaccines a “deliberate fraud” ,lost his license for not submitting any evidence of his claim and causing people to neglect shots for that year. Sadly, due to that article, 1 in 4 parents still believe that vaccines are

Unfortunately, little progress has been made since then, as reports from 2015 show only 72.2 percent of U.S. children are fully vaccinated (KFF, 2017). Healthy People 2020 recommends a national goal of 80 percent to maintain herd immunity (Child Trends Databank, 2015). Despite the life-saving importance of immunization, these stagnant rates show that many mothers of U.S. children do not adhere to vaccination recommendations. These critics and skeptics of vaccines are a part of the anti-vaccination movement. Originating upon the discovery of the first vaccine in 1796, this movement has progressed for hundreds of years. Currently, through media and prominent anti-vax social figures, the public can easily be relayed messages of vaccine controversies rather than scientific facts. Falsehoods include perceived low risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases, “overloading” the child’s immune system, mercury in vaccines, reports of negative reactions after vaccination, and the infamously popular myth that vaccines cause autism (Mittenzwei, Morrison, & Williams,

Every child born in America is unique: whether it be because of skin color, hair color, birth weight, complications while still in the womb, or difficulties at birth. Yet when it comes to vaccinations they are all treated equal and are expected to follow the government recommended vaccination schedule. Once these vaccinations have been given, they cannot be removed from a child’s body. The harm they may have caused a child, cannot be reversed. Parents need to be aware of what is in these vaccines and the possible harmful effects they can have on their child. While the official cause of autism has not been clearly determined, parents of young children and expecting parents need to be aware that research shows a definite link between

In today’s society, we believe that everything is up for debate, and that every topic can be opinionated. We like to have the power to make our own choices regardless of facts, just because we feel the pressure of being told what to do. We are lazy to learn the truth, but yet we are ready to choose sides and strongly argue about it. We see it every day on the news, in politics, sports, social media, online forums, school, etc. In his article, “Not Up for Debate: The Science Behind Vaccination”, published in September of 2015, Professor Aaron E. Carroll argues that the issue with vaccinations is more than just choosing to do it or not. Carroll jumps right into his discussion of the “Not up for debate” regarding people’s claims tying vaccines to autism, the choice not to, and officials backing them up. He explains how this argument stems from incorrect information, inadequate studies and research, and poor education about the facts and data about the vaccines, which leads to the stubborn belief that vaccinations should be banned.

Recently an anti-vaccination movement has sparked a worldwide discussion about both the safety of vaccines and the responsibility of people to vaccinate. Recent outbreaks of preventable diseases have caused both fear and anger from people on both sides of the issue. These same outbreaks have also served to cause significant political tension between those against vaccines, who do not want their right to choose compromised, and many proponents of vaccines, who are calling for mandatory vaccinations.

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.

The topic of childhood vaccinations and the dangers that accompany them has been a topic of controversy in contemporary times. At the near edge of the twenty-first century, a man named Doctor Andrew Wakefield released a study which created a mass uproar in both parents and health professionals alike. Parents were panicked as to whether or not they should have their young child vaccinated (in fear of their acquiring autism), and health professionals fearful that the population percentage of people acquiring measles, mumps, or rubella (for it was the M.M.R. vaccination that the parents feared in particular) would rise to a number which would lead to a mass risk of disease. Despite Wakefields’ study, the truth persists in all types of experiments related to vaccination. Whether being tested in a replication of Wakefields’ study or in any other, vaccines have been proven to work at preventing disease and display no causation of autism.

is a medical reporter for USA Today. She specializes in articles on cancer, children's health, parenting, and environmental health. In the following viewpoint, Szabo examines some of the dangers presented by public acceptance of celebrity endorsements of unproven and potentially hazardous alternative health remedies. Szabo explains that celebrities can have a positive impact on public health by raising awareness about illnesses and preventive medical testing, as former first lady Betty Ford did when her public disclosure of her struggle with breast cancer and mastectomy prompted more women to get mammograms. Unfortunately, Szabo relates, when celebrities promote dangerous misinformation, as she explains actress Jenny McCarthy did when she launched a very public campaign citing a since disproven link between childhood vaccines and autism, the negative impact on public health can be profound. Jenny McCarthy, an American model, actress, and an anti-vaccine activist, presents an action following a report on vaccination and how it affected her son with a complex disorder in the brain development, autism. McCarthy's claims that vaccines cause autism are not supported by any medical evidence, and the original paper by Andrew Wakefield that formed the basis for the claims has been shown to be based on manipulated data and fraudulent research. Vaccination is widely considered one of the greatest medical achievements of modern civilization. Due to the creation of vaccination about

In “vaccination isn’t a Matter of Private Choice” the author states their claim that individuals who don’t get vaccinated have the potential harm individuals who are unable to be vaccinated. Furthermore, this particular stakeholders belief is the “rise in outbreaks” would be “preventable through vaccinations,” but not all parties are able to be vaccinated due to medical issues (par.1). However, not everyone shares the same opinion, Jenny Mccarthy and her following believe the opposite. Mccarthy is a stakeholder who feels that vaccinations cause more harm than help, due to her child being autistic. She argues this by saying the vaccines given to her son caused his autism.

One such factor helping to manifest these large-scale epidemics is a study from 1998 by Andrew Wakefield, which claimed that there was a direct link between autism and the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine (Smith 1). As a result, many parents refused to vaccinate their children out of fear, and vaccine-preventable diseases like measles began reappearing more in both America and Britain, the place where Wakefield conducted his study (Cohen 2). Although a later investigation by the British Medical Journal discovered that Wakefield had distorted or altered the medical records of all twelve of the study’s participants and that he had been paid $674,000 USD by lawyers attempting to sue vaccine manufacturers, the atmosphere of apprehension surrounding vaccines is still strong among many individuals, and especially parents (Cohen 1-2). But despite all the controversy and the scientifically unsupported arguments of anti-vaccine sympathizers,

The current issue I have selected to discuss is vaccinations. In particular, I will be addressing the anti-vaccination movement that has gained popularity in recent years and the contributing biases that influenced its emergence. One event stands out at as a major contributing factor to the growth of the anti-vaccination movement, the 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield that was published by the English medical journal, Lancet. This study claimed to show a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. Even though it was just one small study, the media picked it up and it became hugely publicized.

Jenny McCarthy: model, television host, comedian, actress, author, screen writer, and play boy bunny of the year in 1994 being confident in all of these roles and certainly not being shy about being an active supporter of anti-vaccination. Unfortunately since she claimed vaccinations gave her some autism many celebrities and regular people around the states have followed her words and not getting their child vaccinations. All claiming they would rather have their children sick than vaccinated. Her quote, “I do believe sadly it’s going to take some diseases coming back to realize that we need to change and develop vaccines that are safe. If the vaccine companies are not listening to us it’s their f****** fault that the diseases are coming back. They’re making a product that’s s***. If you gave us a safe vaccine we’ll use it. It shouldn’t be polio or autism.” In other words she and her many followers would rather see their child potentially die or some very close than risk any chance with autism, which doctors have proven to be false.

the question posed by gastroenterologist and medical researcher Andrew Wakefield and is now used as a counter-argument by those who oppose vaccination. Autism is, “A developmental brain disorder known to impair social interactions and communication,” [28]. Andrew Wakefield originally proposed a link between the measles vaccine and autism in a study he conducted and published in 1997 in the Lancet, and as a result many were led to believe the so. Actress Jenny McCarthy believed strongly that vaccines were responsible for her son's autism, “the soul left his eyes” [11]. and many have pointed out that after the wide spread of vaccines the number of autism diagnoses has

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.

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