Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful and enlightening experiences one could ever be part of. It is absolutely extraordinary that a man and a women can come together to create, grow, and give birth to another life. From the first time you hear your baby’s heartbeat to the moment your doctor places your baby on your chest, life begins. Your outlook on love, life, happiness, friends, family, and well, everything changes. Although miraculous and magical, it can also be very maddening. Between figuring out a name, deciding breast or bottle, baby-proofing your house, getting your finances in order, and reading as many how to books on parenthood as you can, the list really goes on. Then, theres the big vaccination question. Should you vaccinate your newborn? Everyone else does, right?
Most doctors will advocate how undeniably safe vaccinations are and encourage parents to remain on schedule but after doing private research, every other article you read links a specific vaccination to seizures, life-threatening allergic reactions, SIDS, and autism. These side effects are listed on the labels, so why can’t your child acquire them? How do you know what to believe and who to trust? As a parent, we are expected to make some of the most important and possibly life changing decisions for our children. Although you can never be fully prepared for parenthood, preparation is essential, research is key and knowledge is power. So, what’s the big deal about vaccinations? What are they and why are they important? Are there specific vaccinations that are required in the United States? Should vaccinations be mandated by the government or should the power of the decision be given to the parents? How do we know we are not making the wrong decision?
A vaccine is a substance that stimulates the production of antibodies to prevent infectious diseases. They are administered to artificially increase immunity or produce immunity to, particular diseases. Each vaccine contains specific agents that resemble the disease-causing pathogen which stimulates the immune system to develop adaptive immunity. There are four different forms in which vaccinations are processed. The first type contains live viruses that have been altered or weakened. This method involves passing the virus through a non-human host, such as a chick embryo, which produces a version of the virus that our immune system can recognize but not replicate. The second type contains inactivated viruses that have been “killed”. This method destroys the pathogen’s ability to replicate by exposing the virus to high heat or chemicals, while keeping it intact so the immune system can recognize it. The third type contains inactivated toxins. This method involves inactivating toxins caused by specific bacterial diseases. The fourth type contains subunits and conjugates. This method contains small pieces of the pathogens that the vaccination protects against (Historyofvaccines.org, 2018).
Vaccinations are important not only to protect ourselves but to protect humanity as a whole. Although some diseases are not prevalent in the United States anymore, they still exist and can infect anyone who is not protected. Individual immunity is important because it provides long-term protection from infectious diseases. Herd immunity makes it difficult for viruses to spread because a high proportion of individuals in the community are vaccinated. This provides protection to people with compromised immune systems, infants, and elderly people.
In 2014, the Center for Disease Control recommended getting 29 doses of 9 vaccines (plus a yearly flu shot after six months old) for kids aged 0 to 5 and an additional 40 doses of 9 vaccines from age 6 to 18. So that’s a total of 69 doses of 18 vaccines from birth to 18 years old (Ventola, 2018). In an effort to reduce the spread of deadly diseases and mortality, specific immunizations are recommended during early childhood. The most prominent vaccinations include hepatitis A and B, RV, DTap, Hib, PCV13, poliovirus, influenza, MMR, and varicella. No federal law mandates vaccinations, but all 50 states require certain vaccinations for children entering daycare and public schools. Most states offer medical and religious exemptions; and some states allow philosophical exemptions (Vaccines.procon.org, 2018).
The debate over, if parents should be able to decide if their child receives immunizations is a heated subject. Over the past decade, the number of parents who have delayed or refused immunizations for their children has dramatically increased. These personal reasons can be grouped into four categories: safety reasons, religious reasons, personal or philosophical beliefs, and hesitancy due to lack of knowledge. One of the biggest safety concerns parents have about vaccinations are the side effects associated with the drug. Whether that be an allergic reaction, a chronic illness, asthma, adhd, multiple sclerosis, and even death, the thought is mortifying. Some parents believe their child’s immune system is fragile and immature so injecting them with multiple viruses, active and inactive, seems too risky. All of the information parents are bombarded with from friends and family, the internet, radio, and even doctors, can be overwhelming and difficult to digest. When so many people are throwing their own beliefs and opinions at you, it can be challenging to make well informed decisions.
Another reason parents delay or refuse immunizations is because it is immoral based off of their religious beliefs. One of the most common reasons religious people oppose vaccinations is due to the use of animal derived gelatin and human fetal tissue in the vaccines. Some parents have strong personal and philosophical beliefs and deem natural immunity is better than acquired immunity. Others believe it is pointless to give their child vaccinations to diseases that are no longer prevalent in the United States. Some parents believe a healthy diet, lifestyle and upbringing, decreases the risk of contracting diseases and that alone is sufficient. Others believe vaccines are linked to autism because they contain harmful ingredients such as, thimerosal, formaldehyde, and aluminum. Lastly, many parents feel uneducated about vaccinations and while they try to make the most informed decision possible, they sway back and forth between unbiased and biased information. In a study conducted by Gust et al, approximately one-third of parents indicated that they did not have enough access to sufficient information, and the majority of those parents did not think their child’s provider was easy to talk to (Gust DA, et al., 2005). When parents are misinformed or simply uneducated, they typically seek information from the internet which can be misleading and inaccurate.
However, if enforcing childhood immunizations can eradicate deadly diseases, why would we stop the government? Vaccines save 2.5 million children from preventable diseases every year, which equates to roughly 285 children saved every hour. The Centers for Disease Control estimated that 732,000 American children were saved from death and 322 million cases of childhood illnesses were prevented between 1994 and 2014 due to vaccination (Vaccines.procon.org, 2018). In the United States, certain diseases are becoming rare because we have been vaccinating them for so long. Unless we can eliminate the disease completely, which we can not, it is important to continue vaccinating children to keep these diseases from creating an epidemic that could wipe out millions. Although vaccinations are not mandated, certain situations require you to be fully vaccinated. If your child is not vaccinated, certain schools and daycares might exclude them. Once they do find a school that allows them to enroll, participating in sports and after-school activities will be limited. Traveling to different countries will be restricted, not only for your own safety but for the safety of everyone around you.
As a parent, protecting your child is at the forefront of your existence. Deciding whether to vaccinate or not is a very personal choice. I understand how important it is to vaccinate and the risks associated with the consequences of not vaccinating. However, it is extremely scary putting all of these drugs into your baby. Especially vaccinations that protect against certain lifestyles your child will not be exposed to. I feel like I understand both sides of the argument and I would never judge someone for their decision. On one hand, it’s terrifying to vaccinate your child. On the other hand, it’s unsettling to have unvaccinated children around your vaccinated child. With my daughter, I decided to prolong her immunization schedule. If I was put into a situation where I had to talk to parents about vaccinations, depending on the circumstance, I would most likely recommend vaccinations. If they felt uncomfortable about the situation or felt like they were uneducated, I would try my best to provide them with unbiased information about each and every vaccination their child was going to get. I would recommend a prolonged vaccination schedule, while reassuring them that it gets easier. If they were 100 percent against vaccination, I would support their views without pushing mine onto them.
