Stakeholders' Views on the Vaccination Debate

Before the development of many modern medical treatments, infectious diseases spread uncontrollably among communities and claimed the lives of countless victims. In the US alone, there have been many epidemics: the 1793 yellow fever outbreak, the 1902 smallpox epidemic in Boston, the 1918 flu pandemic, the 1950s polio outbreak, and since its diagnosis in the 1980s, AIDS, which has taken the lives of about 25 million people (The 10). Within the past 50 years, many vaccinations have become available, greatly reducing the amount of epidemics experienced in the US. Writer Steven Novella says, “Vaccines are one of the most successful programs in modern health care, reducing, and in some cases even eliminating, serious infectious diseases” (Novella). These vaccinations are enforced at a state, not federal, level. These rules are established to protect the American community at large. If enough of the population is vaccinated, then the chance of an outbreak occurring is very slim. This benchmark is called “herd immunity” (Community). In the chance a disease is contracted by someone in the population, the spread will be greatly contained; however, this immunity is being threatened by some who are a part of the modern anti-vaccine movement. The enforcement of vaccination is a current topic of discussion nationally due to the 2015 measles outbreak that occurred in Disneyland. Measles is a very contagious disease, spreadable through contact and through the air, and it is the leading cause of death among children (Measles). The difficulty and uniqueness of regulating vaccinations stems from it being a personal health and a communal wellness issue, as well as a governmental concern.

The parents of school-age children hold a strong voice within this debate. For children to be enrolled in public school, they must have the specified vaccinations for that particular state. Parents are allowed to forgo vaccinations for their children on the basis of health-related objections, religious objections, and philosophical objections. But the observance of these objections varies from state to state. Many parents have taken to conducting their own online research about vaccines because of the concerns they have heard regarding their safety. From the articles they read, parents formulate their views, wanting to provide what’s best for their specific child. The only downfall is that many popular articles on the internet do not provide a very comprehensive overview of the pros and cons regarding vaccinations. The parents cannot find a true authority to reference in this debate, for the vaccines come from medical doctors, yet they are enforced by the government.

Each state holds their own community’s wellness at stake within this argument. Individual state legislatures may vote to uphold all three categories of vaccine objections, or they may vote to only uphold a select one or two. Currently, three states, Mississippi, West Virginia, and California, hold the strictest laws regarding vaccination. They only allow exemptions for health-related reasons.

photo courtesy of the National Conference of State Legislatures

California just recently adopted this strength of the law, as an effort to combat the declining rates of vaccinations that is presumed to have led to the 2015 measles outbreak in Disneyland (Lenhoff). An article published in the journal Nature says the following: “Fortunately for the public’s health, attention around the outbreak has come down in favour of vaccination and against the myths about its dangers” (Spot). There are supporters for both sides of this argument among politicians. Their task is to decide whether individual rights or community wellness should take precedence. For many state governments, they cannot seem to win this debate. Either they hold less-stringent laws, placing their community at larger risk, or they enforce harsh laws, offending many on the basis of religion and personal rights.

A recent anti-vaccination movement has been sparked across the country. Pediatrician Richard Pan says, "They [those opposed to vaccines] hang out in pockets” (Herd). Because of these pockets of objectors, diseases once thought to be permanently eradicated are slowly resurfacing. In a feature article Steven Novella writes, “4,800 claims [have been] made over the past eight years for compensation for injuries allegedly due to childhood vaccines” (Novella). This turn against vaccines stems from the research of Dr. Andrew Wakefield in 1998 linking vaccines to the development of autism among children (Novella). These claims continue to be made, although the scientific community has ample support against their validity. “A study of more than 95,000 children in the US has supported what almost two decades of scientific research has already been telling us – the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) is safe and effective and is in no way associated with a heightened risk of developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD)” (Study). Even with this research, the pockets of anti-vaccine supporters hold fast to their dislike of vaccines, fighting for less-restrictive governmental laws.

Arguably, the group placed at the highest risk when vaccine rates are low are those who medically cannot receive vaccines. This group includes young infants not yet old enough for some vaccinations, pregnant women, those with a medical condition prohibiting their use of vaccines, and the elderly. For anyone in this group, decreased regulation of vaccines is a frightening thought. They rely on the immunity of others to protect themselves. The needed herd immunity percentage of 92% is what keeps this stakeholder group healthy. This clearly shows the communal aspect of vaccinations. It takes the immunity of most to protect this very vulnerable group of citizens.

The upcoming generation may not be as fearful of a disease outbreak because they have never witnessed one. Parents would rather take their chances with a disease like measles than voluntarily put their child at risk for something through a vaccination shot. States struggle with protecting their community while also protecting the individual rights of its citizens. Anti-vaccination supporters are making their voices heard, yet it seems that they are misinformed to the drawbacks of vaccines. All of these stakeholders combine to give us the complexity of this issue today. It is a very likely possibility that those large outbreaks from years ago could reoccur again if vaccinations stop being required.




Works Cited

“Community Immunity (‘Herd Immunity’).” vaccine.gov. N.p., 16 Apr. 2015. Web. 22       Feb. 2016.

"Herd at Risk; Vaccination Rates." The Economist May 05 2012: 33. ProQuest. Web.         19 Feb. 2016.

Lenhoff, Alan. "California Vaccination Law Stirs Controversy." Medical Laboratory             Observer 47.8 (2015): 2. ProQuest. Web. 19 Feb. 2016

“Measles.” World Health Organization. N.p., Nov. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Novella, Steven. “The Anti-Vaccination Movement.” The Committee for Skeptical            Inquiry 31.6 (2007): n. pag. Print.

“Study of 95,000 Children Finds No Link between MMR Vaccines and Autism.”                  Personal Health Records. N.p., 15 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

“Spot the Difference.” Nature 518.7538 (2015): 137–138. Print.

“The 10 Deadliest Epidemics in History.” Healthcare Business & Technology . N.p., 6         Apr. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.