Leapfrog Case Study

​Over the past decade, the concern among parents regarding the safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccinations has become a concern in the United States and other countries around the world. A survey of physicians showed that 89% of the physicians who were surveyed reported at least one refusal of childhood vaccinations by parents each month (Gowda & Dempsey, 2013). Other researchers have noted that as many as 77% of parents have concerned about one or more of the childhood vaccinations that are recommended for children (McKee & Bohannon, 2016). However, organizations such as the World Health Organization (2017) note that not only are childhood vaccinations safe, the reduction in children receiving childhood vaccinations has brought back diseases such as measles that had been completely wiped out in the United States. It is clear that there are opposing viewpoints about childhood vaccinations that need to be understood and examined to determine which side has a better argument.

This explains the theory of why parents choose the non-vaccinated route for their children’s lives and explains it why it’s a social issue and not just a personal choice.

In any case, a parent or guardian’s child is their number one priority. Across the nation, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, and younger relatives are adored and loved by their family. Most will receive vaccines, but a few will not. Despite the families’ differing points of view, they all have one something in common: the children all attend school. There is an immense risk when allowing unvaccinated children to attend the nation’s schools. Two authors of a recently read article can further support the claim. “We found that unvaccinated

Vaccinations are safe and they work. There are many parents who choose for their own reasons to ignore Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to vaccinate and exercise their right to not do so. They run the risk of having their child suffer or even possibly die when they opt-out to having their child vaccinated. Today in the United States, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease are often traced to susceptible children whose parents have claimed an exemption from school or child care immunization regulations (CDC, 2014).

Since the outbreak of measles in 2000, an increasing number of parents have refuse to get their child vaccinated. The majority of parents refuse to follow the vaccination schedule and requesting to receive a schedule differ than that of the American Academy of Pediatric. Only a small number of parents refuse to allow their children to receive all vaccinations. Some even want their children to only receive a certain number of vaccination (Hendrix, 2015).

Choosing to vaccinate or not vaccinate children has become a large topic of contention between parents and medical personnel. Rates of non-medical vaccine exemptions for children entering public school continue to increase across the country. This increase has coincided with a resurgence in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, or VPDs (Lynfield, 2014, p.1). There are a variety of reasons why a family might apply for a non-medical exemption and the validity of these exemptions varies from state to state. Regardless of the justifiability of an exemption, growing numbers of non-vaccinated children entering school will increase the prevalence and mortality from VPDs (Lynfield, 2014, p.2).

“Sustaining high vaccination coverage among school-age children is vital to prevent outbreaks and avoid reestablishment of diseases that have been eliminated in the United States” (Zangger, 2017). Most of the articles found, stated a variety of issues involved with noncompliant parental decisions made about not vaccinating their children. Of these issues, to my attention, the main problem with compliance of vaccines comes from the lack of knowledge about adverse effects and contraindications. What parents are missing is the fact that these childhood diseases are totally preventable diseases. We also are seeing a lot of parents choose to use an alternative vaccination schedule (AVS) instead of what is recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that leads to the same kind of issue (Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine and council on the community, 2011). The studies show that parents have an increased likelihood of refusing to vaccinate due to the lack of education provided on the subject itself.

Hospital Compare is a website that has information about the quality of care at Medicare-certified hospitals. It can be used to find and compare the quality of the care of the Medicare-certified hospital and the agency

To prepare for their five- (and soon to be five) year-olds for the first day of school, parents may lay out clothes the night before, pack backpacks and steel themselves for teary goodbyes. They’re also supposed to have made sure their kids are up to date on all state-required vaccinations. But about six percent of the state’s half million kindergarteners won’t have all their shots when they file into class. These undervaccinated students, who in some schools make up to more than half of the entering class, are different from children whose parents who excuse them entirely from vaccinations due to medical issues or personal beliefs. These undervaccinated children can attend school on a “conditional” basis — with the promise to get fully vaccinated soon.

According to the World Health Organization, one in ten infants worldwide did not receive any vaccinations in 2016 (Fadela). Additionally, many children receive their first round of vaccinations, but they do not continue with the additional rounds. Without vaccinations, children are at risk for potentially fatal illnesses. A child is exposed to viruses every single day, whether the child goes into a public setting or an infected person visits his or her home. Vaccinations are important for the protection of a child’s undeveloped immune system and preventing a child from diseases.. While parents may have multiple reasons for deciding against vaccinating their children, these children face serious medical

Often debated, with strong convictions on each side, timely immunizations for children do more good then harm. Over the last few years, a phenomenon has come to our door steps. It used to be that all parents would immunize their children, without fail, because doctors told them to. In the past, the only non-immunized children were the children with health deficiencies. These children depended on the “herd” mentality. However, times are changing and parents are choosing to not immunize their children mainly based on these reasons: the possibility of them getting autism, parental lack of education about immunizations and lastly they believe that the illnesses that children are being immunized against are gone and immunizations are no longer needed.

Both children and adults unable to be vaccinated (for reasons such as having a compromised immune system) have a right to immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases for an unvaccinated person is afforded through herd immunity, which is achieved when a certain percentage of the population is vaccinated (1). The right of a medical exemption to protection afforded by herd immunity may be considered to undermine the right to choose for parents and/or guardians; it is not a choice for the medical exemption to be unable to be vaccinated (1). However, some persons believe that vaccinations for diseases that are non-transmissible, such as tetanus, should indefinitely remain off the compulsory childhood vaccination schedule as the only person that benefits from that vaccine is the one receiving the vaccine (1). Remaining unvaccinated to a non-transmissible disease induces no harm to anyone other persons in the community or medical exemptions and a parent should reserve their right to non-compliance (1).

Certainly, supporting the use of immunization at a young age for children is a practical strategy to maintain their health and wellness. Thanks to parents who choose to immunize their children on a voluntary basis, the public health is protected, and there is a reduction in the spread of infectious diseases across the Untied States. Jane Lemons reports, “Although the vast majority of Americans continue to vaccinate their children, studies have found that as many as 1 in 10 parents are delaying or forgoing some or all recommended vaccines for their children” (169).

This paper examines the controversy surrounding the public health issue of vaccinations in children. Following a careful review of the literature surrounding this issue, the possible reasons for and implications of having a large percentage of the population who remains unvaccinated are discussed. Possible interventions and purposed interventions for resolution of this problem are discussed and conclusions are drawn based on what it learned from the literature.

Parents are the most influential stakeholder as far as Childhood Immunisation is concerned, as both Government and Lobby Groups are dependent on their support and actions to make an impact on this topic and that is the reason why all NGO’s and Lobby Groups try to persuade public opinion in general and parents opinion specifically. However, we may see that the Parents opinion in this area of Childhood Vaccination/Immunisation are immensely divided. That’s why, we may find both most vaccinated areas as well as least vaccinated areas in our society.