Immunizations help the body fight diseases by allowing the immune system to produce antibodies that can fight the disease. Many diseases that were common in the past have been reduced due to immunization. When a child is vaccinated, it not only protects that child, but it also means that the people who come in contact with the child will not be exposed to diseases (Berger, 2009). In other words, it stops the spreading of diseases. However, even in the United States some children are not vaccinated on time or their parents have decided against it. It is becoming common in the United States for parents to refuse vaccinations because they believe that it causes autism in some children.
This shift in many parents thinking has made this topic meaningful to me. It is my belief that the complications associated with preventable diseases have far greater consequences than autism. It is senseless to put a child's life a risk simply because there is a possibility that he/she might have a form of autism. Furthermore, it has not been scientifically proven that immunizations actually cause autism in children.
When looking at another country like Brazil, vaccinations are not mandatory. However, some are provided for by the government. Other vaccinations are only given by private practices. There are no age limits set for doctor's appointments. This means that children can go to school without ever getting vaccinations. Consequently, diseases can be spread rapidly at schools to children who have not been vaccinated and even to adults.
By studying this topic, I understand how important immunizations are to the public. Not only is the child who has the disease affected, but everyone around the child could be at risk if they have not been vaccinated. This impacts my work because I am in close contact with children everyday. I need to make sure that I am vaccinated regularly for certain illness to protect myself and the children around me. I will also educate the administration at my school about how important it is to make sure that we require the children to have updated immunization records before enrolling. Additionally, I want to provide information to parents, that face economic issues, about where they can take their children to get immunizations for free.
References
Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY:
Worth Publishers.
http://saopaulo.angloinfo.com/information/68/toddlers.asp
Krista,
ReplyDeleteI have a set of parents that does not believe in immunization for their children. In the State of Texas, they are able to do this with an avadavat that is updated every two years. Not only do I worry about these children and disease, they also seem to be extremely sick often. I am unsure if there is a connection between the lack of immunization and their health, but they do miss more days of school than any other children due to common illness like the cold or fever. I agree that all children should be immunized to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Rhonda
Currently I monitoring 5 childcare centers and I’ve seen a large number of children being exempt from immunization. After discussion with parents, the reason of not getting immunization is suspicion that its causes autism in children. In South Carolina, the parent has to sign a notarized statement from the health department using, “Exempt for Religious Believes” in order for children to enter the center.
ReplyDeleteAndrea
I also blogged about immunizations on my blog. As an educator and parent in constant contact with children I know the importance of immunizations. I think it can be confusing for parents of young children because of the vaccine & autism connections discussed in the media. I think parents simply need more support from their pediatricians by way of research and updated data on immunizations.
ReplyDelete