During the seven months period from 01/01/15 to 07/24/2015, there were 5 outbreaks of 183 measles cases reported in 24 states of America and the District of Columbia. Individuals who got measles in these cases were unvaccinated (3). In 2014, there were 23 measle outbreaks, including one large outbreak of 383 cases, occurring in the unvaccinated Amish communities in the state of Ohio (4). Three out of 11 outbreaks in 2013 had more than 20 cases and one outbreak had 58 cases (5). The symptoms of measles appear about 7-14 days after a person is infected. They include cough, runny nose, fever and red, watery eyes. 3-5 days after symptoms begin, the infected person will experience a rash. The common complications of measles are ear infections and
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As a result, it was mandated that children receive the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine (7). Polio vaccination was another successful mandate campaign. During the 1950s, more than 50,000 cases polio reported across the US and thousands of children were crippled. 21,000 polio infected individuals were paralyzed and more than 3000 died. The fear of the disease and terrified image of the iron lungs reinforced the necessity of vaccination. Understanding the effectiveness of the polio vaccine, the US government’s decision to “implement a compulsory vaccination program for polio was an effective, legal, and ethical use of public health authority” (7). Compulsory vaccination campaigns are state mandatory immunization requirements for children as a prerequisite to their enrollment in the public school system, as mandatory vaccination is effective at ensuring herd immunity. Herd immunity is present in a community when a high percentage of individuals have been immunized against certain diseases, that the disease cannot gain a foothold in the community …show more content…
As of 2006, two states of the US allow only exemptions for medical contraindications and 48 states allowed religious exemptions to vaccination. In 20 out of these 48 states, individuals could also opt out for non-religious philosophical beliefs, such as a belief that vaccines interfere with “nature’s genetic blueprint”, to unspecified “personal reasons” (8). Given America’s strong tradition of individual freedom and liberty, such exemptions allow parents to opt their children out of compulsory vaccination programs as they see fit, regardless of the public health consequences. There is similar inefficiency with the influenza vaccination requirements for health care workers (HCW) in term of exemptions. Since 1981, the CDC has recommended that all HCWs receive an annual influenza vaccination to prevent patient complications and to reduce health care costs (9). Most states permit HCWs to decline the vaccination for one or more of five reasons: medical contraindication, religious belief, philosophical belief, declination statement, or inadequate vaccine supply. States do not explicitly authorized employers to discipline any HCWs who are not compliant with the influenza vaccination requirement. With poorly defined authorizations, the employers may not be able to adequately enforce the requirements,
As a result, it was mandated that children receive the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine (7). Polio vaccination was another successful mandate campaign. During the 1950s, more than 50,000 cases polio reported across the US and thousands of children were crippled. 21,000 polio infected individuals were paralyzed and more than 3000 died. The fear of the disease and terrified image of the iron lungs reinforced the necessity of vaccination. Understanding the effectiveness of the polio vaccine, the US government’s decision to “implement a compulsory vaccination program for polio was an effective, legal, and ethical use of public health authority” (7). Compulsory vaccination campaigns are state mandatory immunization requirements for children as a prerequisite to their enrollment in the public school system, as mandatory vaccination is effective at ensuring herd immunity. Herd immunity is present in a community when a high percentage of individuals have been immunized against certain diseases, that the disease cannot gain a foothold in the community …show more content…
As of 2006, two states of the US allow only exemptions for medical contraindications and 48 states allowed religious exemptions to vaccination. In 20 out of these 48 states, individuals could also opt out for non-religious philosophical beliefs, such as a belief that vaccines interfere with “nature’s genetic blueprint”, to unspecified “personal reasons” (8). Given America’s strong tradition of individual freedom and liberty, such exemptions allow parents to opt their children out of compulsory vaccination programs as they see fit, regardless of the public health consequences. There is similar inefficiency with the influenza vaccination requirements for health care workers (HCW) in term of exemptions. Since 1981, the CDC has recommended that all HCWs receive an annual influenza vaccination to prevent patient complications and to reduce health care costs (9). Most states permit HCWs to decline the vaccination for one or more of five reasons: medical contraindication, religious belief, philosophical belief, declination statement, or inadequate vaccine supply. States do not explicitly authorized employers to discipline any HCWs who are not compliant with the influenza vaccination requirement. With poorly defined authorizations, the employers may not be able to adequately enforce the requirements,