The growth of the anti-vaccination movement poses a serious threat to public health. The LA Times reports, “California parents are choosing to forgo vaccinating their kindergarten-age children at twice the rate they did seven years ago.” Rising numbers of unvaccinated people have inevitably led to the reemergence of measles, and possibly other diseases, in the United States. With the recent outbreak in California spreading to other states, the growing pressure on “anti-vaxxers” makes one wonder why some people choose to not vaccinate their children in the first place. What possible concerns could people have that convinces them to forgo medicine that has been supremely effective against some of the most terrible diseases? Is there a logical explanation?
Most of the reasons against getting vaccinated do not hold up against strong scrutiny. Many anti-vaxxers believe one or more of the following:
- “Natural” immunity is better than “artificial” immunity from vaccines.
- Vaccines are not natural and thus can’t be good for kids.
- Vaccines cause autism.
- Vaccines don’t actually work and is just a scam of “Big Pharma” to make money.
- Religion and faith will cure any sickness that falls upon children.
So, is there a legitimate basis for anti-vaccination? Modern science says no, so why is the anti-vax movement so widespread? Mostly, it is a combination of misinformation, misinterpretation, and incomplete understanding of scientific literature.
Many anti-vaxxers do not believe in the science behind the medicine and are skeptical of its effectiveness. However, vaccines go through tremendous amounts of scientific trials and quality checks before they are made available to the public. Considering the incredible importance and extreme risks associated with vaccines, the World Health Organization and the United Nations have even set out strict guidelines for all vaccine development and testing.
Image Source: Bally Scanlon
Some anti-vaxxers are adamant that vaccines cause autism. They may reference scientific articles or point to the increasing rates of autism to justify their stance and vaccination fears. Misinformation by public figures like Jenny McCarthy or Dr. Sears add to the hysteria already surrounding the anti-vaccination campaign. Many may not know that the literature they cite has actually been discredited and that there has been no scientific evidence showing a link between autism and vaccinations. Autism rates have been rising, but they are not proven to be due to vaccinations; they might be due to something else in the environment. More likely, it is because the definition of autism has widened over the years and doctors have gotten better at diagnosing it, leading to an increase in the number of diagnoses.
Additionally, the CDC’s recommended vaccination schedule happens to fall in line with the usual age in which autistic symptoms start to appear (between 1 and 2 years old). Vaccinations do not cause autism, but if a child happens to be diagnosed with autism, a natural parental response would be to find what caused it. In this case, vaccines are the easy target, particularly when the parent feels like they “did everything right” and that “it shouldn’t happen to me.”
Vaccines are incredibly important for our health both individually and as a society, but the rise of the anti-vax movement poses a threat to our public well-being. Unvaccinated children pose a significant health risk that reduces our herd immunity and opens a gateway for deadly diseases to spread throughout our populations. There are really no solid reasons to skip a vaccination, so for your health and for the health of the people around you, please get vaccinated.
Featured Image Source: Carlos Reusser Monsalvez
