Alexa Kassels, Class of 2021
The increase in the number of people who have chosen not to vaccinate their children has caused many recent disease outbreaks. Researchers have spent years developing vaccines that eradicated deadly diseases; however, the lack of vaccination in the current population has allowed preventable diseases to outbreak again. Some of these diseases include whooping cough, polio, measles, and the most recent outbreak of varicella, better known as chickenpox.
The varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox, and a fever and itchy spots or blisters that cover the body are common symptoms. The disease is usually mild and resolves in five to ten days, but can be more severe in teens and adults. Additionally, chickenpox can be extremely serious for people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women.
At Asheville Waldorf School in Asheville, North Carolina, at least thirty-six students have been infected with chickenpox. Two doses of the varicella vaccine are required for children in the state of North Carolina, but Asheville Waldorf School has one of the highest rates of declination for “religious reasons.” Most of the parents decline that their children receive the vaccination not for religious reasons, but for their personal beliefs. Almost sixty-eight percent of the twenty-eight kindergartners at the school were exempt from the vaccine for the 2017-2018 school year.
The proportion of unvaccinated children in Buncombe County, where Asheville Waldorf School is located, is so high that they are working as a group to encourage parents to vaccinate their children. Being vaccinated does not only affect yourself, but it affects the entire community. With more people vaccinated, disease has less opportunities to spread. If you are exposed to a person that has a disease, you can contract it and spread it to others, including young babies who are too young to get vaccinated. However, if you received a vaccination for that disease and are immune to it, you will not be able to spread it to other people. Therefore, increasing the number of people vaccinated leads to less disease spreading throughout the population.
Misinformation has caused the parents to believe that vaccinating their children is going to harm them more than help them. Many people believe that vaccinations can cause an increased chance of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but according to the CDC, this is false. A 2013 CDC study found there is no link between vaccines and autism. The study observed the number of antigens - substances in vaccines that cause the body’s immune system to produce disease-fighting antibodies - in children with ASD and children without ASD. The results showed that during the children’s first two years of life, the amount of antigen present from vaccines was the same between both groups of children.
Pediatricians can have a major impact on increasing the number of children that are vaccinated by taking the time to communicate with parents the necessity of vaccinating their children,in spite of misinformation that they might have previously heard. Communicating through a combination of anecdotes and science can be helpful when trying to connect with parents. Additionally, it is important for the pediatrician to reassure parents that they care just as much about their child’s health as they do, and that they strongly believe it is best for the child to receive their vaccinations. It can also be helpful if pediatricians point out that they are aware that autism symptoms often occur at the same time as vaccinations, but they know the symptoms are not caused by vaccinations. They can share their knowledge of scientific studies that have been performed that prove vaccinations do not cause ASD. Pediatricians can make significant changes in the number of children that are vaccinated by having open, honest, and productive dialogue with parents. This can be achieved by taking the time to listen, to solicit and welcome questions, and to ultimately keep the conversation open.
With the recent outbreaks of eradicated disease, it is extremely important for people to receive vaccinations. There once was a time where disease took over entire populations, and scientists have worked hard to prevent this. The population needs to be properly informed that vaccination does not lead to autism, and needs to learn about the negative effects of declining vaccination. This is a major problem currently worldwide that can easily be fixed if people are informed.
References
https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/qa/what-is-chickenpox
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/20/669644191/chickenpox-outbreak-hits-n-c-private-school-with-low-vaccination-rates
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-anti-vaccination-movement-leads-to-disease-outbreaks-120312
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/patient-ed/conversations/downloads/talk-infants-color-office.pdf
The varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox, and a fever and itchy spots or blisters that cover the body are common symptoms. The disease is usually mild and resolves in five to ten days, but can be more severe in teens and adults. Additionally, chickenpox can be extremely serious for people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women.
At Asheville Waldorf School in Asheville, North Carolina, at least thirty-six students have been infected with chickenpox. Two doses of the varicella vaccine are required for children in the state of North Carolina, but Asheville Waldorf School has one of the highest rates of declination for “religious reasons.” Most of the parents decline that their children receive the vaccination not for religious reasons, but for their personal beliefs. Almost sixty-eight percent of the twenty-eight kindergartners at the school were exempt from the vaccine for the 2017-2018 school year.
The proportion of unvaccinated children in Buncombe County, where Asheville Waldorf School is located, is so high that they are working as a group to encourage parents to vaccinate their children. Being vaccinated does not only affect yourself, but it affects the entire community. With more people vaccinated, disease has less opportunities to spread. If you are exposed to a person that has a disease, you can contract it and spread it to others, including young babies who are too young to get vaccinated. However, if you received a vaccination for that disease and are immune to it, you will not be able to spread it to other people. Therefore, increasing the number of people vaccinated leads to less disease spreading throughout the population.
Misinformation has caused the parents to believe that vaccinating their children is going to harm them more than help them. Many people believe that vaccinations can cause an increased chance of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but according to the CDC, this is false. A 2013 CDC study found there is no link between vaccines and autism. The study observed the number of antigens - substances in vaccines that cause the body’s immune system to produce disease-fighting antibodies - in children with ASD and children without ASD. The results showed that during the children’s first two years of life, the amount of antigen present from vaccines was the same between both groups of children.
Pediatricians can have a major impact on increasing the number of children that are vaccinated by taking the time to communicate with parents the necessity of vaccinating their children,in spite of misinformation that they might have previously heard. Communicating through a combination of anecdotes and science can be helpful when trying to connect with parents. Additionally, it is important for the pediatrician to reassure parents that they care just as much about their child’s health as they do, and that they strongly believe it is best for the child to receive their vaccinations. It can also be helpful if pediatricians point out that they are aware that autism symptoms often occur at the same time as vaccinations, but they know the symptoms are not caused by vaccinations. They can share their knowledge of scientific studies that have been performed that prove vaccinations do not cause ASD. Pediatricians can make significant changes in the number of children that are vaccinated by having open, honest, and productive dialogue with parents. This can be achieved by taking the time to listen, to solicit and welcome questions, and to ultimately keep the conversation open.
With the recent outbreaks of eradicated disease, it is extremely important for people to receive vaccinations. There once was a time where disease took over entire populations, and scientists have worked hard to prevent this. The population needs to be properly informed that vaccination does not lead to autism, and needs to learn about the negative effects of declining vaccination. This is a major problem currently worldwide that can easily be fixed if people are informed.
References
https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/qa/what-is-chickenpox
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/20/669644191/chickenpox-outbreak-hits-n-c-private-school-with-low-vaccination-rates
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-anti-vaccination-movement-leads-to-disease-outbreaks-120312
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/patient-ed/conversations/downloads/talk-infants-color-office.pdf
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