The Prevention Of The Measles Crisis

Between 1924 and 2013, vaccinations prevented 103 million cases of polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis A, diphtheria, and pertussis (Bailey). Vaccinating is “the process by which pathogenic cells are injected into a healthy person in an attempt to cause the body to develop antibodies to a particular virus or bacterium—successful creation of antibodies is referred to as immunity to the disease caused by the particular pathogen” (Introduction to Should Vaccinations be Mandatory). Popular conflicts regarding vaccination include the worry that this form of immunization isn’t natural, the idea that vaccination schedule for children in the U.S. takes away parents’ rights to make decisions for their children, and the concern that vaccinations aren’t safe for all children. Most doctors and scientists advocate for vaccinations in the name of herd immunity, protection against foreign diseases and prevention against pockets of disease outbreaks. Vaccinations should be mandatory for all children in the United States for who they are deemed safe and effective.

Despite significant progress in the fight against preventable disease, millions still die needlessly each year. According to UNICEF, originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, a vaccine preventable disease is responsible for 2 million fatal infections worldwide each year. About 75% of these deaths occur in children under five years of age. (N) In more vivid terms, UNICEF notes that vaccine-preventable diseases kill a child every 20 seconds. (D) Due to high rates of childhood vaccination, the United States has experienced a dramatic reduction in such deaths. A comparison of the years 1950 and 2010 clearly illustrates the benefits of vaccinations. During this 60-year period, deaths from diphtheria reduced from 410 to 0, tetanus from 336 to 3, pertussis from 1,118 to 26, and polio from 1,904 to 0. Measles deaths dropped from 468 in 1950 to 0 in 2008, the last year a United States death rate was recorded. It’s not surprising that vaccinations have been touted as one of the top ten health achievements of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This paper tries to make the reader believe that vaccinations are safe to use as well as a crucial part of keeping people safe from disease. This paper cites a variety of online sources, such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Recent outbreaks, such as the measles outbreak in Europe, are examined and put into the context of a lacking vaccination rate. Additionally, the benefits of vaccinating, such as protection from harmful diseases, the eradication of certain diseases, and herd immunity, are highlighted. Furthermore, this paper expresses the safety of the chemical components of vaccinations, such as thimerosal, and the awful consequences involved with contracting certain diseases that have

As many are aware, the measles was a huge threat to children before people developed a successful vaccine for this disease. Before vaccines, “an average of 500,000 annual” cases of the measles got reported each year in the United States; since 2000, when vaccines became popular, there have been about “62 cases per year” (Omer). As one can see, the amount of cases of the measles decreased since the measles vaccine. This data shows how vaccinating children decreases the chances of contracting a dangerous disease like the measles.

In December of 2014, an outbreak of measles, which started in Disneyland, resulted in nearly two hundred people being sickened across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The highly contagious respiratory disease spread for three months. Among those who contracted the illness, one developed severe pneumonia and multiple organ injury, while another suffered acute respiratory distress syndrome. So, why did an illness, which was purportedly eliminated sixteen years ago, experience a surge so dramatic that it caused more cases in 2014 than in the five preceding years combined? According to the CDC, the outbreak could be boiled down to one simple reason: “The majority of people were unvaccinated.” So while the California measles outbreak is a thing of the past, the fight to increase compliance with vaccinations continues. Although the benefits and safety of vaccinations are undisputed by the medical and scientific community, there are still sizeable groups of “anti-vaxxers” who refuse to vaccinate their children. These groups spread misconceptions, sometimes unknowingly, and become even more influential when coupled with the power of the internet and social media. Therefore, in order to increase compliance with routine vaccinations, the misconceptions of parents should be targeted, and legislation should be changed in order to prevent leniency and loopholes regarding vaccine exemptions.

This essay will attempt to investigate the employment of the 23 plus vaccinations used today and how they defend the preventions and spread of diseases. The paper will support the pros and the cons of vaccinations that are supported by research statistics as well as the different symptoms that have been reported for each available vaccine.

In Michelle Fox’s article, Expect measles outbreak to continue, says doctor, Dr. William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine, says that the outbreak will continue for some time because there is a sufficient number of unvaccinated children to continue the spread of measles. According to the CDC, there have been 84 cases of measles and 67 of those have been linked to the outbreak at Disney. Dr. Schaffner also reiterates that measles can be brought to the United States from overseas. If someone from another country comes here with measles and is around unvaccinated children, there is potential to spread the disease.

