...vaccinate is a great risk, not only to their own children, but to every person their children are exposed to. The anti-vaccine movement has to end – be it by educating parents on vaccinations, or by creating legal penalties for parents who decide not to vaccinate. On April 19, 1982, a documentary was aired on an NBC affiliate in Washington, DC. It was called “DTP Roulette”. The documentary showed healthy children who had received the pertussis vaccine and seemed to had gotten brain damage as a result. This scared parents from vaccinating their children. As of today, there are hundreds of anti-vaccine groups who have created blogs on the internet and gained enormous followings of frightened parents who do not know whether to trust or distrust their pediatricians. As a...
Words: 530 - Pages: 3
...The role of non-evidence based beliefs on anti-vaccination-Literature Review Student Name: Institution: Introduction Anti-vaccination proponents have largely embedded their energies in promoting doubt in parents, instructing forms of biomedical fear while capitalizing on their spiritual and paranormal belief naivety to enforce the same. These approaches are ensured to make it possible that even with any increase in people’s knowledge and evidence, their rational strength over anti-vaccine movements become a myriad.[Lewandowsky et al. 2013] Decision making becomes a weak thing to do because by looking at both ends, things seem to parallel each other. There those who believe in an unquestionable trust in political figures, doctors and other medical professionals. Other parents seem to look at homeopathy, nature and metaphysical tendencies to resolve their medical dilemma as regards to the vaccine.[Huntley and Peeters, 2010; Battles, 2008]. It is at this point that Lewandowski et al. [2013] and his believed that with an increase in knowledge the worldview polarization of science also doubled. Apparently, these issues are evident to point out to the fact that anti-vaccine attitudes are predicted by them. But there is very limited research in place, to depict the underlying factor beneath these forms of psychosocial behaviors against vaccines. The notion of worldview approach to anti-vaccine over vaccines is a current one and stems from paranormal, spiritual, and conspiracy beliefs...
Words: 6697 - Pages: 27
...status citizen supports an individual’s beliefs, even when there is no valid authority contributed to their stance. Individuals raised in the modern first-world are educated to believe in the science and efficiency of vaccinations to ensure public health and decrease infant and childhood mortality rates. A wealth of evidence exists to prove that vaccinations are safe, effective, and increase public health. The scientific and medical communities, by a vast majority, support the use of vaccinations and are desperately attempting to get vaccines to third world countries and end massive generations-long death tolls attributed to preventable diseases. The diseases that these vaccines prevent had been eradicated in the United States and Western Europe for decades. Why, then, are people willing to allow their children to go unvaccinated in first world nations? Cognitive dissonance may hold the answer to this question. Ian and Linda Williams are educated parents in Auckland, New Zealand, who refused to vaccinate their son, Alijah. This decision would be life-altering. The family was caught up in the recent anti-vaccine movement, promoted heavily by celebrities like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Jim Carrey, and Jenny McCarthy - one of the most famous opponents to vaccine use. This paper will delve into the shocking story of one family’s regrettable decision to not vaccinate their child and the possible social psychological phenomena that led to their decision. What is Cognitive Dissonance? Cognitive...
Words: 3290 - Pages: 14
...is in fact a collective of people far closer to home. You work, learn and eat with them every single day. They are uninformed and dangerous..their name? Anti Vaxxers. Yes, the biggest threat to our society is in fact these seemingly innocuous modern hippys. Anti-Vaxxers choose to expose their children to deadly preventable diseases because they believe that those vaccines cause autism. This makes sense because you know, autism is transmitted through things like kissing, sharing toilet seats, and getting vaccinated against diseases that could have wiped us all out except they didn’t because some kick-ass motherfucker...
Words: 2152 - Pages: 9
...Introduction to Empirical research on non-evidence beliefs over anti-vaccination Student Name: Institution: Introduction Vaccines have had an increasing effect on people's health in the world for a long period. Down in Australia, the government introduced the “no jab, no pay” economic policy to detract anti-vaccine movements from ‘confusing’ the public (McCutcheon, 2015).Under this law, children who are not immunized, are denied childcare not unless their parents do declare philosophical, religious, medical or personal objections (Medew 2015). Evidently, in the New South Wales state, only about 50% of citizens receive vaccines for their children. Evidently this is the lowest level in Australia and is compared to South Sudan (McCutcheon, 2015).There are various researches that have come up to explain how conspiracy, paranormal, and spirituality are related to anti-vaccination, but it is clear that none of them was bold enough to explain why. For instance, in line with conspiracy theory, Kata (2010) states of how 75% of the websites she researched on made claims of cover up, where regulatory bodies had information about vaccines they were from the public. Orac (2014) states of how conspiracy in the Muslim world made people into believing polio vaccines were evil plans by the Western nations to sterilize Muslim youth and reduce them in number. In the same sense, 50% of websites stated of how the government purportedly protects vaccine manufacturers and doctors from possible harms...
