Why Not To Vaccinate

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

Vaccination has become a hot topic of conversation for many people in our society today, especially parents. What is a vaccine? A vaccine is defined as a biological agent used to prevent serious illnesses and diseases, such as measles, smallpox, hepatitis, etc. by injecting a weakened version of the infectious organism into the human body. When they are administered, the body produces antibodies against the foreign substance, creating a defense mechanism for immunity to the disease. Now I understand that the decision making process for a parent when it comes to their child’s health is a tough one, and this has become a sensitive matter. As of late, there has been research into the adverse effects of vaccinations.
Well there is a lot of misinformation out there, and I believe it all started with the widespread theory by Doctor Andrew Wakefield, a British gastroenterologist. He claimed the he found the MMR vaccine (Measles Mumps Rubella) had a strong connection with autism. He then published those findings in the medical journal The Lancet. These studies, done out of the Royal Free Hospital where his clinic is based, were not very precise. He based the findings on a study of just twelve children, hardly a big enough sample size. Right away, his methods and findings were put under scrutiny by his medical colleagues. Instead of running a new study to prove them wrong, he appealed to the public. He preyed on parents’ worries, and said that the scientific community was just determined to discredit him and keep the pharmaceutical companies happy. The media ate it up, and despite his small sample size, and his history of unproven results, they began to tell a story about how a “Maverick Doctor” protecting their children from the big bad pharma companies. Shortly thereafter, the rates of child vaccinations dropped dramatically in Europe. The General Medical Council dismissed his studies, and implored the population to ignore them and vaccinate their children. In my eyes, Dr. Wakefield used the media to manipulate uninformed parents into making rash decisions about their childrens’ well-being. Shortly thereafter, the rates of two out of the three diseases prevented by MMR skyrocketed from 56 cases to 449 cases within the first five months of 2006, and resulted in the first death since 1992. Even the CDC chimed in saying they “found no relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism” after conducting their own studies. Case in point, this whole debate started with one “Maverick Doctor” who, in my eyes, cared more about being published, and his place in