What Would Happen if Vaccines Disappeared?

     This article was short and sweet and to the point.  It began with providing background on what life was like before vaccinations were invented.  The author included the following bullet points: (bullet points directly from article)

• Nearly everyone in the U.S. got measles before there was a vaccine, and hundreds died from it each year. Today, most doctors have never seen a case of measles.
• More than 15,000 Americans died from diphtheria in 1921, before there was a vaccine. Only one case of diphtheria has been reported to CDC since 2004.
• An epidemic of rubella (German measles) in 1964-65 infected 12½ million Americans, killed 2,000 babies, and caused 11,000 miscarriages. In 2012, 9 cases of rubella were reported to CDC.

     In addition to this, the author explained the importance of vaccinations in that they don't only protect yourself but others around you as well.  It is also important to recognize that diseases have not disappeared completely and they may very well return if we are not vaccinated.  

     This article is very useful for my historical summary because it provides examples of what happens when a population does not receive inoculations.

References:

APA:

What Would Happen if We Stopped Vaccinations? (2014). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm

MLA:

"What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

Testimonial of an Unvaccinated Woman

     I absolutely loved reading this article because it gave a very different and personal perspective on the hazard of not receiving vaccinations.  A woman from the UK shares her childhood experiences in effort to show people what really can happen in result to not receiving inoculations.  In one sentence she explains her experience, "I had the healthiest childhood imaginable. And yet I was sick all the time."  She grew up in a family who fed her an amazingly healthy diet: Homegrown foods, vitamins, raw milk, watered down juice, and no sugary, junk food. In addition to this, her parents did not believe in vaccinations and because of this, Amy contracted many diseases: Measles, rubella, mumps, whooping cough, chicken pox, and many more.  Although this particular family lived a very healthy lifestyle, diet and physical activity are not enough to prevent harmful diseases.  She goes on to discuss how being sick all the time changed her as an adult and she did not want her children to go through the same experience.  She allows them to be vaccinated as well as receives flu shots herself in attempt to prevent experiencing the terror and unpleasant illnesses of her childhood. 
     
     This article has value to my project because it adds a more personal dimension to my research. Instead of just boring statistics, this puts the situation into an experience that people can relate to. 

Reference:
APA:
Parker, A. (2014, January 6). Growing Up Unvaccinated. Retrieved February 04, 2016, from http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2014/01/growing_up_unvaccinated_a_healthy_lifestyle_couldn_t_prevent_many_childhood.html

MLA:
Parker, Amy. "Growing Up Unvaccinated." Slate. 6 Jan. 2014. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

The Low Down on Vaccinations

     This article was very straight forward and provided a lot of research as to why vaccinating your child is so important.  In 2010, 10 children died in California due to a terrible whooping cough outbreak that affected thousands. The article proceeds to discuss how we can steer more people in the right direction when choosing to vaccinate their children.  We hear a lot of negative arguments throughout the media about how harmful vaccinations can be, but we never really hear the scientific-based evidence to how diseases have been prevented due to vaccinations.  Instead of doctors having to worry whether or not they are going to have a big discussion with their patient on vaccinations, patients can be informed before meeting with their doctor and hopefully make a wise decision.

     This article is useful to me because it gives ideas as to how we can help prevent parents from refusing vaccinations. It gives a different look on the topic.

References:
APA:
Daley, M. F., & Glanz, J. M. (2011, September 1). Straight Talk about Vaccination. Retrieved February 02, 2016, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/straight-talk-about-vaccination/

MLA:
Daley, Matthew F., and Jason M. Glanz. "Straight Talk about Vaccination." Scientific American. 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.

How can people refuse vaccinations?

 The article I recently read talks about how there are currently three types of refusal, or legal exemption, in the United States concerning vaccination.  The first is accepted among every state and grants students exemptions for medical reasoning. This must be supported by a physician's document and they are very difficult to obtain.  The next type of legal refusal, allowed by forty-eight states, permits religious exemptions. In order to go through with this, a person must hold sincere spiritual beliefs opposing immunizations. The third and most common type of exemption is refusal by philosophical or personal beliefs. Twenty states currently allow personal exemptions which are simply acquired by “checking a box”, stating you do not want your child to be vaccinated.  It seems quite bizarre that although it is required by law to receive vaccinations, parents are still easily allowed to refuse them due to their “personal beliefs”.

   This article is useful for me because it shows how it is possible for people to refuse vaccinations.  Vaccinations are required in all 50 states, but because of these exemptions people can get away with not getting them.

(Wording from previous research proposal written by me)

References:

APA:

Vaccine Law Information - NVIC. (n.d.). Retrieved February 01, 2016, from http://www.nvic.org/vaccine-laws.aspx

MLA:

"Vaccine Law Information - NVIC." National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC). Web. 1 Feb.

2016.