Only recently, a federal injunction lifted the act forbade mandatory anthrax vaccinations for members of the armed services. The service members that sued insisted that the safety of the vaccine was not fully determined and a federal court supported the claim until the FDA determined the safety of the product. Furthermore, claims by parents who suspect the development of Autism as a link to mandatory childhood vaccinations has provided additional legal action as the parents pursue injunctions to prevent continued vaccination of their children. All states allow some medical exemptions to state immunization requirements. Usually this exemption may be granted if the child has a compromised immune system, allergies to vaccine ingredients (i.e.
I am passionate about this issues. I have worked as an immunization nurse for several years in the state of Maryland. In Maryland there are strict requirements for vaccinating children for school entry. I worked for Prince George’s County and Baltimore County Health Department. In the state of Maryland many children each year are out compliance and therefore are not allowed to attend school until the requirements are satisfied.
“Immunizing Against Bad Science: The Vaccine Court and the Autism Test Case,” written by Lauren L. Haertlein, deals with one of today’s most popular controversies; vaccinations causing autism in children. Haertlein’s article gives insight into the history of vaccine litigation and the policies that accompany it. Furthermore, she talks immensely about the Vaccine Court, whose job is to work with petitioner’s stating that a vaccine, such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), has caused some illness to their child. The article uses
The CDC points out that 45 to 50 U.S. states have required the vaccine for children entering school. This is to maximize the prevention of the illness (www.livestrong.com).
Mr. Z was the name that a man named Nicholas Kristof, gave to a scientist that he believed to be the killer. While no names were ever mentioned in the columns, most people knew that Kristof was referring to a man by the name of Steven Hatfill. Hatfill had worked with anthrax in the past, and Kristof was a very well-respected journalist, whose word wasn’t taken lightly. The FBI suspected that Hatfill, could be Mr. Z and put him on 24/7 surveillance. This went on for months. The FBI raided and ransacked Hatfill’s apartment and found no evidence linking Hatfill to the mailings.
Imagine two children; one who has been completely vaccinated, and the other has never been vaccinated. Both children fall ill from the same virus, but the child who had been vaccinated fully recovers, while the child who was not passes away due to complications. That child’s life could have been saved if the child received the proper vaccinations. Ever since the invention of the Smallpox vaccine more than two centuries ago, there has been an abundance of controversy over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, and safety of vaccinations and immunizations. It has recently been argued whether laws should be introduced that render some or all vaccines mandatory for all children. Parents, health care specialists, nurses, teachers, and children
Currently, all fifty U.S. states offer a medical exemption from vaccinations. This means that someone could be exempt from receiving one or all of the vaccines based on medical necessity. For example, those who have compromised or weakened immune systems should be able to get a medical exemption. These exemptions require permission from a medical physician and getting them is difficult as most doctors in the mainstream medical community support and encourage vaccinations. There are two other types of exemptions – religious and philosophical. As of October 2016, three states – California, West Virginia, and Mississippi do not offer either of these. They are medical exemption states only. Of the remaining states, 32 of them offer medical and religious exemptions. Only the remaining 18 states offer all three exemptions. These numbers are decreasing as more and
Every child born in America is unique: whether it be because of skin color, hair color, birth weight, complications while still in the womb, or difficulties at birth. Yet when it comes to vaccinations they are all treated equal and are expected to follow the government recommended vaccination schedule. Once these vaccinations have been given, they cannot be removed from a child’s body. The harm they may have caused a child, cannot be reversed. Parents need to be aware of what is in these vaccines and the possible harmful effects they can have on their child. While the official cause of autism has not been clearly determined, parents of young children and expecting parents need to be aware that research shows a definite link between
Although the negative claims behind anti-immunization stances are deceptive and discredited, some parents find it difficult to accept that vaccines are necessary and safe. Many of these reasons are due to personal or religious beliefs that have persuaded parents to bypass immunizations for their children. Consequently, health officials are seeing disquieting rises of diseases that are easily preventable. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has reported hundreds of measles cases in the United States in 2011, the largest number in 15 years (Ben-Joseph, Elana). Essentially, almost all of these cases were in individuals who had not received a vaccine shot. Also found in the article was that a great amount of the quarrel over the shots comes from a 1998 study that tried to connect autism to a type of vaccine that defends against measles. However, there has been no scientific evidence that a vaccine or a combination of any of the shots induces autism. Undoubtedly, the doctor that wrote the article, calling vaccines a “deliberate fraud” ,lost his license for not submitting any evidence of his claim and causing people to neglect shots for that year. Sadly, due to that article, 1 in 4 parents still believe that vaccines are
Various parents allocated petitions plus put on record grievances critical of vaccine companies related to the effects of vaccines endured by their children. “Responding to parents' lawsuits against vaccine makers, Congress is attempting to craft legislation that protects drug companies while compensating families. But some experts say better diagnosis could explain autism's apparent rise” (Glazer, 2003). Severe effects of vaccines are very rare plus there is no scientific evidence that some vaccines produced autism or comparable developmental or cognitive impairment.
