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Vaccines, and why they are so important.

About us

Goal: 

Recently, the growth of movements like the “anti-vaxxers”, and the spread of misinformation on vaccines has become alarming. This website aims to increase accurate knowledge of vaccines, why they are so important, and how parents can find reliable sources to gather their own information in the future. We are specifically honing in on parents of school-aged children between 5-11 years old, in order to increase the vaccination rates of these children and educated parents on the importance of vaccinating their children per CDC guidelines. The information presented on this website is designed for parents who are currently unsure of whether to vaccinate their children or not. We hope it leads them in the right direction, at the very least, providing them with accurate information that allows for properly-educated decision making. 

***This website was created for a group education in healthcare course as part of a project***

Meet the team

Oltea Shahini. Current OSU senior, and soon to be grad. She will graduate with a Bachelor’s in Health Sciences, with the hopes of pursuing a career in the medical field as a Nurse Practitioner. 

Abbie Nagucki will graduate in the spring of 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Health Sciences from Ohio State University. She will pursue a career as a Physician Assistant and hopes to get involved with clinical research in the future.

The Truth about Vaccines

What’s the Problem?

In recent years the trend of parents choosing to not vaccinate their children has grown at an alarming rate. In the U.S, 15% of children are under-immunized because their parents hold skeptical attitudes about the safety and utility of vaccinations (Nour, 2019). Although several studies have been published debunking the Wakefield study that stated vaccines (particularly the MMR vaccine) leads to a child developing autism, parents still remain convinced. Since 2003, there have been nine CDC-funded or conducted studies that have found no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism (which is the #1 concern of parents and vaccinating their children), as well as no link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and ASD in children (“Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism Concerns”, 2015). Researchers at the CDC have linked falling immunization rates to recent resurgences of vaccine-preventable diseases (Writers, 2020).  

  

The evidence:

  • The CDC reports that the number of measles cases has been growing each year.
    For the first half of 2019, case numbers for measles rose to 1,001 cases, the highest they have been since 1992 (Jenco, 2019)

    • The CDC reported that 90% of these cases were unvaccinated
  • In 2010, California saw 9,120 cases of whooping cough, more than any year since the whooping cough vaccine was introduced in the 1940s (Writers, 2020).
  • The CDC warns that events like these will become more frequent and harder to control if vaccination rates continue to fall.

What would happen if we stopped vaccinations?

  • “We could soon find ourselves battling epidemics of diseases we thought we had conquered decades ago.” (“Vaccines: Vac-Gen/What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations”, 2018)

Where to go from here:

According to The CDC’s vaccination schedule, children are to receive up to 14 inoculations by the age of six (Writers, 2020). This is why it is crucial to educate parents of children in elementary school ages. This way if parents are having second thoughts about vaccinating their children, and are unsure of what they want to do, they can receive accurate information in order to make an informed decision. Parents who are concerned with vaccinating their children are usually open to talking about their concerns about vaccinations with a health care provider (McKee, & Bohannon 2016). If health care providers can address some of the concerns parents are having, and provide them with accurate information, and reliable sources where they can find information for themselves it would go a long way in deferring some of the false claims being made. 

How to educate parents:

  • The CDC has developed a toolkit that includes resources to help pediatricians talk to families about the MMR vaccine, including fact sheets on immunization schedules, potential complications of measles, and the risks of not vaccinating (Jenco, 2019). 
  • The best way to combat this growing problem that is causing major public health problems is to reeducate parents on the benefits and real risks of not vacating their children.
  • Experiments like the Wakefield study have caused a great deal of medical mistrust, and it is up to health care providers at each level and members of the CDC to win this trust back.

 

The Need for Vaccinations

What are vaccines?

Vaccines protect you against many diseases by sending a signal to your immune system. This signal creates a defense system against the disease. If you are exposed to this disease in the future, your immune system will be prepared to fight it off. Without the vaccine, your immune system would take longer to fight off the disease. As a result, you may be more prone to experiencing the symptoms associated with a certain disease (Vaccines: Vac-Gen/Why Immunize?, 2018). 

Are vaccines safe?

The short answer is yes, vaccines are very safe. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines is evaluated through clinical trials before they are introduced to the general public. In addition to these trials, systems such as the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), Clinical Immunization Assessment (CISA), and many others help scientists in making sure vaccines are safe through vaccine monitoring and research. There are some minor side effects associated with receiving a vaccine. These side effects may include redness or pain at the injection site. However, most side effects are mild and go away on their own. Serious side effects of getting a vaccine are very rare. The general public is also able to track and submit reports about a vaccine’s safety. Anyone is able to submit a report to VAERS, which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors. Since there are so many monitoring systems, the United States has one of the best safety programs for vaccines in the world (CDC Features – Vaccine Safety: What You Should Know, 2019). 

Why do we need vaccinations for rare diseases?

Many diseases are becoming rare throughout the globe. For example, diphtheria and polio are becoming less common. However, it is still possible for them to reappear in large numbers if people stop getting vaccinations. Until these diseases are completely eliminated, it is important that we continue administering vaccines (Vaccines: Vac-Gen/Why Immunize?, 2018). In 2019, there were 1,282 confirmed cases of the measles in 31 states. Of these cases, 128 were hospitalized and 61 experienced pneumonia and swelling of the brain (encephalitis). As of January 31, 2020, there were already 5 confirmed cases in 5 states (Measles Cases and Outbreaks, 2020). 

How do I know when I should get vaccinated?

The CDC website provides plenty of great information about when to receive your vaccinations. They even provide a “catch up” schedule in case you missed the time for the first recommended dose (Birth-18 Years Immunization Schedule, 2020). If you have further questions about vaccines, please contact your doctor.  

CDC: Immunization Schedule

Citations

Birth-18 Years Immunization Schedule. (2020, February 3). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html

CDC Features – Vaccine Safety: What You Should Know. (2019, June 10). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/Features/VaccineSafety/

Jenco, M. (2019, June 6). Health officials combating measles vaccine misinformation as cases reach 1,001. Retrieved from  https://www.aappublications.org/news/2019/06/06/measles060619

McKee, C., & Bohannon, K. (2016). Exploring the reasons behind parental refusal of vaccines. The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics : JPPT, 21(2), 104–109. https://doi.org/10.5863/1551-6776-21.2.104

Measles Cases and Outbreaks. (2020, February 3). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html

Nour, R. (2019, July 2). A Systematic Review of Methods to Improve Attitudes Towards Childhood Vaccinations. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6721905/

Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism Concerns. (2015, October 27). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html

Vaccines: Vac-Gen/What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations. (2018, June 29). Retrieved   from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/ whatifstop.htm 

Vaccines: Vac-Gen/Why Immunize? (2018, July 12). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/why.htm

Writers, S. (2020, February 11). Vaccine Myths Debunked. Retrieved from https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/understanding-vaccines/vaccine-myths-debunked/

Resources for more information: 

The CDC’s home page for vaccines – https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/

The CDC’s list of ingredients in vaccines- https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm

The CDC’s immunization schedule- https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html

U.S Department of Health & Human Services main page on vaccines- https://www.vaccines.gov/

Ohio Department of Health immunization main page- https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Immunization/welcome/ 

 

***This website was created for a group education in healthcare course as part of a project***