The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health revealed that over half of parents of children aged 3 to 11 in the United States believe they are unlikely to have vaccinated their children. This increase in vaccination rates can be partly explained by some parents’ decision not to consent to vaccination for their children. All U.S. states require most parents to vaccinate their children against some preventable diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, and whooping cough, to be able to attend school.
A patchwork of ever-shifting COVID policies from schools and government officials has made it difficult for parents to know who to trust. As of 2021, roughly one-third of U.S. states have passed laws establishing the “mature minor doctrine”, allowing minors to independently obtain vaccines.
Vaccines are essential for protecting children against diseases that can cause serious harm or death, especially in people with developing immune systems like infants. The more parents choose not to vaccinate their children, the greater the risk of infection spreading in the community. Religious beliefs are one of the most common reasons parents offer for choosing not to vaccinate their children.
A study of parental vaccine decision-making among children under five found that 31.3 of parents intended to vaccinate their child, while 22.6 believed otherwise. Vaccines are safe and effective, and parents have a duty to act in their children’s best interest. However, they can choose not to vaccinate their children.
Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent many infectious diseases. It is important to know that changes in a child’s health, such as an increase in the risk of infection from a vaccine-preventable disease, can lead to changes in their beliefs and attitudes towards vaccination.
📹 What I learned from parents who don’t vaccinate their kids | Jennifer Reich | TEDxMileHigh
Why do some parents reject vaccines, despite evidence that they’ve helped generations of children stay healthy?
Do unvaccinated children get sick more?
Individuals with an intact immune system are at a higher risk of infection and illness compared to those with a robust immune response. There are at least 180 primary immune deficiency disorders and many secondary ones, such as HIV, organ transplants, and cancers like lymphoma and leukemia. A 4-year-old toddler with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) developed complications from a chickenpox infection 22 days after exposure, despite being vaccinated against the disease. She died several days later due to multi-organ failure.
Should you vaccinate your child or not?
Vaccines are crucial for children from babies to teenagers to protect them from dangerous infectious diseases like measles, whooping cough, and meningitis. These vaccines are medical products, and while they can cause minor side effects like low-grade fever or pain, severe, long-lasting side effects are rare. Without vaccines, children risk serious illness, disability, or death from these diseases.
Is it safe for my kids to be around unvaccinated kids?
It is a well-established fact that unvaccinated children can transmit vaccine-preventable diseases in schools and communities. This can result in infection of babies who are too young to be fully immunized and people of any age who are unable to be immunized due to medical reasons.
Can I refuse to vaccinate my child in the UK?
In the United Kingdom, vaccination is not a mandatory procedure and requires parental consent. Nevertheless, they are of paramount importance for safeguarding your child against significant health complications over an extended period. In the absence of vaccination, there is an increased likelihood of contracting the aforementioned illnesses. It is of the utmost importance to comprehend the significance of vaccination in order to ensure the safety of oneself and one’s family.
What if I don’t want to vaccinate my child?
To request an exemption from vaccinations for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs, a parent, legal guardian, or a student 18 years or older must complete a completed, signed, and notarized affidavit. The affidavit must include the child’s full name, date of birth, mailing address, and the number of requested affidavit forms. The Immunization Section Affidavit Request website can be used to request an affidavit, and it is important to use the Microsoft Edge web browser when submitting a vaccine exemption request online.
Why should parents vaccinate their children?
Babies have immune systems capable of fighting most diseases, but vaccines help them fight certain serious ones. Early vaccination is crucial as they are most vulnerable to diseases at a young age. By age 2, vaccinated children are protected from 14 potentially serious diseases. If not vaccinated, they are at high risk for developing serious illnesses like measles and whooping cough. Maintaining immunizations is crucial for better diagnosis. The CDC’s Vaccines for Children program offers vaccines at no cost for children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them.
Who if you choose not to vaccinate your child understands the risks and responsibilities?
The decision to delay or reject vaccines is a crucial one that carries with it the potential to save the life of a child or even that of another individual. It is imperative that medical personnel be informed of any instances where a child has not received the full complement of recommended vaccines for their age.
What are the risks of vaccinating a child?