Words: 2920 - Pages: 12
...Immunization is a very controversial topic including the issue of mandatory flu vaccination for front-line health care workers. Health care workers are the front-line workers to whom patients are first exposed to during the initial encounter to medical system. Influenza is commonly referred to as the seasonal flu which strikes 5% to 15% of the world’s population with approximately 3 to 5 million severe cases of illness which leads to 250000 to 500000 deaths annually (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014). In addition, hospital acquired influenza has a 16% mortality rate which increases to 60% in high-risk population groups (Cortes-Penfield, 2014). Specifically in Canada, the average rate of influenza infection is 10% to 20% of the population...
Words: 2448 - Pages: 10
...Notwithstanding all the evidence, one in four Americans still believes that vaccines cause autism (Gross, 2009). Because of this lack of trust in vaccinations, the US saw the largest outbreak of measles in 2008, a disease that was declared eliminated in 2000, due to decreased rates of vaccinations (Ratzan, 2010). Mumps and whooping cough also made a comeback. By 2007, over 5,000 parents of children with autism had sued for compensation. One case in November of 2007 solidified beliefs that vaccines cause autism. The Department of Health and Human Services acknowledged that vaccines had aggravated a preexisting disorder in a baby girl, which caused “regressive encephalopathy with features of...
Words: 971 - Pages: 4
...towards Anti-vaxxers are very subjective and non-academic. Overall, it can be agreed with scientific and medical evidence that, vaccinations do strengthen a human being’s immune system; however with the contention that Julie has followed through…she fails to convey the validity and instead creates segregation between the supporting views. This paper aims to critique Julie’s methodology of delivering her concern, whilst providing adjustments on how this piece would have been written, if this piece were to be an objective scientific review. Vaccinations are essential for strengthening one’s immune system, via defending the body against invading organisms by producing an...
Words: 955 - Pages: 4
...Vaccination Controversy Julie S. Bertram Excelsior College Author's note This paper was written for MLS 500: Graduate Research and Writing taught by Dr. Kyla Hammond Most healthcare professionals and leaders attribute vaccination as the single-most important reason for increasing the health of the human population during the past one hundred years. As a result, required immunizations are common in the U. S. and other developed countries. However, there is a segment of society who argue against vaccination due to worries that immunizing negatively impacts future health. More and more information is becoming available that presents allopathic vaccination in an ugly light. (Sharma, 2003) For the past century, vaccines for diptheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and now more recently, hepatitis B and varicella have programmed our immune systems to be powerful protectors of our health. Compulsory state immunization laws have increased the U.S. immunization rate to 77%, the highest ever. (Largent, 2012) Despite high immunization rates, there is an underlying progression of a movement of parents questioning whether the vaccines are contributing to health conditions such as autism. Contributing to the uncertainty are occasional anecdotal accounts of parents with children who experience adverse reactions. Fear causes many parents to entirely forego vaccines for their children. Regardless of mandatory school vaccine laws for school children, physicians can...
Words: 1554 - Pages: 7
...Running Head: Applying Concepts of epidemiology and Nursing Research Applying Concepts of epidemiology and Nursing Research to Influenza Grand Canyon University NRS-427V Concepts in Community and Public Health This topic of this paper will be about Influenza, it is a highly contagious illness in the respiratory tract that is caused by a virus that currently occurs throughout the world and it usually peaks in December through March. The ‘Flu’ is usually spread by infected people, coughing and sneezing without covering their mouth and nose. It is spread by common, frequent contact, touching another person, for example, just shaking someone’s hand can also transmit the virus. The contagious period for the virus is thought to be twenty four hours before manifestations of symptoms appear and up to seven days thereafter. This information indicates that a person, potentially, could be contagious before they even know that they are sick. (Medical News Today, 2014) Symptoms of the Flu are numerous, fevers, cold sweats, shakes, cough, rhinorrhea, aching body, joint pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms can last roughly for a week, while the effect of exhaustion can last for several weeks until the person can make a full recovery. Those considered high risk for contracting the flu, are those that are immunosuppressed by a chronic disease, medications or treatments, the elderly, infants, the very young, pregnant women, health care professionals and people who...
