Essay Example on Thanks to the widespread use of vaccinations a Phenomenon

Thanks to the widespread use of vaccinations a phenomenon called herd immunity exists among thoroughly inoculated communities Herd immunity describes a level of vaccination coverage that is elevated enough to prevent the spread of a disease within any given population Achieving this widespread immunity is one of the only ways of protecting specifically vulnerable members of society This particularly susceptible percentage of people includes immunocompromised groups such as newborn babies the elderly and those suffering immunologically debilitating diseases or who are affected by impairing medical treatments However herd immunity is a fragile system As the well known phrase goes a chain is only as strong as its weakest link The same concept can be applied to herd immunity in that it is only as effective as the population s proactivity allows it to be Using the example of the Measles virus which was known to have been eradicated in the US by 2000 a society must vaccinate at least 95 percent of its population to maintain herd immunity Evidently the 145 victims of a 2015 Measles outbreak in Disneyland accounted for a vaccination rate of no higher than 86 percent and possibly as low as 50 percent 

This case in and of itself is proof that any dangerous disease can be brought back into society simply due to the carelessness ignorance and selfishness of a few individuals who choose to disregard the vaccination guidelines advised by highly reputable organizations and institutions such as the CDC the WHO and UNICEF The neglect of the constraints for herd immunity can and has proven to produce extremely unfavorable ramifications A popular argument against vaccines and perhaps the most common misconception is the widespread notion that modern vaccines are linked to the causation of Autism This stir in medical skepticism was initially brought on by British doctor Andrew Wakefield when he published a report claiming a link between the MMR vaccine to Autism Under the rouse of scientific study Wakefield and his colleagues were able to sway the opinion of the uneducated public in order to support subsidies from an anti vax law firm and further his popularity and credibility amongst the general public Wakefield based his theories off of a handful children who began to show the first symptoms of Autism one month after receiving the MMR vaccine According to an article written by the Division of infectious diseases in response to Wakefield s publication 50 000 British children per month received MMR vaccine between ages 1 and 2 years at a time when autism typically presents coincidental associations were inevitable Indeed given the prevalence of autism in England in 1998 of 1 in 2000 children 25 children per month would receive a diagnosis of the disorder soon after receiving MMR vaccine by chance alone This study based off of the misrepresented or even altered medical histories of eight autistic children was identified as fraudulent and Wakefield s medical licence was revoked 

Paul A Offit of the DIDCH explained that Widespread and predictable misinterpretation of this conservative precautionary directive coupled with a public already concerned by a proposed but unsubstantiated link between vaccination and autism understandably provoked concern among parents which led to the birth of several anti mercury advocacy groups Consistent with this a study performed by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention years later showed that mercury in vaccines did not cause even subtle signs or symptoms of mercury poisoning Online support for the anti vax movement is a prime example of fake news It is unconscionable for parents to put their trust in a discredited doctor or the internet followers he has attracted at the expense of their children's health and the health of other children In 2007 there was an increase in anti vax rhetoric from popular celebrities and internet personalities The use of their major platform was immediately followed by an increase in preventable illnesses 152 763 as well as an increase in preventable deaths 9 028 between June 3 2001 and July 18 2015 which were documented by the CDC I will close with these words of advice Vaccinate to Protect yourself to protect your children and to protect those who are unable to protect themselves