Vaccinating Unvaccinated Children

Current vaccination rates in Queensland and Australia have dropped as parents have become more and more confused as to the real benefits and risks of vaccinations due to a plethora of information and misformation found on the internet. This essay will provide scientific information in support of immunization and include what a vaccination is, benefits of vaccinations, risks of not vaccinating, vaccine side effects and common misconceptions regarding vaccinations.

Many infectious diseases that once quickly spread and easily killed have been controlled or eradicated due to vaccinations. The efficacy of vaccines in reducing morbidity and mortality, particularly in children, is undeniable. Per the World Health Organization, childhood vaccinations prevent approximately 2-3 million deaths per year worldwide (WHO, 2016). In the United States, the value of immunizations is clearly displayed by comparing pre-vaccine era morbidity/mortality rates to post-vaccine era in regards to vaccine-preventable diseases. For example, prior to the diphtheria vaccine in the 1920’s, 206,000 people annually contracted the disease resulting in 15,520 deaths (History of Vaccines, 2009). However, between 2004 and 2014, only

There is much debate and controversy about child vaccinations being safe or not. Parents wonder should they get

In the United States we are very fortunate. For the most part we do not live in fear of disease outbreaks from day to day. Our government along with the Centers for Disease Control and Public Health Departments have managed to have adults and children vaccinated and set up recommendations regarding those vaccinations. Despite all that is done our country allows freedoms. One of these freedoms is to not vaccinate your child from communicable diseases due to personal beliefs. With the worlds populations becoming more mobile, that sets your child up for dangerous encounters; because some countries are not as strict on laws regarding vaccinations and some

Throughout history people have seen many public health innovations. Numerous advancements were made between 2001 and 2010. These advancements include “tobacco control, motor vehicle safety, public health preparedness and response, and occupational safety.” (Ten Great Public Health Achievements --- United States, 2001—2010) One of the most important innovations was vaccine preventable diseases. Many people believe that it is right for the government to necessitate children to be vaccinated. Others think it is wrong and that the parents should decide what is best for their children’s health. It is beneficial for the United States government to require young children in the United States to get vaccinations including hepatitis A and B,

People in the United States are urged from day one that vaccinations are important for the well being of their children and for everyone that your child may come in contact with. Recently, childhood vaccinations have been stigmatized as a negative process. Parents have become increasingly concerned about the effects and side effects of vaccinations. The problem being, that the infectious diseases that are being prevented for, are being forgotten about. Vaccinations have been doing their job in protecting us for so long that the infectious diseases are less scary than vaccination process itself (Austvoll-Dahlgren & Helseth, 2012, p. 271). Vaccinations are a preventative measure and one that will continue to be implemented in children for their individual safety and for the safety of the public. However, it is still the families’ choice whether or not they want to proceed with the vaccination process or not. Most vaccinations are going to be administered by a registered nurse, therefore, it is the role of the nurse to supply information, and answer questions when counseling families through this process. The goal is to make people feel as comfortable and as informed as possible so that they can make a decision on whether to submit to the vaccination process or not.

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.

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).

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).

Jeffrey Kluger believes that “Vaccines save lives; fear endangers them. It's a parent need to keep hearing.” (“TIP Talk!” 2016) Vaccinations relate to the first amendment for more than one reason. One of the reasons being the first amendment relates to vaccinations because of freedom of religion. If a religion does not allow you to get vaccinated, and there is a mandatory vaccine for a child within that religion; you are breaking the first amendment’s laws of the constitution (“Vaccination & religious exemptions” 2018). A vaccine is a substance used to provide immunity against one or several diseases. Vaccinations were first

They have minimized the outbreak, and control of major diseases, as well as taken smallpox to the level of eradication. (Hinman para1) There are however, two medical reasons a child should not be vaccinated; those with compromised immune systems, and allergic reactions to the vaccine. (Yang para 3) A one hundred percent vaccination rate is not needed to protect the vulnerable members of society; however, those who have chosen not to be vaccinated put those who have no option in danger. There are a majority of states that offer religious, health and most notably, undocumented philosophical reasons to not be vaccinated. All of these reasons, regardless of how well-founded they are, put a damper on herd immunity. This all together put other children and many older adults at risk. Despite a parent's prerogative not to immunize their child, these parents waive their right to have their child attend a public school. Not only to protect those children who have not been vaccinated, but the entire school population if a disease should be contracted. The state of California, joins West Virginia, and Mississippi in removing a parent’s ability to use religious and philosophical beliefs as reasons not to have their child vaccinated, closing the gap in that states probability of herd

For years, universal childhood vaccinations have been a deliberated and debated topic among much of the population. Those who are in support of vaccination, including healthcare providers, believe that vaccinations are not only in the best interest of each child’s health, but also in the best interest of the public’s health as a whole. Many vaccine supporters also believe that the benefit of vaccinations outweigh the risks associated with them (Song, 2014, p. 542). Those who are not in support of vaccinations, or display hesitancy regarding them, may not perceive the continuing need for them or may decline them for various other reasons. Anti-vaccinators are also typically concerned with the safety of vaccinations and believe that the risks associated with them may be greater than their benefit (Song, 2014, p. 542). This paper will focus on discussing some of the ethical issues arising from childhood vaccinations, it will apply ethical principles such as autonomy and beneficence to the issue, and it will explore the role of the nursing profession and ethical standards by which they abide.

Over the years, there has been much controversy surrounding the subject of childhood vaccinations. With differing opinions, many are in favor about childhood vaccinations being required for children. Children vaccinations have been proven to be an effective means of preventing serious effects, including fatalities, from childhood illnesses yet there is still controversy over whether the risk of side effects from the vaccines outweighs the risk of contracting diseases. The belief behind mandatory vaccinations has been linked to people wanting vaccinations to be required for children because it will prevent the spread of childhood diseases, but there are still questions and concerns around why childhood vaccinations should be required. Questions surrounding this topic are: why should vaccines be required, are there any serious risks involved in vaccinating your child, and should children be turned away from school if they do not have vaccinations? There is also the question of should these vaccinations be mandatory or should this solely be a choice that the parents of the child should make? In order for us to be able to take our stance on the subject, we need to examine the answers to the question.

This report shows how vaccinating can greatly impact the health of children and members of the community. Recently vaccination rates have been decreasing for a variety of reasons. 48 States are allowing for religious exemptions and 19 states have personal exemptions that can be easier to fill out instead of going to clinics and getting your child inoculated.

It only takes one child to catch a contagious disease to spread it around their region. In 2014, over 90 people were infected with measles at Disneyland. In Spain a 6 year old boy was the first patient in 28 years to contract Diphtheria. If the vast majority of people have an immunization, everyone would be safer. I understand that people have personal beliefs and religion that prevent them from going through with vaccinations, but I cannot get through to understand why your child's life would be in danger of catching a disease. I believe that all states should require parents to provide proof to schools that they have been