Childhood Vaccination : A Deadly Misunderstanding?

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

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

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.

Do vaccines cause autism is a question that has been bouncing around for over twenty years. The increase in the number of diagnosed cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder has increased significantly and due to the impact this has in people’s lives several studies have been done in an effort to determine the cause. More specifically the MMR, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, vaccination has been accused of being the cause of autism. This accusation then contributed to families not vaccinating their children. Even though science disproves the link between vaccines and autism in several studies done in the United Kingdom, California, and Canada, many people cling to the vaccination-autism connection (Gerber, 2009).

Wakefield published a study on the effects of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)-vaccine, specifically the “mercury” based and the vaccine instigating the onset of autism (Wakefield para 3). Wakefield’s study involved 12 individuals whose medical background was altered in order to support his study (Goodlee para 2). After 12 years of Wakefield’s research being published, his findings were found to be inaccurate. Many doctors and scientists alike have proven his theory wrong, causing the magazine that published the article to fully retract it (Goodlee para 2). However, the damage caused by Wakefield’s false findings has yet to be undone. The number in vaccinations dropped and the number of deadly diseases ultimately rose (Goodlee para 8). Despite study after study proving that Wakefield blatantly falsified his findings, many parents including, celebrities like Jenny McCarthy, continue to advocate against vaccinations and blame the MMR-vaccine for her child’s autism diagnosis.

But the most serious risks, such as severe allergic reactions, are rarer than the diseases vaccines protect against. Other people argue that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, in particular, might cause autism. The authors refute these ideas by saying that studies have shown that there is no link between the two. Their conclusion is “To counteract the fears and misperceptions associated with vaccine campaigns, the research community and governmental agencies need to be proactive with regard to continued vaccine education, guiding public perception with rigorous scientific research on vaccine safety and emphasizing the importance of vaccination in preventing unwanted and potentially lethal infectious

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,

Vaccinations have recently become a source of conflict as a result of misinformation. Studies that attempt to link vaccines to autism diagnoses, reports of children getting sick and rumors spread by conspiracy theorists contribute to the mess of confusion that should have a simple answer. The spread of misinformation can easily sway an uncertain parent away from the right choice. Ultimately these lies harm the child who is needlessly susceptible to potentially fatal diseases that could have been prevented by a visit to a doctor. Parents should be required to vaccinate their children because vaccinations protect ourselves and future generations from the unnecessary risk of preventable disease.

When it comes to vaccinations, people should be more educated on the positives of those vaccinations. Pregnant mothers in their second trimester of pregnancy were evaluated on their perception of vaccines. People who believed in giving their child all the vaccines, known as accepters, knew most if not all about the importance of getting the vaccine. They believed that it was effective, safe, and valuable to get the childhood vaccinations. However, some pregnant women weren’t so educated when it came to how the vaccines could protect their children. So a lot of the women didn’t know how much these vaccinations protected us. I believe when it comes to improving or preventing the transmission of disease, people should be more informed or educated

Joseph Albietz explicates what vaccination is and how “vaccine is safe” for people to be able to use it without having to overwhelm with startled facts about the linkages between the 2009 H1N1 epidemic and autism. John E. Calfee enlarges Albietz information by providing proof of scientific findings. The findings that Calfee provided for us was how some scientists “failed to replicate Wakefield's results and in fact had ruled out any connection between autism and any vaccine, including the MMR vaccine.” (Calfee) Karin Decoster and Richard M. Eckersley both contradict what Albietz and Calfee have to say. Decoster asserts the false interpretation of how the government is promoting flu when “no one wants the vaccination so they have to push it and advertise it.” (Decoster) Eckersley relates the vaccination leading to drug abuse in a broader environment such as having disadvantages of acquiring the vaccination shot. I approve both Albietz and Calfee because they provided with many findings and researched that makes it credible to the reader. I think that vaccination itself cures many infectious diseases, but does not relate to affecting the people and their child with Autism or any other brain development issues.

Vaccination has been brought up again in recent years even when vaccines have been around for about one thousand years. However, with recent outbreaks of measles, some see as preventable disease through vaccines, the main controversy of vaccination has once again been brought up due to parents concerns of safety of their children. Parents now are wondering if vaccinations are the best thing for their children due to reports that vaccines cause autism and other brain disabilities. Although, the link between vaccines and autism has been discredited, the issue is still a hot topic throughout the safety of kids and refusal of vaccines. The link between autism and vaccines has caused a scare which lead to more parents refusing to vaccinate

In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield published a paper that linked the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the appearance of autism. This paper ignited widespread panic of the so-called dangerous side effects of common vaccines. In 2004, after an investigation, it was found that his paper was fraudulent and Wakefield was found guilty of misconduct and was subsequently removed from the UK medical register. Unfortunately, in 2017, many people still believe that vaccines cause dangerous side effects and refuse to vaccinate themselves and their children. Certain celebrities have pushed this false narrative and caused the anti-vaccine movement to spread even further. Despite a multitude of evidence people have taken this wonderful science for granted

Growing up, vaccinations were a normal part of childhood along with a loose tooth and a scraped knee. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that vaccinations will prevent more than 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths among children born in the last 20 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). However, in recent years, vaccinations have become a controversial issue among parents, with many choosing not to vaccinate their children. This dangerous trend has emerged largely due to a discredited link between vaccines and Autism, and caused a resurgence of several life-threatening diseases which had been all but eradicated. With the safety of all people in mind, as well as easing the financial strain on our health care system from treating preventable diseases, vaccines for children should be mandatory.

The actual accusation of the autism threat goes back to 1998, when a British physician by the name of Andrew Wakefield wrote an article for a medical journal called The Lancet. In his article, he detailed studies of the three series M.M.R vaccine and how being administered produced autism in children. This article caused mass hysteria and widespread panic amongst parents not only in Great Britian but here in the United States as well. This autism theory was debunked as later investigations into Wakefield’s research found his claims to be dishonest and fraudulent. “The archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, which reviewed a dozen epidemiological studies, concluded that there was no evidence of an association between autism and M.M.R, and studies in peer-reviewed journals since have come to the same conclusion.”(Dominus 2011) It was also revealed by investigators that funding for Wakefield’s studies came from lawyers looking to build a case against vaccine manufacturers. In 2010, The General Medical Council stripped Wakefield of his medical license and the journal, The Lancet retracted his original article.(Dominus 2011) Although Wakefield’s theories were disproved and he received punishment for his dishonesty, the footprint of his claims still linger today as people look for a reason for the rise in autism cases. An offered explanation for this spike in autism could be that the symptoms of this developmental disorder have broadened

Are the ingredients in vaccines safe for your child? Shane Ellison states that they are not, saying “Formaldehyde is just one of the many chemicals found in vaccines. And according to the FDA ‘excessive exposure to formaldehyde may cause cancer,’” [22]. Other ingredients in vaccines that tend to put people off are [15] mercury, an element that is poisonous to the nervous system and can be toxic at levels above 0.32 microgram a day for newborn babies, and aluminum which in excess can cause neurological harm. Some vaccines also contain chicken egg protein which, for children who are allergic to egg can be potentially harmful. Such chemicals can be cause for concern for parents but are not as dangerous as they first appear.