Vaccinations
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, this remains a passionate debate amongst parents, physicians, school administrators, religious leaders, and government officials alike. Challenging the factual and perceptual side-effects with disease control, individual health status, and age complications, a number of complex considerations are widening the polarization of vaccine application. “Nowadays, individuals take an active role in managing their own health. People want to be well informed and ask for more information regarding their health,” (Harmsen et al, 2013).
California Measles Outbreak
Dowsing fuel to the flames, California became the epicenter of a recent 2014 measles outbreak. “Measles is a highly contagious, acute viral illness …show more content…
adults say childhood vaccinations should be required, while 30% say parents should be able to decide. Among all age groups, young adults are more likely to say vaccinating children should be a parental choice. Prior to the first licensed measles vaccine in 1963, hundreds of thousands of measles cases were reported annually in the U.S.” (Anderson, 2015). Contrastingly, pockets of the American population, such as the Amish and orthodox Jews, deny their communities from receiving vaccines due to religious and/or philosophical beliefs. “Thus, maintaining high measles vaccination coverage is critical to prevent large measles outbreaks in the United States, and to protect and limit spread to infants too young to be vaccinated and to persons who cannot be vaccinated because of medical contraindications,” (Gastañaduy et al, …show more content…
Explored by Lee and Male (2011) available literature suggests several running themes for motivating the AVM movement. The first type if literature is religious opposition. Deep-seeded beliefs argue the human body is created perfectly by God and, therefore, capable of defending against disease. Ideology harmoniously challenges the fundamentals of vaccines as unnatural or artificial, and thus negative for the human body. This argument is an expanse of artificial food coloring and pesticides, which have been linked to childhood behavioral issues. The AVM further claim an increase in allergies, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism as attributable to an increase in vaccinations. According to Daley and Glanz (2011) pediatricians typically bring up the need for vaccines during the well-baby checkup held about two months after birth. At this point the doctor and parents evaluate the child’s sleeping and eating habits, measure growth, reflexes, and heartbeat (to name a few). At the end of the quick 20 minute appointment, doctors mention scheduling inoculations. Unfortunately this has become the first chance for parents to ask questions of their physicians regarding vaccine concerns; however, many have already solidified an opinion based on web articles
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, this remains a passionate debate amongst parents, physicians, school administrators, religious leaders, and government officials alike. Challenging the factual and perceptual side-effects with disease control, individual health status, and age complications, a number of complex considerations are widening the polarization of vaccine application. “Nowadays, individuals take an active role in managing their own health. People want to be well informed and ask for more information regarding their health,” (Harmsen et al, 2013).
California Measles Outbreak
Dowsing fuel to the flames, California became the epicenter of a recent 2014 measles outbreak. “Measles is a highly contagious, acute viral illness …show more content…
adults say childhood vaccinations should be required, while 30% say parents should be able to decide. Among all age groups, young adults are more likely to say vaccinating children should be a parental choice. Prior to the first licensed measles vaccine in 1963, hundreds of thousands of measles cases were reported annually in the U.S.” (Anderson, 2015). Contrastingly, pockets of the American population, such as the Amish and orthodox Jews, deny their communities from receiving vaccines due to religious and/or philosophical beliefs. “Thus, maintaining high measles vaccination coverage is critical to prevent large measles outbreaks in the United States, and to protect and limit spread to infants too young to be vaccinated and to persons who cannot be vaccinated because of medical contraindications,” (Gastañaduy et al, …show more content…
Explored by Lee and Male (2011) available literature suggests several running themes for motivating the AVM movement. The first type if literature is religious opposition. Deep-seeded beliefs argue the human body is created perfectly by God and, therefore, capable of defending against disease. Ideology harmoniously challenges the fundamentals of vaccines as unnatural or artificial, and thus negative for the human body. This argument is an expanse of artificial food coloring and pesticides, which have been linked to childhood behavioral issues. The AVM further claim an increase in allergies, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism as attributable to an increase in vaccinations. According to Daley and Glanz (2011) pediatricians typically bring up the need for vaccines during the well-baby checkup held about two months after birth. At this point the doctor and parents evaluate the child’s sleeping and eating habits, measure growth, reflexes, and heartbeat (to name a few). At the end of the quick 20 minute appointment, doctors mention scheduling inoculations. Unfortunately this has become the first chance for parents to ask questions of their physicians regarding vaccine concerns; however, many have already solidified an opinion based on web articles