*Originally posted 08/22/15
August has been designated as National Immunization Awareness Month. Legally requiring parents to vaccinate their children has become a bit of a touchy subject. This is due largely to the fact that bad news travels fast. Many people have heard of the study, that was later debunked, that links vaccinations to autism. Even though that study doesn’t have any supporting data, and it was later found out that the doctor involved was receiving money from people who were anti-immunization, there are some people who are scared that it could still be true.
It’s important to look at why we even need immunizations in the first place, especially for diseases that we don’t see very often anymore. The Center for Disease Control uses a very good analogy on their website to describe why we should continue to use immunizations.
“It’s much like bailing out a boat with a slow leak. When we started bailing, the boat was filled with water. But we have been bailing fast and hard, and now it is almost dry. We could say, “Good. The boat is dry now, so we can throw away the bucket and relax.” But the leak hasn’t stopped. Before long we’d notice a little water seeping in, and soon it might be back up to the same level as when we started. Unless we can “stop the leak” (eliminate the disease), it is important to keep immunizing. Even if there are only a few cases of disease today, if we take away the protection given by vaccination, more and more people will become infected and will spread disease to others. Soon we will undo the progress we have made over the years.”
In the state of Texas, the Department of State Health Services has legal authority to establish certain requirements in regards to immunizations. There is a chance that you can get legal exemption from following these requirements if you have reasons of conscience, such as a religious belief that forbids you from vaccinating, if you have a medical condition that suppresses your immune system, or if you are on active duty with the armed forces of the United States. They don’t just take your word on it though, you have to jump through the right hoops and submit evidence. Some people may argue that the government shouldn’t have the right to say what we do to our own bodies, but they have the obligation of protecting as many people as possible. They would rather be safe and require immunizations than have an incident like Japan did in 1979. See, Japan thought that since the majority of their children were vaccinated against pertussis and there weren’t many reported cases, that they no longer needed to vaccinate. Then they had of 13,000 cases of pertussis with 41 deaths, so they started requiring immunizations again.
If you’re have kids or work with kids, and want to find out more about various childhood diseases and the immunizations that protect children from them, you can read more here. If you’d like to read more about the science behind how immunizations work, the CDC has a very informative article about it. If you haven’t talked to your child’s doctor recently, and aren’t sure when exactly they should be getting which immunizations, check out this helpful list.