The recent measles outbreak occurring at Disneyland in December 2014 became widespread news and rekindled an ongoing debate of childhood vaccination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the United States government agency responsible for the protection of Americans from health threats, there were 159 incidents of measles arising from this outbreak (“Morbidity and Mortality” 373). Considering this outbreak, it is not unexpected that the role of vaccination would come to the forefront. The CDC presently advocates 29 vaccinations for children from birth through the age of six years old (“2016 Recommended Immunizations” 1). However, each state respectively establishes the laws for vaccination and corresponding vaccine medical, religious, and philosophical exemptions. For comparison purposes, in the early 1970’s, only three vaccinations were recommended (The Merck Manual 1462). This growth is a 314% surge in the number of vaccinations encouraged by the CDC. Thus, the subject of vaccinations and corresponding exemptions is contentious, divisive, and widely debated. Indeed, some believe that childhood vaccinations should be mandatory in order to protect every individual from preventable diseases (Gostin 1100). Instead, vaccination should be an informed parental choice, not mandated by the federal government, because vaccine safety is questionable, diseases being vaccinated against have fundamentally

“The United States is on the verge of a public health crisis,” says Anthony Ciolli, a Juris Doctor (Ciolli). Communicable diseases are spreading quickly, because of lack of vaccinations due to religious and philosophical exemptions. In 2013, one hundred forty-five thousand, seven hundred (145,700) people died globally from measles alone, a preventable disease (“Measles”). Vaccines are beneficial to everyone, especially those who cannot be vaccinated but still contract the disease. A well-known medical journalist said, “Vaccines were responsible for stopping meningococcal disease outbreaks in the 1990s and early 2000s, and more recently, helped end the influenza pandemic in 2009” (Walkinshaw). Vaccines should be mandatory regardless of religious and philosophical objections, because they protect the world population as a whole from deadly diseases.

The primary goal of measles outbreak response is to reduce morbidity and mortality by providing appropriate case management and vaccinating children.

The opinion of Eula Biss, an American non-fiction writer, is “Imagine the action of a vaccine not just in terms of how it affects a single body, but also in terms of how it affects the collective body of a community”. This statement indicates the significance of vaccination not only in terms of self-insurance, but for avoidance infecting others. Routine immunization programs protect most of the world’s children from a number of infectious diseases that previously took millions of lives each

The recent measles outbreak occurring at Disneyland in December 2014 became widespread news and rekindled an ongoing debate of childhood vaccination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the United States government agency responsible for the protection of Americans from health threats, there were 159 measles incidents arising from this occurrence (“Measles” 373). Considering this outbreak, it is not unexpected that the role of vaccination would come to the forefront. The CDC is presently advocating 29 vaccinations for children through the age of six years old (“2016 Recommended Immunizations” 1). However, each state respectively establishes the laws for vaccination and corresponding exemptions. For comparison purposes, in the early 1970’s, only three vaccinations were recommended (The Merck Manual 1462). This growth is a 314% surge in the number of vaccinations encouraged by the CDC. Thus, the subject of vaccinations and exemptions is contentious, divisive, and widely debated. Indeed, some believe that childhood vaccinations should be mandatory in order to protect every individual from preventable diseases (Gostin 1100). Instead, vaccination should be an informed parental choice, not mandated by the federal government, because vaccine safety is questionable, diseases being vaccinated against have fundamentally disappeared, and parents should have the right and freedom to nurture their children.

The measles virus causes approximately 800,000 deaths a year, worldwide. In the year 2000, the United States declared the elimination of measles, ending an epidemic in the States, until 2014, when an outbreak of measles spread nationwide. This outbreak occurred when foreign travelers encountered unvaccinated children. From this outbreak, there was a record high of 667 cases from 27 different states and left 147 people ill (“Measles”). This is just one example of a growing issue in America caused by not vaccinating children because of parental concerns, religious/philosophical beliefs, and vaccine shortages; the effects include loss of herd immunity, illness and death, and rising costs. There are many

Throughout history, it has been shown that vaccines make a significant impact on the health of our communities and “administration of these vaccines led to dramatic reduction in the number of cases of, as well as deaths from smallpox, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps and preventable diseases” (Jacobson, 2012, p.36). Generally, those involved in campaigns for and research in these preventable diseases attribute vaccines for children as the main contributing factor to the overall decline in diseases such as measles, mumps, smallpox and pertussis (Jacobson, 2012). In the public health setting, there are many issues that threaten the health and safety of the public, not just in the local community but the nation and world-wide. One such issue, surfacing in public health, is the issue of vaccinations; those who choose to vaccinate, those who choose not to vaccinate and those who do not

From January 1st to February 13th, 2015, there have been 141 reported cases of Measles in 17 states across America (citation). Measles is an infectious viral disease causing fever and a red rash on the skin, typically occurring in childhood. This infectious disease can be prevented by getting a vaccine. A vaccine is a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases. In the past 50 years, vaccinations have saved more lives worldwide than any other medical product or procedure. The intriguing story of vaccination goes all the way back to ancient Greece. Ever since the invention of the first vaccine more than two centuries ago, there has been plenty of controversy over the