H1N1 Vaccine Case Study

In 2018 there has been a new outbreak of the flu. This is due to the new strand of the flu, which caused the flu shot to not be as effective as it was in previous years. There has been controversy, as to weather you should get the flu shot or not. People who are against receiving the flu shot, have many reasons, such as they believe that it can cause other diseases, just straight up give them the flu, and few people believe that receive the shot can cause autism. The people who believe that they can receive diseases, the flu, and autism via receiving the vaccine, avoid getting it, and avoid giving their children the vaccine. I believe that these people have a false view of how the vaccination works, and that education on the flu shot is important,

Vaccinations cause allergic reactions in both adults and children. The flu vaccine is one of the worst offenders.

Every fall season we hear the question; did you get your flu shot yet? It is supposed to protect you from that nasty flu virus that circulates our communities during the fall and winter months. But, did you know that in 2011 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Adverse Event Reporting Systems Website (AERS) reported 51 deaths caused by the flu vaccine in the United States (U.S.) (CDC,2012). According to National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), as of July 2012 there have been more than 84,000 reports of adverse reactions, 1000 vaccine related deaths and over 1600 cases of Guillain- Barre syndrome, a acute form of paralysis, triggered by the vaccine (NVIC.ORG).

A recent hysteria has spread over the United States as fast as it did in Salem over three-hundred years ago. When people can not understand a negative reaction from the medicine they look towards rumors as answers. An instance is “ most prominently actress and model Jenny McCarthy, who has attributed her son 's diagnosis of autism to vaccination,” (Smuskiewicz). There has been a growing number of rumors where parents attribute disorders to vaccines like multiple sclerosis, “other claims have drawn associations between the hepatitis B vaccine and multiple sclerosis,” (Smuskiewicz). All these disorders are known to deal with a weakened immune system, taking advantage of that fact upset parents are talking about “ toxic factors responsible for causing diseases and disabilities” to which doctors have logical counterclaims. Many talk of how those vaccines are used in order to keep the public as a whole protected from the spreading of diseases, but “...vaccine opponents fail to support their claims with plausible explanations for the biochemical mechanisms by which vaccines could cause the diseases, disabilities, or deaths that are claimed,” (Smuskiewicz). Experts were able to prove doctors correctly as the proportions of mercury to the vaccine were “too small” to cause any actual harm over a few minor effects. A multitude of

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.

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 start of the vaccine was the year 1855 when the smallpox vaccines were mandatory for the school children. The state of Massachusetts passed the first U.S. law, mandating vaccination for the school children. This practice continues still today. Now in this modern age that the newborn baby receives 49 vaccines by the age of 6. Indeed, vaccines have saved a number of lives until today. This is one of the best action taken place for humanity. Moreover, the majority population doesn’t recognize in general that vaccines have toxins in them. For this reason, a certain population gets side effects through receiving vaccines. According to CDC data, there are about 30,000 cases of adverse reactions per year in 2015. The stories of those individuals injured by vaccines are incredibly moving. Accordingly, we need to take a look closer to this issue of our society.

In recent years encouragement to get flu shots has become a yearly mantra. Elderly, children six months to two years, health care workers and immune-deficient people are urged in the strongest terms to go to their doctors or clinics and get a flu shot. This group encompasses about 98 million people. In the fall of 2004 this was in the forefront of American and to some extent the Western World media with the shortage of this flu seasons vaccine. Current medical wisdom states that flu shots are safe, effective and prevent mortality. A recent study published by The Journal of the American Medicine Association (JAMA) has brought the current wisdom into question. On February 14, 2005 JAMA

The CDC reports, “All vaccines carry a life-threatening allergic reaction in one per million children.” The CDC also says, “ The flu vaccine could cause Guillain-Barré Syndrome which is a disorder where a person’s immune system attacks

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.

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

RESULTS: Potential reasons for rejection of flu vaccine was the swine flu pandemic of 2009-2010 where 200 adults and children were diagnosed with narcolepsy after flu vaccination. The media played a big role in anti-vaccine persuasion. As a result, pharmaceutical industry must ensure the most utter importance in creating a tested and uncontaminated vaccine for public use.

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.

Parents should be allowed to choose whether or not to immunize their children because of health concerns. Every vaccine has the potential to cause side effects such as, a low fever, irritation or swelling of the injection site, and headaches. These side effects are temporary and can usually last up to twenty-four hours, but sometime minor side effects are sometimes confused for the beginnings of severe adverse reactions. Adverse reactions occur because of genetics, environment, and acute sensitivity. When a person suffers from an adverse reaction they can temporary if treated properly and quickly, but tend to be permanent in most cases. Dr. Ran Paul believes that parents should have the right to choose because he has “heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines” (Con 1). He is not against vaccines, but believes that the parents have a right to be more involved. Vaccines can also cause a weakened immune system in children, which lowers their ability to

“Proponents argue that vaccination is safe and one of the greatest health developments of the 20th century. They point out that illnesses, including rubella, diphtheria, and whooping cough, which once killed thousands of infants annually are now prevented by vaccination” (“Vaccines”). Many deaths occur simply because children, along with adults, do not get the required shots needed. Medical treatments are not given to do a person any harm, but to keep a person and environment safe. Kids being vaccinated will give them less of a possibility to obtain a disease that could lead to death. Benefits outweigh any possibility of risking accumulating a disease. When people say that vaccinations are harmful, does not necessarily mean to develop a deadly disease, simply means some small risks. “Vaccines are not entirely harmless, but the small risks are outweighed by the benefits of a disease prevention” (Offit). Indeed flu shots must be tested in order to be able to give anyone the shot. Receiving vaccinations is only meant to help people prevent many illnesses and deaths. Although some small risks could be accumulated, those small risks are very small possibilities of anything happening to anyone. Getting immunized is not a one-time thing; people must follow up on required dates to receive them.