The Controversial Story of Medicines Greatest Lifesaver, Research Paper Example

Abstract

This research argues whether the state of California should institute laws imposing penalties if parents refuse to vaccinate their children against childhood diseases. After a measles outbreak in Californiaduring 2008 public health department officials were mandated to 1) anticipate a diagnosis of measles in any ill persons who recently traveled overseas, 2) apply the relevant infection-control prophylactic measures to control transfer of the organism into other health-care facilities and 3) continue a very high coverage with measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine among children in the state (Outbreak of measles, 2008). It is the writer’s perspective that the State of California should mandate parents to vaccine their children against childhood disease.

Nursing: Should the State of California mandateparents to vaccine their children against childhood disease?

Introduction

On February, 22^nd 2008 a report was tendered in the news pertaining to a measles outbreak in San Diego California, United States of America. This preceded a January month identification of measles in an unvaccinated San Diego, California, child. The child was said to have travelled to Europe with family. Subsequently, the Centers for Disease control established surveillance in state health departments across the California. Since then there were 11 other cases all were un vaccinated cases. The epidemiology was further linked to occurrences inclusive of two secondary generation transmissions (Outbreak of measles, 2008).

This essay projects the point argument that the State of California should mandate parents to vaccine their children against childhood disease. In the case of this 7 year old boy who was unvaccinated and contracted measles along with 11 subsequent cases a more serious out break could have occurred resulting in fatality. Vaccines have eradicated many childhood diseases and measles has been eradicated in countries where children have been vaccinated.

Since discovery of vaccines throughout the 18^th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries there is evidence that its introduction in health care has saves many lives. Subsequently, governments instituted policies ensuring that citizens are vaccinated against preventable diseases. These include smallpox, cholera, rabbies, tetanus,typhoid, Bubonic plague,diphtheria, tuberculosis,              scarlet fever, pertussis/whooping, yellow fever, typhus, influenza, polio, encephalitis (Japanese); Adenovirus-4 and 7; measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, pneumonia,Neisseria meningitidis,hepatitis A & B; haemophilus, Lyme disease, rotavirus, human papillomavirus vaccine  against cervical cancer and Enterovirus 71(Center for disease control, 2006).A large number of these diseases no long plague humans due to effectiveness of vaccination programes.

Overtime to protect citizens from contracting preventable diseases governments have instituted vaccination policies. They vary from one country to the next. For example, in United States of America mandatory school vaccination laws wereable to control of vaccine-preventable diseases. In 1850 Massachusetts passed the first law making school vaccination mandatory for small pox prevention. This coincided with a compulsory school attendance law increasing school population to the extent of influencing the spread of the disease(Ciolli, 2008).

Vaccination laws continued to be passed in a many other states measures were taken to improve health care in America.  By 1827, it was compulsory in Boston city for all children attending public schools to provide vaccination records. Additionally, in 1855 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts established a statewide mandatory policy for all schools requiring vaccination records from students. Subsequently, New York took similar measures in 1862 andConnecticut ten years later, in 1872. Midwest established mandatory policies later in the century. Twenty other states followed by 1963 (Ciolli, 2008).

According to the Supreme Court case ruling from Zucht v. King, schools could deny student who have not been properly vaccinated. Further in 1987 the court ruled in the incidences occurring among Maricopa County, Arizona and another court case, Maricopa County Health Department vs. Harmon that the public health department could take action in controlling the spread of diseases by refusing entry of children to schools who have not been vaccinated (Ciolli, 2008).

Surveys reveal that a significant portion of the California population objected to their children being vaccinated against preventable disease. Consequently, California Assemblyman Richard Pan, MD (D – Sacramento), introduced Assembly Bill 2109 (AB 2109) on February 23, 2012’ (vaccines blog, 2014, p.1). The bill read, ‘California, parents who object to vaccinating their children may sign a “letter or affidavit stating that the immunization is contrary to his or her beliefs” to use California’s personal belief exemption to vaccinations required for school attendance’ (vaccines blog, 2014, p.1). Further, this ‘AB 2109 expands on the requirement mandating that parents consult with a licensed healthcare provider in order to receive the exemption’ (vaccines blog, 2014, p.1).

Arguments pertaining to reasons for vaccine uses, generally, include first scientists do not advance that vaccines can totally eradicate emergence ofdiseases for which the vaccine was administered. The host resistance may be not compatible with the vaccines and they may not have the ability to produce antibodies against the organism. For example, in some situations in cases where the host has diabetes mellitus or may be taking steroids the B cell capability of generating antibodies to that antigen might be compromised. However, vaccines are  now being created to defend against bioterrorist attacks in the case anthrax, plague, and smallpox  infiltrations, but the guarantee rests with hosts adaptations (Williamson, 2007).

Secondly, Williamson (2007) confirmed that there have been remarkable successes have been recorded as evidence that vaccines have made a significant impact in health delivery, globally. Importantly, up to the late twentieth century vaccines were focused on controlling childhood diseases such as polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, smallpox and influenza. Further, evidenceproves that with the massive growth in vaccine research during the twentieth century many childhood diseases have been eradicated. Notably diphtheria, polio, whopping cough and influenza are diseases of the past (Williamson, 2007).