Most vaccine side effects are minor, such as low-grade fever, headache, and soreness at the injection site. Rarely, a child might experience severe side effects like allergic reactions or seizures, which are monitored by caregivers and healthcare providers. Vaccines are not given to children with known allergies to specific parts of the vaccine, and if a child has a life-threatening reaction, further doses will not be given. The risk of a vaccine causing serious harm or death is very small, and the benefits of vaccination are much greater than possible side effects for almost all children.
Why do parents choose not to immunise their children?
Many parents are hesitant to receive vaccinations due to religious beliefs, personal beliefs, safety concerns, and a lack of information about vaccines. Many states offer exemptions for attending public school, which can lead to parents rejecting certain ingredients or avoiding modern medical interventions. Personal beliefs may also be influenced by concerns about chemicals in vaccines and the perceived “naturalness” of vaccines.
Safety concerns have been a significant issue in recent years, with a now-debunked study linking vaccines to autism. This has led to a generation of parents deeply concerned about vaccines endangering their children’s health. Parents have also expressed concerns about the preservative Thimerosal, which has been removed from vaccines for children under 6 for over 10 years. News stories highlight rare adverse reactions to vaccines while millions of safe vaccinations go unreported.
A lack of information about vaccines, including their benefits and risk of side effects, is another concern. Parents often feel uncertain about vaccines and are more likely to be hesitant than flatly refusing them. However, the main benefit of vaccination is the protection of individual children and the significant contribution vaccines make to public health. Unvaccinated children can become sick, and many parents underestimate the dangerous implications of diseases like chickenpox, which can lead to complications in adulthood.
Unvaccinated individuals also pose dangers to at-risk groups, such as those who cannot get vaccines for medical reasons, unborn babies, and young infants not old enough to receive their first vaccines.
Can a child survive without vaccines?
Parents often delay vaccinations due to various reasons, such as fear of a child cries or the child being too young. However, the most important fact is that a child’s immune system is more vulnerable without vaccinations, and without them, many children could become seriously ill or even die from diseases like measles, mumps, and whooping cough. In an increasingly global world, with increased risks around every corner, travelers entering New York create an even greater risk of exposure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports outbreaks around the world and provides health information for travel to more than 200 international destinations. Diseases once thought to be eradicated are coming back due to people not being vaccinated as they once were. Misinformation in the media, such as false claims about autism or Dr. Bob’s Alternative Schedule, has led many parents to delay vaccinations. To prevent your child from becoming a statistic, ensure they get all the recommended vaccinations.
Who if you choose not to vaccinate your child?
It is recommended that parents consult with their child’s physician to ascertain the criteria for determining when the child is no longer at risk of contracting the disease. It should be noted that not vaccinating not only places the child at risk but also has the potential to impact the broader community.
📹 To Vaccinate or Not? Two Mothers ‘Debate’
The U.S. is currently experiencing the worst whooping cough outbreak in more than half a century, raising some questions: Is it …
Well I vaccinated my daughter and the doctor said he had never seen such a reaction..she vaccinated her Son and he began taking seizures the next day..I was telling a friend this story when another lady came up to me and told me how she was there when her grandson got his shot..she said he was a bright happy boy..she said she watched the light go out in his eyes..and now he never smiles or laughs. I asked her if she had reported and she said to who…so before you go telling others what they should do, don’t
I have 5 sons. 1 cant be fully vaccinated anymore after adverse reactions to his 1yr vaccine. I see both sides of the arguement here. I do not let my son’s (apparently) genetic disorder be used by others to slant their choice in vaccination. I have 4 fully vaccinated kids. It keeps our 1 unvaccinated kid and the several others we know, safe ❤ And YES parents are working very very hard to do right by their kids. I’d grown up in a family of advocates. It befuddles me to think that anyone wouldnt think of the suffering of others as long as their own personal needs are met. Empathy needs to make a comeback!
This presentation is one-eyed and only presents one side of the factual information. If the executives of the drug companies who made vaccines were 100% personally responsible for the sinister side effects of their toxic cocktails, then perhaps they may be safer and the pharma is accountable. Governments who mandate vaccines, those politics and the government at the time, should also be personally liable and responsible. Then, and only then, true health benefits may be revealed or explored. My children in the 1980s were not vaccinated and that was based on my personal research then. Even the medical industry was divided. Today, my granddaughter is not vaccinated and I am proud that my children have enough sense and self responsibility for their own health. Epigenetics plays a big part in illness and they are only scratching the surface in understanding.