Children are not receiving their recommended Vaccinations. Immunization prevents illness, disability and death from vaccine-preventable diseases including cervical cancer, pneumonia, polio, rubella and tetanus to name a few. In some areas, nearly one out of five children in the United states have not received their recommended vaccines. In the U.S., it’s not mandatory to have one’s child vaccinated, each state can set their own set of requirements for vaccination exemptions. The most common is religious, personal- belief and medical exemptions. Vaccinations exemptions are 2.5 times higher in states that allow an exemption for personal beliefs. Which means that a parent can choose not to have their child vaccinated because of what they believe or have read on the
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This puts their child’s life in danger as well as others, for those children that are unvaccinated can carry and infect vulnerable children and pregnant mothers. In 2014, California had 1,000 medical exemptions and more that 17,000 personal- belief exemptions. In an effort to increase immunization in the U.S., each state should only allow exemptions for medical and religious beliefs. In today’s world obtaining and exception for either is relatively a simple process. In most states, all that is required is a signed and dated exemption form of their choice, which is submitted the county health department, whereas the medical exemption form requires a physician statement to be included. Nonetheless, there should be exceptions allowed in certain circumstance however, the ease in which a parent can obtain an immunization exemption for their child is too complacent and borderline negligent. First, the exemption for personal-beliefs should be eradicated. Second, the exemption for religious beliefs, should require stricter guidelines before approval can be given. Parents should be required to obtain a letter from the Church sighting specific religious beliefs. This should be required to be resubmitted
This puts their child’s life in danger as well as others, for those children that are unvaccinated can carry and infect vulnerable children and pregnant mothers. In 2014, California had 1,000 medical exemptions and more that 17,000 personal- belief exemptions. In an effort to increase immunization in the U.S., each state should only allow exemptions for medical and religious beliefs. In today’s world obtaining and exception for either is relatively a simple process. In most states, all that is required is a signed and dated exemption form of their choice, which is submitted the county health department, whereas the medical exemption form requires a physician statement to be included. Nonetheless, there should be exceptions allowed in certain circumstance however, the ease in which a parent can obtain an immunization exemption for their child is too complacent and borderline negligent. First, the exemption for personal-beliefs should be eradicated. Second, the exemption for religious beliefs, should require stricter guidelines before approval can be given. Parents should be required to obtain a letter from the Church sighting specific religious beliefs. This should be required to be resubmitted