Pros And Cons Of Universal Immunization Of Children

Is it possible society simply forgot what the effects of not having vaccines could lead to? From an article by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) titled Responding to parental refusals of immunization of children, it is possible “that the remarkable success of vaccine programs has resulted in a situation in which most parents have no memory of the devastating effects of illnesses such as poliomyelitis, measles, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, making it more difficult for them to appreciate the benefits of immunization.” Universal immunization is something AAP feels very strongly about, but AAP knows parent’s objections could be not only be from “philosophical grounds” but also based on religion. AAP addresses the question: What should

Lastly, how should the pediatrician address the parents who refused to vaccinate their child? These questions have been set to ensure health care professionals perform their medical duty required of them along with ensuring no harm is placed on the child. The primary focus should always be the welfare of the child. Compulsory immunization laws in the United States “have been found constitutional even for cases in which the laws conflict with the religious beliefs of individuals.” What happens when choosing not to vaccinate can lead to others contracting deadly disease from those unimmunized? “The prevalence of disease in the community in which the child resides or the areas in which the child is likely to travel” plays a large factor in figuring the probability of contracting the disease from someone unimmunized. This demonstrates that vaccines not only protect those immunized but is also essential in ensuring public health which is why AAP supports immunization requirements for school entry. But what happens when you simply can’t afford the co-pays or you have poor preventative care

According from an article by Family Practice of Oxford University titled Choosing not to immunize: are parents making informed decisions, parents often felt that “health education leaflets and campaigns exaggerated the efficacy of vaccines.” Parents also felt that “health professionals were unwilling to acknowledge the perceived association between a vaccine and … adverse effects experienced by children who had been immunized.” Therefore, parents discussing “children whom they knew had been immunized and had then appeared to have an increased susceptibility to infections”. Discussing alternative methods with other parents is also common especially for those who share same beliefs such as homeopathy and religion. There’s even some parents who have more practical reasons why they didn’t vaccinate like; “lack of time available to attend clinic appointments, a working parent that did not allow sufficient time to consider the pros and cons of immunization and therefore coming to a default decision of not immunizing, or choosing to stay home with the child and … a perception of being able to control the pathogens introduced to the child.” Sharing personal experience as a child with others also has ability to persuade because society relies on proof and if we have a