In the past few months I've heard several news reports of outbreaks of measles, including a few right here in Brooklyn. A disease which, in the United States, has the potential, through proper vaccination of children, to be completely eradicated, appears to be making a bit of a comeback. As a tax-paying, immunized adult, this is disheartening. As the mother of a child who is still going through the process of receiving his own vaccination, this is frightening.
The majority of those afflicted with the diseases during these various and isolated outbreaks had either not yet been vaccinated because they were still too young, or had never been vaccinated because of a choice not to be made by the parents. Reasons a parent might have for choosing to refrain from letting their child be inoculated are many, ranging from religious observances to fears that the vaccines will do more harm than good (for example, the speculation of a link between certain vaccines and autism). While as far as I'm aware all states have laws requiring proof of vaccination before a child can enter the public school system, some states provide lenient exemptions which more and more parents are falling back on as they choose not to vaccinate their children.
I believe that unless the case is extreme, exemptions from state vaccination mandates should not be allowed. What begins as a personal matter quickly broadens to a public health issue as years of costly effort to eradicate a disease begins to trickle down the drain. Choosing not to vaccinate a child is not only putting that child at risk of contracting a preventable disease, it also puts others at risk. And that is what frightens me: while on the one had, choosing to refrain from being inoculated is a personal choice, on the other it has very public consequences.
According to one New York Times article,
The exemptions [to state vaccine mandates] have been growing since the early 1990s at a rate that many epidemiologists, public health officials and physicians find disturbing.
Children who are not vaccinated are unnecessarily susceptible to serious illnesses, they say, but also present a danger to children who have had their shots — the measles vaccine, for instance, is only 95 percent effective — and to those children too young to receive certain vaccines.
[...]
It is the absence, or close to it, of some illnesses in the United States that keep some parents from opting for the shots. Worldwide, 242,000 children a year die from measles, but it used to be near one million. The deaths have dropped because of vaccination, a 68 percent decrease from 2000 to 2006.
“The very success of immunizations has turned out to be an Achilles’ heel,” said Dr. Mark Sawyer, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. “Most of these parents have never seen measles, and don’t realize it could be a bad disease so they turn their concerns to unfounded risks. They do not perceive risk of the disease but perceive risk of the vaccine.”
Dr. Sawyer and the vast majority of pediatricians believe strongly that vaccinations are the cornerstone of sound public health. Many doctors view the so-called exempters as parasites, of a sort, benefiting from the otherwise inoculated majority.
Is it right for some parents to, in an effort to protect their own child, put the health of other children at risk? It's a controversial question, there's no doubt. And while I can see and understand both viewpoints, I tend to think that no, it's not right. I am vaccinated, my husband is vaccinated, my child is currently going through the process of being vaccinated, and all of our subsequent children will be vaccinated as well. I want my family to be protected, and feel that my efforts to do so by receiving vaccinations are being thwarted by those who choose not to.
How do YOU weigh in on this issue?
16 comments:
I say bless you for vaccinating your child. Mike has worked tirelessly with Rotary International to help irradicate polio in Africa as well as other foreign lands. We have traveled extensively in Mexico and seen children afflicted with diseases which have mamed their little bodies because they were not immunized. In America where vaccinations are FREE to those with lower incomes, they are often refused. Many times religious reasons are sited when there are no religious reasons. I strongly believe it MUST be mandated by our states that children be vaccinated to safeguard ALL children!!
I love it when Mormons use the religious card when choosing not to vaccinate, and our church spends millions of dollars a year sending vaccines all over the world.
I don't think parents should get to play the religion card so easily. I think that except in extreme cases, kids should get immunized before they can start public school.
I am totally for most immunizations. If parents don't immunize their children against deadly diseases, they should be willing for their child (as well as their child's younger friend/cousin/neighbor) to concoct that disease. However, I was talking to my cousin, who has a 2-year old toddler, and found out that she is worried because the number of immunizations encouraged for children has more than quadrupled in the past 20 years or so. (I was fully immunized and I've never gotten any weird diseases!- neither has anyone I know.) They no longer tell you to immunize just for MMR and Polio and others, but also for very rare diseases your child is not in danger of getting - such as one you might get if you lived in a very secluded part of Africa and drank dirty water in that region. I don't know that my children will need these. Some are the result of partnerships between insurance companies and medical institutions (and probably others - government?) only out for a profit, which is huge if everyone is injecting their children with it in the US. So I say do it, but be educated and careful in the process.
