http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/inside-story/articles/2014/3/25/is-the-rise-in-preventablediseasestiedoftheantivaccinationmoveme.html
Recently the Aljazeera America website posted an article on the recent Mumps outbreak at Ohio State and if it is worth getting the vaccination shot. At Ohio State many workers and students have come down with the Mumps and even 18 people away from the university have come down with the diseases. Because of the diseases being highly contagious many people in the community are on alert taking preventable measures to not get the diseases. Many parents are concerned for there infants because young children have a higher chance of getting the diseases. Doctors are worried about the Mumps and now even Measles because of the long incubation period and how one can be sick and spread the disease without even knowing it.
As this disease and Measles are becoming more prevalent in the country many people are questioning if vaccinations are even worth it. Some are against the vaccinations because of “consisting of politically or religiously conservative, health-conscious or autism-fearing parents”. There have even been celebrities like Jenny McCarthy saying that she is against vaccination and blames the ones that her son had for causing his autism. But doctors from the CDC say if people did not get vaccinated upwards of nearly 3 million would die per year from disease. In my opinion I will always get vaccinated because I think that the chances of getting sick is lower this way.
Personally I know that the possible link between vaccinations and autism has been disproven. People need to more educated about vaccines, especially celebrities who have an influence over how everyday people think before they come out and talk to the public and make accusatory statements because that could discolor a concept for others. Vaccines are vital and I agree with the fact that many more people would die without vaccines. I personally will continue to get vaccines because I know they help keep me healthy and they have more positive effects than negative ones. Doctors and other people concerned with public health really need to do a better job educating people on the importance of vaccines because I think people are starting to loose sight of this concept. I think everyone should be entitled to their own opinion and have control over what goes into their body, but I think that vaccines are very important to keep the public healthy.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how people are choosing to take their chances by not getting vaccinated, rather than getting the shot and having a higher chance of not getting the disease. You would think that people would be jumping to get the vaccination when there are reports of an outbreak of a disease. I know I would get one because I know that it helping keep me safe from harmful diseases. I also agree with Hadley how celebrities have an influence over how people think and how they should really think about what they say to the public. It's amazing how people are deciding to not get the vaccine when there is the potential of 3 million people dying a year from a preventable disease.
ReplyDeleteA similar question was raised in class recently and your article relates perfectly to it. I believe the question posed was : "Will you get vaccinated now knowing the consequences of not and the benefits it provides." A few people went around and I was shocked that some still said no. I think after studying vaccinations it has become quite clear that it is the responsible choice to make. A lot of superstitious and religious resentment and avoidance plagues our country but the scientific facts are overwhelming. As students and future dorm-sharers, I think it is irresponsible to not get vaccinated and being a potential spreader of disease. Though some claim "I've never been sick", they are still carriers of diseases and their actions affect others. Great article!
ReplyDeleteI had previously been confused into thinking that the terms "measles" and "mumps" were basically the same, but this article clarified a little. I have also read multiple articles recently that contain cases of diseases hitting hard at universities and colleges, and it makes me wonder if there is more that these schools could do to prevent their students from getting sick and spreading disease. I strongly agree that everybody should get vaccinated and that people who believe otherwise should do more research before making the potentially life-threatening decision not to. Even worse are the people that prevent their family and children from getting vaccinations and wind up with very sick kids. Going off of what Rachael said above, people that "never get sick" so do not bother with vaccinations are a threat to the health of others who may have weakened immune systems. They may not realize it, but they are doing a major disservice for themselves and people that surround them. Vaccinations were made to help people, and my opinion is that everybody should take advantage of them.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that measles and mumps are coming back again but I believe that people should get vaccinated in hopes to prevent
ReplyDeleteIt is shocking that there is an outbreak of Mumps/Measles at Ohio State. When I think of Mumps/Measles, I assume that everyone is vaccined when they are infants. I personally believe that vaccinations are 100% worth it. Even though they are not 100% effective, there is still a higher chance of you not contracting the disease with the vaccine compared to not. How much research has been done to support the link between Autism and vaccination? I do not believe that vaccines can cause Autism. I think that people are just trying to find accuses to why their kids have Autism.
ReplyDeleteI think getting vaccinated is very important and I agree with Travis that I will continue to get vaccinated. If people decide vaccinations aren't important anymore and no one gets them then 3 million people will die, and those deaths could have been prevented. I agree with Kasey, is there enough research proven to connect vaccinations to autism? I think more research needs to be done to prove this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others who believe that vaccination is important. The link between autism and vaccines has been disproved and most doctors urge vaccinations to prevent outbreaks like the one at Ohio State. It must be frustrating for them that parents are listening to celebrities, like Jenny McCarthy, who do not have a medical degree and do not truly know what they are talking about. People should make an informed decision about vaccinating their children, with accurate data by a medical professional, not a celebrity spewing out old facts.
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