By: Jenn Hesse
The debate of pro- versus anti-vaccination has been going on throughout history, most notably in our time since Andrew Wakefield published a study specifically targeting the MMR vaccine as dangerous in hopes of being able to market his own measles-only vaccine. Unfortunately for him, not only was his research found to be falsified, but also the fear he started spread to vaccines of all types.
The idea of placing a mandate on anything is one that must be weighed carefully before implementation. However, there are NAP-related reasons to consider this particular mandate one of necessity.
First, we must remember that children are not property. They are their own person and have a right to a healthy future. Many of the diseases we vaccinate against cause further harm beyond the original infection. Not vaccinating a child because of a fear of the vaccine is making a choice for them that can leave them with effects they will never be able to undo.
It is true that those against vaccinations believe they are doing right by their children, largely because of the connection Wakefield made between vaccinations and autism (ASD). However, in working with doctors in the preventive medicine field, we see that the science doesn’t agree with the scare tactics that spread throughout society. Most doctors and researchers agree that genetics are a major cause of ASD. There is also significant evidence that several factors occurring before, during, and immediately after birth, well before the first vaccination, are linked to a higher risk for ASD.
We can research the ASD diagnosis data and see a general increase over time. How does science explain that? In this time, doctors have redefined autism more than once. No longer do people either “have” or “not have” autism, but rather there are multiple types of autism and the entire autism spectrum to consider. This alone has led to a large jump in diagnoses.
Second, we must consider the tight quarters that our children are sharing at school and daycare, and how quickly disease spreads in these areas. Some of these individuals have immune diseases that do not allow them access to vaccinations. This provides us another reason not to allow the spread of potentially serious illnesses to spread within the schools, especially when they are avoidable. Every child has a right to education. Being denied an education for any amount of time because other parents have decided for a child that they shouldn’t be vaccinated is unacceptable for the children’s futures.
Even if we were to look at a relatively new vaccine, varicella (chickenpox), we can see the importance of protecting against these diseases. Since this vaccine didn’t come out until 1995, we can note the differences before and after its time in most of our memories. Adults who hadn’t contracted chickenpox as a child must avoid the possibility of infection, as the disease becomes much more serious as a person ages. Adults who ended up with the disease often remain under medical care for several weeks. Deaths were uncommon, but not unheard of. Teenagers still in school contracting the disease showed the same extreme levels as adults, being out of school for weeks. Because we agree they have a right to health and education, we can see how this is a problem. We also know of the connection between contracting chickenpox and shingles - a painful rash which can in some cases lead to pneumonia, blindness, even death.
Today’s teenagers have had the opportunity to be vaccinated. Recently we have run across teenagers contracting chickenpox even though their parents had told them they were vaccinated as children. During the illness, the parents then admitted to rejecting the vaccine. This added layer causes another concern for the generation - teenagers not knowing which vaccines they may or may not have received means they are not taking precautions around outbreaks of the disease. Those who contract the disease even after vaccination contract a much milder form of the illness, returning to school or work much more quickly and without having to worry about future effects of the illness.
Herd immunity leads to an eventual eradication of diseases and an overall healthier community with a much longer life expectancy. For that reason, we must mandate vaccinations for children before entering school, daycare, and other highly-populated events, as well as for the adults working with those children. The NAP says if we cause harm that could have been avoided, we have done others wrong. With that principle, we must accept vaccination as the best way to ensure our health as a community.