vaccineimportance

[vaccineimportance]

Benefits of a Mandate

But the thing about vaccines is that they only truly protect everyone if everyone is vaccinated. This is achieved through herd immunity. When nearly everyone in the “herd” is immune to a virus, said virus cannot spread from person to person. This also means the virus has no way to spread to those who are too young, or whose immune systems are too weak to be vaccinated. Falling vaccination rates mean that herd immunity is no longer in effect, and society’s most vulnerable are now at higher risk of infection. This is why a vaccine mandate is so important. Without it, herd immunity is becoming less and less attainable.

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Australia passed a strict vaccination mandate. The "no jab, no pay, no play" policy punished parents who did not adhere to vaccination guidelines. While I believe that such a strict policy is ultimately flawed, and only leads to alienating the vaccine skeptical parts of the population, Australia did in fact see an increase in vaccinations among the general population. (Do Vaccine Mandates Enhance Vaccination Coverage?, 2020)

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Therefore it is clear to see that a mandate with a secondary, softer approach to reeducation would be able to increase vaccination rates among the entire population. This would reinforce herd immunity, and easily prevent these diseases from wreaking havoc in our society.

[vaccineimportance]

Vaccines Work

500 people used to die to measles every year. However, because of vaccination efforts, the year 2000 saw the extinction of the disease.

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Unfortunately, in 2019, 1,282 cases were reported by the CDC. This dramatic increase from fewer than 100 cases per year since 2000, to over 10 times that amount, can be directly tied to declining vaccination rates.

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Misinformation online preys on nervous parents who only want what's best for their children. They use half truths and outright lies to manipulate people into dangerous, and even ableist ideologies.

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A sympathetic approach to educating parents must be taken in order to create real change. The fact is, vaccines work. The true test of strength is combating the lies, and helping victims of brainwashing.

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Here is an animated video that does a fantastic job explaining how vaccines work, and the risk that comes with them.

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[vaccineimportance]

Drawbacks To A Mandate?

An example of strict vaccine mandate has taken place in Australia. Those who refuse to vaccinate their children are barred from things such as daycare services, in order to create incentive.

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However, evidence does suggest that this mandate has not actually increased vaccination rates among those who were already vaccine oppositional. Rather, "...the “no jab, no pay, no play” was intended to increase compliance with vaccination, but instead “It just forces hardship”...” (Roy Widdus and Heidi Larson, 2018) With no access to daycare, these parents must struggle further to balance working and taking care of their kids.

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This is why it is important to take a softer approach, with a heavy focus on education. Merely punishing those who don't vaccinate only serves to alienate them further, and actually strengthen their conviction to resist the mandate. After all, vaccine resisters do believe they are protecting their children, albeit under a misguided pretense.

[vaccineimportance]

Directory Masterpost

- Benefits Of A Mandate

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- Vaccines Work

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- Drawbacks?

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- “Why We Need To Fight” Video

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- Works Cited

[vaccineimportance]

Why We Need To Fight- Ethan Lindenberger

Lindenberger talks about his experience growing up with anti-vax parents.

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“...we can compare it to someone not taking their child to the ER. That's a very dangerous situation to be in and it shows some lack of empathy towards your children in some regards... But my mom, she was misinformed and misled by sources that convinced her that if she was a loving parent, she wouldn't vaccinate.” (Ethan Lindenberger, 2019)

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It’s important to remember the humanity behind the anti-vax movement. Minds won’t be changed with brute force and lack of sympathy; but rather with a careful and thoughtful approach.

[vaccineimportance]

Works Cited

"Do Vaccine Mandates Enhance Vaccination Coverage??" , directed by Anonymous , American Academy of Pediatrics, 2020. Alexander Street, https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/do-vaccine-mandates-enhance-vaccination-coverage.

“Measles Cases And Outbreaks”, Centers for Disease Control And Prevention, Oct. 7, 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html

“Measles History”, Centers for Disease Control And Prevention, Nov. 5, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html#era

Pitts MJ, Adams Tufts K. Implications of the Virginia Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Mandate for Parental Vaccine Acceptance. Qualitative Health Research. 2013;23(5):605-617. doi:10.1177/1049732312470871

Ratzan, Scott C., Bloom, Barry R., El-Mohandes, Ayman, Fielding, Jonathan, Gostin, Lawrence O., Hodge, James G., Hotez, Peter, Kurth, Ann, Larson, Heidi J., Nurse, Joanna, Omer, Saad B., Orenstein, Walter A., Salmon, Daniel, Rabin, Kenneth, “The Salzburg Statement of Vaccine Acceptance”, Journal of Health Communication, 2019, Vol.24, Issue 5

“TEDTalks: Ethan Lindenberger—Why We Need to Fight Misinformation about Vaccines.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2019, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=104516&xtid=209850. Accessed 15 Oct. 2021.

Widdus, R., Larson, H. Vaccine mandates, public trust, and vaccine confidence: understanding perceptions is important. J Public Health Pol 39, 170–172 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-017-0117-5