Childhood Immunizations and Why Some Children are not Getting Vaccines:
A Literature Review
Christie Canfield
Central Carolina Community College
Childhood Immunizations and Why Some Children are not Getting Vaccines:
A Literature Review
Abstract
Recent outbreaks of measles has promoted renewed interest in childhood vaccinations. However, lingering doubts about the efficacy and safety of popular and recommended vaccines, specifically the DTP and MMR vaccines, remain. It is not necessarily the attenuated virus portion of the vaccines, but the ingredients which assist in the performance of the vaccines, that brings about concern. Some studies report that, at various times and in certain populations, vaccines may pose greater
…show more content…
One reason that is resurging in the media is the notion that vaccines can be linked to autism. In the middle is the result: cases of measles, mumps and rubella are occurring and populations of children are at risk to contract these preventable viruses. It is therefore important to examine whether vaccinations are indeed safe, if such vaccines pose adverse health risks, and exactly what the nature of reasons are as to why some children do not receive their immunizations. Much of the controversy initially arose out of a study published originally in 1998.
The Center of the Questions of Vaccine Safety In 1998 Wakefield et al. published the results of a study in the British Journal Lancet titled “Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children” (Wakefield, et al., 1998). What the researchers reported is the results of a study of 12 children who had been previously healthy, but were now presenting at a hospital with various complaints. These included a loss of acquired skills including language, and diarrhea and gastrointestinal pain. These children underwent extensive tests which all returned with various results. Through the study Wakefield et al. (1998) found a correlation between these children’s symptoms and behaviors being
Evident within this statistic that states ‘The DTaP vaccine can cause seizures in 1 in 14,000 people, and acute encephalitis (brain swelling) in 11 in 1 million. But the diseases it prevents (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) are fatal in 1 in 20 cases, 1 in 10 cases, and 1 in 1,500 cases, respectively.’ (Heyworth, 2014). This proves the necessity of vaccinations and their importance in reducing child mortality rates. The primary concern of vaccine opponents is the contraction of any of the severe side effects previously mentioned. Opponents campaign the severity of the side effects: often the basis of their decision to contest vaccines. The reoccurring argument Anti-vaccine individuals present is the diagnosis of autism subsequent to vaccinations, an argument sourced from an Andrew Wakefield article (ABC Science, 2015). The credibility and accuracy of the article was ridiculed consequently it was later declared fraudulent: the author was reprimanded whilst his medical licence was disposed of. The inoculation of children creates the positive proliferation of life, providing immunity to fatal diseases whilst protecting individuals unable to be vaccinated. To logically decide to oppose vaccinations, accurate medical evidence should be analysed and the risks
All too often we hear on the news of the devastating effects of a disease that could have been prevented by vaccines, but because of parents refusal to vaccinate their infants and children, public health professionals are now confronted with a health crisis. The importance of vaccinations is to provide children with added protection because of a young, developing immune system. Consequently, vaccines will help in boosting the immune system in recognizing and protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, and pertussis, also known as whooping cough.1 For example, pertussis, a bacterial infection that is preventable by vaccines, has infected 16 million persons worldwide, and causes about 195,000 deaths
There is approximately 1,000 infants die each year as a direct result of the DTP vaccine. Approximately 35,000 acute neurological reactions occur within 48 hours of the shot. (www.tuberose.com). Doctors, FDA, and CDC are all telling us the vaccines are safe, but are they really. I visited a site called the Tragedy of Vaccinations and in this site it had pictures and a list of names of children who had a severe reaction to vaccinations, first on the list was a boy name Chris- Christopher died 21 hours after receiving his first DPT and OPV vaccination at two months of age. Second, Ashley- 72 hours after receiving her 4th DPT and OPV and HIB, she was hospitalized with encephalitis and kidney failure, she is severely mentally and physically handicapped. Third Richell- 10 hours after her 3rd DPT and OPV she suffered a grand mal seizure, she is now mentally and physically handicapped (www.yourlifesource.com) and the list went on. These are only a few of the thousands of children who suffer from mental and physical handicaps and who have died from these so called routine vaccinations. I would guarantee you that the parents of these children would argue that vaccinations are not safe by any means.
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
For recurrent generations, there encompasses numerous controversies surrounding vaccinations for children in addition to the unfavorable reactions that may arise. The chief concerns are whether vaccinating causes serious developmental delays such as autism in children. The aim of this composition is to enlighten others that vaccinating children does not bring about autism. By means of scientific exploration along with advanced medical diagnosis in children, researchers currently recognize that the increase in autism claims are not vaccine linked.
February 28 1998, Andrew Wakefield published research article “ Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children” in Lancet journal.
