Lea Thompson was an investigative journalist who would lay the groundwork for the anti-vaccine campaign (Offit, 2011). When she released her film, DPT: Vaccine Roulette, the world of public health was forever altered (Offit, 2011). Especially back in the 1980’s, there was always a certain trust amongst doctors and patients. Parents would routinely bring their children in for the very important DTP vaccination without any second-guessing occurring. This vaccination, as with many other vaccinations, was crucial for protecting children from deadly infectious diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (Offit, 2011). However, when Thompsons’ documentary surfaced, many parents soon went into a frenzy worrying if they made a mistake by vaccinating …show more content…
It was understandable as to why parents who viewed this documentary would soon be struck with fear and hesitance of the DTP vaccine. This fear-inducing media is what is still seen in modern society. Highly influential people, such as actors and actresses, will openly show their support of the anti-vaccine campaign through the media. They use their influence to spread the same fears they hold of vaccinations. Just like in 1982 with the DTP vaccination, many vaccines in modern society are being feared and therefore not being administered, as they should. This lack of vaccine administering allows the reemergence of infectious diseases to occur. These reemerging diseases pose a great risk to vulnerable populations and public health. It is in the best interest of public health workers to have anyone who needs to be vaccinated be vaccinated. However, the anti-vaccine campaign and its influential members do create a huge barrier for public health vaccination goals. Influential anti-vaccine campaign supporters, such as Lea Thompson, fuel the fire to these …show more content…
In the introduction to the book, Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All, Paul discusses a vaccine related event that occurred in Minnesota (Offit, 2011). In 2009 in Minnesota, a group of children contracted a type of meningitis that is caused by the bacterium Haemophilus influenza typbe b better known as hib (Offit, 2011). The reason these children contracted this type of meningitis was due to their parents not having them vaccinated (cite book). The same occurrence of hib meningitis happened in four other places around the United States including: Pennsylvania, New York, Oklahoma, and Maine (Offit, 2011). These four states experienced outbreaks due to the same reason as Minnesota; parents chose not to vaccinate their children (Offit, 2011). The field of epidemiology is associated with the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events, which includes diseases (“Epidemiology”, n.d.). Epidemiology is also used to study how to control disease amongst other health problems (“Epidemiology”, n.d.). Epidemiologic research is used to better understand diseases, how they manifest, and how they spread. Epidemiologic research has assisted generously in the research and production of vaccinations for certain infectious diseases. When people disregard the findings and suggestions of epidemiologic
Petts and Niemeyer explore the controversy debate on what affects people from not getting their children vaccinated. They did a poll on who gets their children vaccinated and who does not get their children vaccinated. One factor Petts and Niemeyer discuss is why people are second guessing getting vaccinations for their children. The media has presented information, which led to false reports, although parents are acting upon these messages in which change their beliefs in vaccinations. Media has since affected the idea of vaccinations, parents are beginning to look into the vaccinations and predict if they will be mandatory or not for their children.
In his book, Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All, Paul A. Offit, M.D. presents us with a thoroughly in-depth look behind the veil of the vaccine controversy. Specifically here in the United States. Offit starts us off with the history of vaccinations giving insights into not just their creation but the controversy that has surrounded them since the beginning. We learn how these questions around safety and personal rights started and who have been the major decision makers in history. We hear about the groups and people that support vaccinations and those that do not.
Requiring vaccinations is a highly debatable topic in the United States today. An article by Ronald Bayer, “The continuing tensions between individual rights and public health,” is one of the most reliable sources in the case study. The author has a PhD from the University of Chicago and focuses his research on issues of social justice and ethical matters. Bayer has also previously been a consultant to the World Health Organization on ethical issues related to public health. This makes him very knowledgeable about the topic and a highly credible source.