“You have to follow your own heart when it comes to medical decision-making,” stated author and mother Emily Matchar when voicing her opinion on childhood vaccines. When it comes to vaccine parents are given the privilege to exempt their child based on medical, religious, or philosophical values, varying by state. This has allowed many to deviate from the original meaning of these exemptions and manipulate them as they see fit. This has helped to fuel the anti-vaccine movement that pushes for parents to fully decide which vaccines their child will receive without government regulations. Since 1998, the movement has harassed the public health community. With the introduction of incomplete, faulty research that “proved” Autism Spectrum Disorder
In my opinion, the only circumstance for the vaccination exception can be permitted is the specific health condition. Because vaccinations are for the health safety for the children as well as adults. There shouldn’t be any exemption when it comes to safety of a child, individual or a community as a whole.
For years the topic of vaccination and its link to Autism has been a very controversial topic. In America, it has been an intense debate for decades. Many parents feel as though they shouldn’t have to vaccinate or be required to vaccinate their children because vaccinations can cause diseases like autism and even death. Others feel that their children shouldn’t have to risk getting infected by a child that hasn’t been vaccinated. Many people feel as if those who don’t get vaccinated are a danger to society. The government has put protocols in place for children when it comes to vaccinations. The parents who disagree with those protocols make special arrangements for their children, so that they are not exposed to the potential risks of
Likewise, some people should not receive vaccinations. These individuals should not receive vaccinations due to their age, health conditions, among other factors. These other conditions are independent depending on the type of vaccination received. “They can range from an individual who cannot swallow, to a pregnant woman, to a person with a life-threatening allergy, to a component in the vaccination” (Hales 543). A small percentage of individuals do not respond to a particular vaccine. ”All states provide medical exemptions, and some state laws also offer exemptions for religious and philosophical reasons” (State Vaccination Requirements). “Some religions even prevent certain parents from vaccinating their children because of their belief that the disease is a naturally occurring thing and humans have no right interfering with it” (Hales 544). However, most state laws establish vaccination requirements for school children. These laws apply to public schools, private schools, and day care centers. “State laws also establish mechanisms for enforcement of school vaccination requirements” (State Vaccination Requirement). “Vaccines save
According to the Center’s of Disease Control and Prevention (2012), there are no federal requirements for childhood immunizations. While the CDC (2012) provides recommendations, each state sets their own rules and exemptions for schools and childcare attendance. On June 30, 2015, Governor Jerry Brown of California made history by eliminating the exemption from immunizations due to personal beliefs for children in public or private schools; however, medical exemptions initiated by a DO or MD will still be allowed (Royce, 2015; California Department of Public Health, 2015a). In 2013-2014, there were nearly 17000 personal belief vaccination exemptions in California (Almasy, 2015). Throughout the history of vaccinations very strong opinions for or against immunizations have existed,
To fully understand the argument for mandated vaccinations, it is important to understand how different States define the word, “mandate,” and the Supreme Court’s reasoning behind upholding vaccination laws. Many would associate the word “mandate” with an order or command, or something that signifies requirement or inexcusableness, but States’