I'm with you and Nancy---however, I let my tiny twinners get a vaccine for roto(?) virus when it was brand new, and it was recalled a couple of months later because babies were dying. That scared me a bit, so I am now much more cautious and educated when it comes to new vaccines.
For vaccinations that have been around for years, (measles, polio)the benefits have been proven.I see there are small risks with the vaccines, but wide-spread outbreaks of measles and polio will be much more harmful to our families.
Yep, with you all the way. I know a lot of people who are jumping on the "vaccines are evil" bandwagon, and yes, you can find tons of "research" to that end online and elsewhere. Probably the best pro-vaccine literature I've ever read is tucked in a chapter in the book "Baby 411." It's written by a doctor but was the best laid out, best written argument in favor of "herd immunity" that I had read and it was the piece that finally put this topic to bed for me.
I think people need to calm down a but and understand that we don't really live under a conspiracy theory, that doctors and lawmakers and even vaccination companies are all under really great systems of checks and balances and are working for the best possible known health plan for our children.
While I think that the correlation between autism and vaccines definitely warrants further study and more careful preparation of the vaccines, I don't think that it should prevent us from vaccinating our kids. I know that, if I had a choice between having Katelyn have some form of autism or dying from measles or some other disease that I could have prevented, I'd choose to have her alive. I can tell you, though, that I'd be pretty hopping mad if an unvaccinated child gave my vaccinated child a fatal disease. When that mother makes a decision that puts my child in danger, I see it as reckless.
I know that some people have religious convictions that go against vaccinating . . . but I say God gave us the ability to prevent and eradicate diseases. Not to say that all scientific endeavors are inspired (like whoever came up with the idea of partial birth abortions in the name of medicine).
Not vaccinating children is like letting kids ride around in the car without seatbelts or carseats. Sure, the kids might be just fine and make it through childhood without any scratches. However, most of us use restraints because of the mere chance that we could get in an accident and we don't want our children flying out the window.
I couldn't have said it better myself, Kristeee.
Thanks, everyone, for your comments!
Good question. And kudos for vaccinating your child. The pros far outweigh the cons. I actually saw an article not too long ago debunking the link between vaccines and autism. Personally, I think it's been a little hyped up.
I find it interesting that people pull the religion card, esp if Mormon. Before entering the MTC I was required to get a plethora of shots; I received several more when I got there. We believe in scientific advancement and modern conveniences; we should use them.
People who don't vaccinate their children should not be allowed to send them to school. You bring up an interesting point, Lyndsay. These kids should not be endangering the others for their reckless choices. If they choose not to be vaccinated then they choose to educate them somewhere where they won't be a danger to those that have. Who says choices don't have consequences?
Two thoughts from me:
First, when I was pregnant with my first two children, my measles titer showed that I had NO immunity. In fact, my doctor told me that I could not get pregnant a second time without bringing that immunization up to date. However, my second child was a bit of a surprise and it didn't happen. That time they would not release me from the hospital until I had been reimmunized. So my point . . . during that time when I was not immunized we left New York and traveled back to Utah where there was a measles outbreak in the town where we were staying. Measles causes birth defects when pregnant moms get it. I was so glad that I didn't get it, but angry with those who basically caused the outbreak by choosing not to immunize.
Second, I have a friend who does not immunize her children. I asked about what she will do when her son wants to serve a mission. She said she will have a "doctor" certify that he has been "immunized" (which means herbally). I am concerned for her son, after hearing about the close proximity to diseases that often happens on missions in third world areas. More than that, I feel like her approach is very dishonest.
Very interesting topic, Lindsay!
I heard so many bad things about vaccinations when I was deciding what to do with my own children that I read everything I could get my hands on about the subject - good and bad.
After reading both sides, I chose to go ahead and vacinate my children. But I always make sure I know which vacines the doctor is giving - and if it's one I haven't heard of, or one that seems a little far fetched, I will definately say, "Hold off on that one until I can study up and make an informed decision!"
So - I believe parents need to educate themselves on the subject before they choose one way or the other, and not just make a decision because someone told them to, or because one article in the newspaper said it was good, or that that magazine article they flipped through said it was bad.
I wanted to do a post on this subject too! Too bad I have a list of 217 posts I've been wanting to write, so it may be awhile. But here are a few of my thoughts on the matter.