However, the anti-vax lobbies and groups believe that the “risks of vaccine outweigh the benefits, despite what science says” Mrs Suthers said.. “They have a strong belief that the pharma industry or the government is out to get them” she added. Ms Stephanie Messenger talks of her concerns of vaccinating children in her recent book “Melanie’s Marvellous
On the other hand, Bihr gains an audience related advantage of safety values when she addresses the topic of protecting children from harm; Bihr explains that administering vaccines helps protect children from illnesses like the influenza virus or rotavirus. Researchers Ferdinands et al. (2014) found that the “…influenza vaccination was associated with about a three-quarters reduction in risk of influenza-related critical illness in children… Our results highlight the value of increasing the use of influenza vaccines among children” (Ferdinands et al., 2014, p. 681); while Dr. Cave’s (2014) piece, Adolescent refusal of MMR inoculation: F (mother) v F (father), adds that “A global vaccination campaign has led to a 71 per cent drop in measles-related deaths between 2000 and 2011, making a huge impact on the death rate which was estimated at 2.6 million deaths per year in the 1980s” (Cave, 2014, p. 631).
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? That is the question. Vaccination has sparked heated debate since its development amongst the following groups; parents, naturopaths, medical professionals, etc. Fuel has been added to the fire of the vaccine debate by the media and anti-vaxxer fear mongering tactics, making it hard for those considering vaccination, to decipher fact from myth. It is vital that we first understand the facts rather than believing the latest rumor before making an informed decision to vaccinate or not.
Vaccines have notoriously been a controversial topic throughout the news world. Mothers and fathers are faced with the decision of whether or not they should vaccinate their children. Depending upon where your children will be attending school, vaccinating may not be a choice but rather a requirement. The country in which you live can also be a key factor as to whether or not vaccines are available. People living in impoverished countries may not have access to vaccines.
The number of people who choose not to immunize is steadily increasing, and has been on the rise since the 1980 's. Should children’s health be at risk for the greater good of community health? The news today is full of tragic stories about complications of vaccine use and there have been injuries from the beginning of vaccine use due to incomplete data on the side effects. The injuries have also brought about changes in the way vaccines are manufactured. The only way to get around the vaccine is to claim religious or medical exception.
Many parents want what’s best for their children, especially when it comes to their child's health. One of the most controversial topics today is whether or not to give children the required vaccinations. By choosing to vaccinate a child you could potentially determine the future for that child and diseases they could and could not be exposed to. The real question is, Why should you vaccinate? It is important for parents to know all of the facts before they make the decision to vaccinate.
And it’s for this reason that everyone should get vaccinated. Anti-vaccination movements and their interpretations, by
Children are the future. That is why it is important for them to receive the best healthcare as possible. However, there are some questions as to what is included in the best healthcare, including whether or not it is safe for children to be vaccinated. Questions arose when an article was published with alarming results that indicated vaccines could be the cause of autism in children. The disputed article lead to many anti-vaccine movements.
Required Immunity Mandatory vaccinations for children in public schools have been the center of much debate since laws were first developed to regulate immunization. Fears from parents about side effects and adverse reactions have steered many away from wanting to vaccinate their children despite the numerous infectious diseases they prevent. These debates have gotten in the way of progression in schools for preventing the spread of disease. To me, the risks of not vaccinating children are far greater than the risks of adverse reactions.
Vaccinations are a complex, yet simple, way to prevent diseases and illnesses in individuals of all ages. With an extremely high effectiveness rate, why are vaccinations constantly being debated? To be able to understand how vaccinations work, one must know the difference between “vaccines”, “vaccinations”, and “immunization”. A vaccine is the product that produces immunity, vaccinations are the actual injections of the vaccines, and immunity is the process of the body being protected from said disease (“Basics”).
Many people may think that vaccination is a bad thing, that instead of preventing it causes illness, that is not natural. Natural or not, there are many reasons as to why we should vaccinate us and the younger generation. Most of the time children don’t like vaccination because it hurt, but is the responsibility of a parent to seek the wellbeing of his or her child. Vaccination it’s a preventive measure of various diseases. Unfortunately, things like the anti-vaccination movement, the misinformation on the Internet, and the believe that vaccination causes more damage than is worth, have led our society to think that it’s right not to vaccinate.
Unfortunately, the anti-vaccination movement is becoming increasingly popular due to individuals’ unfounded fears and imagined consequences associated with the idea of purposely inserting a disease into one’s body. However, despite one’s beliefs, vaccines are essential not only to a person’s well-being, but to the health of those around them. Mandatory vaccinations do not cause autism; rather, they save lives while upholding values of