Words: 1250 - Pages: 5
...Secrets of the MMR scare: How the case against the MMR vaccine was fixed February 28, 1998, there was a paper published in the Lancet which would go on to create a worldwide MMR vaccine scare. Authored by Andrew Wakefield, John Walker-Smith, and 11 others from the Royal Free medical school, London. 12 developmentally challenged children were reported on. 11 boys, 1 girl; ages 3-9 They made claims which they adopted as facts __Behavioral symptoms reported by parents in 8 of the 12 children. __Average interval from exposure to 1st behavioral symptoms was 6.3 days (range 1-14). __9 children diagnosed with regressive autism. __ Autistic enterocolitis (unproven bowel disease) November 2000, Wakefield grants an interview to CBS’s 60 minutes; epidemic of autism . He campaigned for boycott of the MMR vaccine in favor of single shots. Concerns for Thimerosal in vaccine also occurring at this time What Got Deer Started: Around the time the Lancet paper was published, a woman in Ireland was compensated for vaccine injury caused to her son. 2003 begins to take a closer look at Wakefield’s claims. Deer’s Findings: The research alleging link between MMR and Autism had been funded from the onset by a group of lawyers. Wakefield was on their payroll for two years prior to the paper being published and before the research began. Wakefield and his cohorts created “the problem” Children enrolled in the study were members of JAB as well as clients...
Words: 607 - Pages: 3
...extinct in America, is unfortunately again on the rise. In the year 2000, national leaders in the United States declared that measles had been eliminated within the country, however, from January 1, 2014 to August 29, 2014, there were 592 Measles cases in the United States (Koplowitz 1). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have attributed these cases to parents refusing to have their children vaccinated. Within the past two months, there have been 102 cases of measles reported in 14 states (Grady 1). Vaccinations have proven to be extremely effective. After receiving two doses of the measles vaccination, 97% of people are immune to this disease (“For Health Care Professionals” 2). It is completely unacceptable to have an outbreak of a disease that is almost completely preventable and was eliminated from the United States 15 years ago. In order to protect citizens against communicable diseases, it should be mandatory for almost everyone to receive vaccinations. There are two types of immunizations: active and passive. The more common of the two is the active immunization, which stimulates the body’s immune system to fabricate a defense against a disease-causing microorganism (“Immunization” 1). The first recorded active immunization was Edward Jenner’s use of the cowpox virus to produce immunity to smallpox in 1796 (Riedel 5). Currently, any formulation containing a microorganism for the purpose of immunization is referred to as a vaccine. A population is fully protected...
Words: 1427 - Pages: 6
...One of the most controversial topics in medical science is does the MMR vaccine (Measles ,Mumps, and Rubella) cause autism. I say that it does not after extensive research I have built up a strong understanding of this topic. In my paper I will give you two points to show where I stand. my first point will be there have been multiply studies that prove that the theory is wrong. Secondly your body doesn’t react to autism as an immune problem more like a mental health problem According to the article Increasing Exposure to Anti-Bodies Stimulating Proteins and Polysaccharides in Vaccines is Not Linked to Autism" Results showed that the odds of developing any three types of autism studied did not rise with the exposure to Antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides." This should be enough to tell you that if they have the same odds as someone not vaccinated you should vaccinate them. Also the doctor who came up with this idea Andrew Wakefield is now a discredited doctor who lost his license. I do believe that if you have a chance to receive the MMR vaccine you should take it. The vaccines is a no-risk vaccine proven by multiple studies so once again why not use what the doctor says is good for you. I my next paragraph I will give statistics....
Words: 530 - Pages: 3
...Exploratory Essay To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate Vaccines were brought to the United States by Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse in 1800. (The College of Physicians of Philadelphia) Dr. Waterhouse pushed for public vaccinations to eradicate the small pox epidemic through community immunity. “Community immunity” or “herd immunity” is where a significant percentage of the population is immune to a disease, either through vaccination or prior illness, so the spread of the disease is unlikely. ( National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases). Since 1800, many vaccines have been developed including the polio vaccine by Dr. Salk in 1954. With massive polio vaccinations since 1954, eradication of the disease was declared in 1994 in the Americas. However nowadays there are many groups that believe vaccines are doing more harm than good. A recent perceived rise in autism rates and the push for more vaccines during infancy has caused some parents and researchers to believe there is a relationship between the vaccines and autism. Out of concern for safety of their children, some parents are choosing not to vaccinate or alter the government recommended vaccination schedule. Many doctors agree with government schedules for vaccinations and relate them to the elimination and reduction of diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, pertussis and more. This essay will explore the positions of parents, researchers and physicians regarding vaccines against disease. Most parents evaluate...
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
...immunizations. Americans are doubting the effectiveness of vaccines, and unfortunately are deciding to refuse vaccination. Refusing vaccinations threatens the defense against diseases not only for that individual, but for our community as well. People who do not receive vaccinations put everybody at risk, and this introduces a major concern for our public health. My proposal to benefit our community, and to help preserve the health of the new generation is that vaccinations should be made mandatory for people that are not...
Words: 1660 - Pages: 7