Autism is not an immune-mediated disease. There is no evidence of immune activation or inflammatory lesions in people with autism. No studies have compared the incidence of autism in vaccinated, unvaccinated, or alternatively vaccinated children. Twenty epidemiologic studies have shown that neither thimerosal or MMR vaccine causes autism. There have been studies in many countries by different people who have tried multiple statistical methods. A meta-analysis of ten studies involving more than 1.2 million children reaffirms that vaccines don’t cause autism. Immunization was associated with decreased risk that children would develop autism, a possibility that’s strongest with the measles-mumps-rubella
One subject that has been very controversial for many years is the role of vaccinations causing Autism spectrum disorder in children. Since Eric Gallup was a healthy baby until he received was his first measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination in 1986. His parent noticed his behavior and ability to communicate after took the vaccinated. Eric had a serious reaction to the vaccine, according to his parent. In the year of 1989, he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Eric Gallup’s parents developed a hypothesis that childhood vaccine was responsible for Eric's autism spectrum disorder.
Some believe immunization can cause autism, brain damage, multiple sclerosis, seizures, or life-threatening anaphylaxis. While it’s best to show respect for these opinions, I simply disagree and am guided by evidenced-based data that illustrates no link between the dangers listed above and immunizations (Vaccines & Immunizations, 2010). According to CDC, there are several different types of studies pertaining to, maintaining and ensuring the safety vaccines including clinical trials, laboratory tests, and animal studies. There is constant monitoring of the safety of vaccines from scientist, along with federal government, state, and local health departments, other partners, and the public. CDC also monitors the safety of vaccines through a series of activities such as: VAERS (vaccine adverse event reporting system), clinical immunization safety assessment project, vaccine safety datalink, and emergency preparedness for vaccine safety (Vaccines & Immunizations, 2010). High-quality research, broad understanding, constant monitoring, evolving knowledge and understanding, and public health surveillance approach coupled with the many major medical organizations such as CDC, IOM, AAP, AMA, and FDA to a name a few contribute to the validity of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines and immunizations. In a controversial topic, when one side has sufficient and manifested scientific facts followed and supported by world-renowned sources, and the other side simply strong opinions and beliefs, swayed views lacking data and evidence-based research, and uncreditable sources linking a cause to conditions without regard to scientific
Being a parent is a never ending full time job. Constantly on the run, doing laundry, making food, and wiping snotty noses, you are faced with decisions to make for your child every day. One of those important decisions is whether or not to vaccinate your child. In today’s society this has become a tough choice to make as negative light has been casted upon vaccinations and their safety. False allegations of vaccines causing Autism have led parents from vaccinating their children, but research has proven that vaccinations are not the cause of Autism and parents should continue to vaccinate for the safety of their child as well as society.
The risk of Autism through vaccination theory was once again disproved by a study conducted in 2013 by the Journal of Pediatrics. At the head of the study was Dr. Frank DeStefano, who is the director of the Immunization Safety Office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study was conducted using 256 children who had autism and 752 children who did not (Lindeman para 3). By looking at “antigens, the substances in vaccines that cause the body’s immune
Ever since the invention of vaccines, there has been debates going on between whether or not vaccines cause autisms. In the past couple of decades, there has been a decrease in children receiving vaccines by the autism fright. The dispute between vaccination still continue even to this day even though the claim that vaccines cause autism have been proven by research as false while the benefits of vaccines have outweighed the risks. Vaccines protect small children from life threatening diseases but build their immune system to help in defending
Vaccinations are something that is none around the world. It is supported in many countries but in others it is not. In the United States there is a constant controversy as to whether to vaccinate or not. Most parents in our society opt for the vaccination process to protect their children in any way they can. Although, many parents do not see it that way. The controversy of childhood vaccination spans back more than just a few years it goes back as far as the 18th century (Nelson) but the fact of the matter is childhood vaccinations have very few side effects, there have been very few lines between autism and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (“Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Vaccines”; Shea, Diekema), and when children come in to contact with diseases they are not vaccinated for it can cause nationwide pandemic (Nelson; “Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?”).
The autism scare started 17 years ago, in the year 1998, when a paper was published in the British medical journal called The Lancet. Andrew Wakefield, M.D., a British gastroenterologist, and his colleagues were the authors of this paper which started the scare of immunizations causing autism. "Wakefield had a case study of eight children who had received the MMR and then developed symptoms of autism, says Paul Offit, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at the Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia. He also believed they had abnormal intestinal tracts and proposed a syndrome -- linking intestinal inflammation from receiving the MMR with the development of autism.” (Rope)
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