I read that article earlier and remember commenting to Davey about being surprised that the Times used such polarized and inciting language when they said "most doctors" see parents who don't vaccinate as "parasites". The AAP has put out an official stance on how to treat parents who decline vaccinations and it is far from calling them parasites. Also the three doctors I have seen for Sophia have all been very respectful and understanding of my educated decision to vaccinate selectively.
I did agree with the Dr. when he said that parents "do not perceive risk of the disease but perceive risk of the vaccine.” Personally, after studying the matter, I perceive risk from both, as is UNcontroversial. No one argues about the fact that most (not all) diseases we vaccinate for are risky. But what is difficult to accept is that vaccines have risks, there's just no getting around it - and it's not fun to think about. That is why I appreciate the freedom to find ways to educate myself and manage those risks in a way that lessens the potential for harm to Sophia and other children in the world, BOTH from disease and vaccinations.
The resource that has helped me the most is an awesome book called, "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Robert Sears. I really do suggest it for anyone who wants to understand the subject more completely. I found it scientific, accessible and thorough. He discusses each vaccine - it's ingredients and their risk factors, possible side effects, how common the disease is and how serious it is/treatment if it is caught, which children could be more/less effected by side effects, etc.
Dr. Sears is pro-vaccine but he does a great job of not shying away from talking openly about their cons. He discusses past problems with vaccines and why they were pulled off the shelves and gives an understandable version of what exactly is so controversial about each current vaccine or ingredient.
It is an eye opening read. For instance, the FDA says a 12 lb baby can safely get about 30 micrograms of aluminum in one day through medicine. Vaccines are apparently exempt from the FDA criteria as a two month old on the AAP's suggested imm. schedule will receive somewhere between 295 - 1875 micrograms, depending on the brands of vaccines used. WOW. I could go on with the controversy over monkey kidney cells, cow serum, and various other animal or human tissues used in vaccines, but the point is that there just is not as rigorous testing of vaccines as there are for medicines. This concerns me. Which is why I did a ton of research on my own and then was blessedly happy to find Dr. Sears who wrote the perfect book and saved me a lot of work and worry.
With his help Davey and I have come up with a plan to lessen potential problems by giving Sophia only one vaccine containing aluminum at a time, and one vaccine containing a live virus at a time. We request certain brands which carry the least controversial or "risky" ingredients.
It is more work, it will take us longer to immunize, and some people don't like our decision, but we feel peaceful about it, and I am grateful that we have the freedom to do what we feel is right.
Whew, looks like I just wrote my post on your comment page! I'll just do a little cut and paste and you'll see this again soon... :)
I think people who don't immunize their children are idiots. I know that sounds harsh, but it is the most simple way of putting it I can think of. When my son was 3 months old he contracted streptoccocal pneumonia. He was supposed to get an immunization for it, but it was at a time when they had run out of that one. It was horrible to see him so sick. Luckily he didn't need hospitalization, but it was a sad time for me. And that isn't anywhere near as bad as measles.
I totally agree with the point that the church spends millions to immunize communities from the measles in third world countries. Yet, we have ignorant parents right there in Utah who choose not to immunize because of what they read on the internet. It is so dangerously foolhardy. How are they going to feel when one of their kids gets a disease like the measles, that would have been easily prevented with a little shot.
p.s. Several times my kids didn't even cry when they got their shots.
I was just talking to my dad about this this past weekend, and we both agreed that although there is a mild risk associated with vaccinations, its necessary for the good of the public. There is no way a tiny risk will keep me from imunizing my child, because it seems the risk of them getting that disease or passing it along is greater.
Wow, what a sensitive topic. I know many people who are on both sides of the battle.
I for one am immunizing my children. Knowing the risks, but understanding that from my point of view it is so much less risky to immunize then it is to not. Every time I bring my children to get their shots I cringe. Knowing that I am putting something that will help yet can also be a poison into my child. If any ill reaction happens to my child, I know that it is on my head. I won’t blame the FDA or the Doctor’s. It is my choice. Just like the food I and my children consume. If I give them “non-organic” food it can carry a risk. If we eat a few things that contain some hydrogenated oil, it contains a risk. But I have faith that if we follow the “Word of Wisdom” we’ll be ok.
I am so FOR immunizations... and it maddens me when I hear of parents who don't do it!
My sister had a close call with one of her daughters because a neighbor chose not to vaccinate.
I also think that the "loopholes" are a little too easy. With the autism scare getting more and more attention people are definitely making rash decisions.
This is the system we have right now. It might be a little flawed however, it works for the most part and choosing not to vaccinate is irresponsible, in my opinion.
Thank you for this post.
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