Thirdly, in the twenty-first century Williamson (2007) reported that scientists  areworking on vaccines for HIV/AIDS and have successfully created a vaccine for cervical cancer.Ultimately, the overall effectiveness of vaccines depends on the type of disease being vaccinated against; the vaccine strain as well as the person’s age and genetic predisposition.In 1958, 763,094 measles cases were discovered in United States of America. Consequently, 552 deaths occurred.With measles vaccination program in schools and other health care intuitions the median rate dropped to 150,000 per year.If individuals do develop the disease they have been vaccinated against research shows where it is at a milder level than if they were not vaccinated (Williamson, 2007).

As such, presently, it is mandatory that students show vaccination records when attending schools in United States of America. The goal of public health authorities is to eradicate Pertussis, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, and Hepatitis B from among the population. Vaccination programs havebeen very successful in achieving this historical milestone. While this is a regulation some students still do not get vaccinated as the case in the unvaccinated California 7 year old with measles.These are situations where people are in opposition to the mandatory vaccination program implemented by state authorities(Allen, 2007).

Many controversies have since arisen related to vaccines components. Critics argue that other properties, besides antibodies are found in vaccines, which can cause health problems. These include, Aluminum salts; Mercury, MSG, egg protein, formaldehyde and antibiotics. So far notable side effects have been, fever ranging from low grade to severe; pain around the injection site and headaches; muscle soreness and aches accompanied by some difficulty in movement(American Academy of Pediatrics, 2013).

Other deputes emerge due to ethical considerations, culture and mere conceit regarding a new development within the science. Some critics advance that vaccines do not protect one against the diseases promised Adverse effects have been highlighted such as the development of autism in young children and death if the required preservatives are absent. Some Politicians oppose mandatory vaccination under the premise of individual liberties.Criticisms are leveled at the mandatory nature of vaccinations for children and persons in certain high risk occupations such as nursing (Bazin, 2001).

The California controversy is, however, peculiar to vaccination opposition incidences occurring within the United States of America. Parents who oppose vaccination have to get their primary care consent of exception. Critics contend that some health care providers will not sign the exception and parents will be at their mercy. Also, once a third party intervention is required then parents are still compelled to have their children vaccinated. Vincent Iannelli, a pediatrician in the California community also argued that parents ought to be fully educated concerning vaccines before opting for exemptions. Bob Sears, another pediatrician voiced his opinion to say that this is not a medical decision, but a cultural and spiritual one the part of a parent opting for the exception (Vaccines blog, 2014)

My response to these opposing views are first evidence from Williamson’s (2007) report reveal that there have been major achievements in vaccine use.Its impact over the centuries has saved lives. Significantly, polio during1950s; smallpox vaccines in 1960s and 1970 respectively, have eradicated those diseases from the face of the earth except for places where vaccines are not available. Mandatory vaccination saves children from contracting preventable diseases.Some adverse effects are still under investigation, which include autism.

Secondly,preservatives must be added to prevent the attenuated virus from becoming overactive. In 1928, 12 of 21 children inoculated with a diphtheria vaccine, which did not contain preservatives/ additional substances; died (Allday, 2008). As of 2014 48 states have opted to grant exceptions for religious and medical reasons.

In concluding this essay it is imperative that the measles outbreak in California is enough cause for mandatory vaccination program to be instituted. However, Continuous research needs to be conducted in determining the effects of no vaccines on the non-vaccinated California population over time.

References

Allen, A. (2007). Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine’s Greatest Lifesaver. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company

Allday, E. (2008). California study finds no link between vaccine ingredient, autism. SF Gate News. Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-study-finds-no-link-between-vaccine-3233360.php

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2013). Vaccine Safety: Examine the Evidence. Retrieved from http://www2.aap.org/immunization/families/faq/VaccineStudies.pdf

Bazin, H (2001). The ethics of vaccine usage in society: lessons from the past. Endeavour, 25, 3, 104–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0160-9327(00)01376-4

Bazin, H. (2003).  A brief history of the prevention of infectious diseases by immunizations. Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 26, 5–6, 293–308

Center for disease control (2006). Vaccine Preventable Deaths and the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy, 2006—2015. MMWR, 55(18);511-515

Ciolli A (2008). Mandatory School Vaccinations: The Role of Tort Law.Yale J Biol Med 81 (3): 129–37.

Outbreak of measles – San Diego, California, January–February 2008. (2008). Morbidity and Mortal Weekly Reports, 57, 8, 203–6. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5708a3.htm

Vaccines blog (2014). California Immunization Exemption Legislation. Retrieved on May 6th, 2014 from http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/blog/california-immunization-exemption-legislation

Williams, G. (2011). Angel of death: The story of smallpox. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan

Williamson, S. (2007). The vaccination controversy; The rise, reign and decline of compulsory vaccination for smallpox. Liverpool, UK: Liverpool University Press