Should Parents Refuse Vaccines for Their Children? - Research Paper Example

Introduction

Parent refusal of childhood vaccines raises concern for the rising of vaccine-preventable diseases in children. Some children should not get the vaccination, especially children with immune system problems or children who are prescribed specific medications, because some vaccines can lead to health complications. Currently, the greatest public health challenge is the rate of vaccination. According to a report by the World Health Organization, measles infected 21315 individuals and led to the death of around 35 individuals in 2017. Significantly, vaccines help in preventing illness which may later lead to serious diseases, as well as death. For instance, vaccines have done a significant job, and many people cannot remember diseases such as chickenpox, polio, measles, and other vaccine-preventable diseases. The problem with parents who refuse vaccines is that they usually come from the same communities, and it is the social network that influences human choices.

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Mandatory School Vaccination

The research seeks to investigate how demographic, religious, public health, and politics affect beliefs on mandatory school vaccinations and the history of the refusal of vaccines on children. The study found that an estimate of 47% of the Ohio Appalachian parents accepted the idea that parents should have the right to reject mandatory vaccinations for school children (KrokSchoen et al., 2018). Parents refuse vaccination for their adolescent children because of reasons such as lack of knowledge on vaccination, religious belief, and the uncertainty about the safety of the vaccine, the need, and its effectiveness (284). The results give information to the proper understanding of factors influencing parental refusal of vaccinations.

Why Parents Refuse Immunization

The study applied a simple model of the history of immunization. The occurrence of an epidemic outbreak of some diseases with the outcome of high mortality and morbidity rate, and lack of vaccination; there would be a public concern on the diseases. For instance, when people realize that immunization helps in preventing diseases, they tend to embrace immunization. Herd immunity helps in reducing morbidity, which comes as a result of the disease (Fredrickson et al., 2004). More imperatively, there are several factors from diverse sources which influence the decision of parents not to vaccinate their children. Historical events such as scientific journals and the court ruling may contribute significantly contribute to anti-vaccination.

Loss of Confidence in Vaccines Due to Report of Infant Death

China succeeded in reducing HBV infection, with around 90% of children below the age of five years, through the use of safe and effective HepB (Yu et al., 2016). The move was adversely affected by the media report on infant mortality due to the vaccine. The research aims at measuring parental confidence in HBV in China. The results demonstrated that the HepB vaccination did not cause infant mortality. It is important to note that confidence in vaccines has not been restored properly in China. Many people are still not convinced that vaccination does not lead to infant death; therefore, a lot should be done in restoring confidence among parents, and the vague media reports held responsible for conveying mischievous information.

Should Parents be Allowed to Refuse Vaccination for Children?

The study seeks to determine whether the parents should be allowed to refuse vaccinations or not. The topic has been a subject of debate, especially in the United States, where there is a low incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Parental refusal based on religious beliefs and individual philosophies also hurt immunization processes and herd immunity. Pediatricians ought to respect the parental decision of refusing children vaccination (Patel & Brown, 2017). Parents may reject vaccination because the decision does not affect others, especially in a population with a high level of immunization like in the United States. The answer to the question posed varies depending on particular circumstances. Notably, the principle of public health should be applied in determining parental refusal of vaccination.

Physician Dismissal of Families Who Refuse Vaccination

Vaccinations for children have significantly reduced the mortality rate among children around the world, but many parents in the United States still refuse vaccination to their children (Diekema, 2015). The article found that a few numbers of the parents reject vaccinations based on religious objections, while about 90% of the parents felt that vaccination is good for their children, and 54% focused on the adverse effect of vaccination. More importantly, effective communication should understand the reasons why some parents reject vaccinations.

Conclusion

The question of whether parents should be allowed to refuse vaccinations for children has been a topic of discussion all over the world. Personal beliefs and religious objections are the major factors that greatly contribute to parental refusal of childhood vaccinations. Vaccines play a critical role in preventing diseases and reducing the mortality rate in the population. The choice to vaccinate children is fundamental because it does not only impact the lives of children, but it has a greater impact on the whole community. Therefore, health providers with vast knowledge of the importance of vaccination should convey the right information to the parents to enhance confidence in vaccination.

References

Diekema, D. S Should Parents Refuse Vaccines for Their Children? (2015). Physician dismissal of families who refuse vaccination: an ethical assessment. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 43(3), 654-660.

Fredrickson, D. D., Davis, T. C., Arnould, C. L., Kennen, E. M., Humiston, S. G., Cross, J. T., & Bocchini, J. A. (2004). Childhood immunization refusal: provider and parent perceptions. FAMILY MEDICINE-KANSAS CITY-, 36, 431-439.

KrokSchoen, J. L., Bernardo, B. M., Weier, R. C., Peng, J., Katz, M. L., Reiter, P. L., ... & Paskett, E. D. (2018). Belief About Mandatory School Vaccinations and Vaccination Refusal Among Ohio Appalachian Parents: Do Demographic and Religious Factors, General Health, and Political Affiliation Play a Role. The Journal of Rural Health, 34(3), 283-292.

Patel, D. R., & Brown, K. A. (2017). Should parents be allowed to refuse vaccinations for their children? International Public Health Journal, 9(3), 259-263.

Yu, W., Liu, D., Zheng, J., Liu, Y., An, Z., Rodewald, L., ... & Wang, F. (2016). Loss of confidence in vaccines following media reports of infant deaths after hepatitis B vaccination in China. International journal of epidemiology, 45(2), 441-449.