Immunization is a hot button issue in early childhood. From the birth of their first child parents must make critical decisions and one of those includes whether or not to have their child immunized. The majority of American children are vaccinated as required by most public schools. As a member of a public school system all of the students I work with have received the following vaccines and vaccinations as required by my school division:
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),"It's true, some diseases (like polio and diphtheria) are becoming very rare in the U.S. Of course, they are becoming rare largely because we have been vaccinating against them. But it is still reasonable to ask whether it's really worthwhile to keep vaccinating"(2012). As a result schools systems are very strict regarding their registration requirements. This is one of the ways that diseases are regulated and controlled in the U.S. While there are some who are against vaccinating for various reasons, the CDC reports on the tragic result in Japan when vaccinations were reduced due to similar concerns as those in the U.S. today.
In 1974, Japan had a successful pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination
program, with nearly 80% of Japanese children vaccinated. That year only
393 cases of pertussis were reported in the entire country,and there
were no deaths from pertussis. But then rumors began to spread that
pertussis vaccination was no longer needed and that the vaccine was not
safe, and by 1976 only 10% of infants were getting vaccinated. In 1979
Japan suffered a major pertussis epidemic, with more than 13,000 cases
of whooping cough and 41 deaths. In 1981 the government began
vaccinating with acellular pertussis vaccine, and the number of
pertussis
cases dropped again. (CDC,2012)
This knowledge impacts my work because I am better able to help parents understand the importance of vaccination for their child as an individual as well as for the health and well being of their community. It is important to remember the choice to have a child vaccinated is a delicate on and the decision rests with the parents. This is a medical matter so it is best discussed with a medical professional.
References
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Vaccines and immunizations. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/why.htm
- Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (Dtap, DPT, or Tdap)
- Tdap - mandated for 6th grade entry
- Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) Vaccine
- Hepatitis B
- Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) - mandated for 6th grade girls
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
- Polio (OPV or IPV)
- Varicella (Chickenpox) Vaccine
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),"It's true, some diseases (like polio and diphtheria) are becoming very rare in the U.S. Of course, they are becoming rare largely because we have been vaccinating against them. But it is still reasonable to ask whether it's really worthwhile to keep vaccinating"(2012). As a result schools systems are very strict regarding their registration requirements. This is one of the ways that diseases are regulated and controlled in the U.S. While there are some who are against vaccinating for various reasons, the CDC reports on the tragic result in Japan when vaccinations were reduced due to similar concerns as those in the U.S. today.
cases dropped again. (CDC,2012)
This knowledge impacts my work because I am better able to help parents understand the importance of vaccination for their child as an individual as well as for the health and well being of their community. It is important to remember the choice to have a child vaccinated is a delicate on and the decision rests with the parents. This is a medical matter so it is best discussed with a medical professional.
References
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Vaccines and immunizations. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/why.htm
Kara,
ReplyDeleteYou have shared some wonderful insights this week on what immunizations look like in the U.S. and Japan. I work for an Early Head Start program and at the infant age especially children are in constant need of immunizations. Learning about the vaccination program in Japan helps to make sense of why these vaccination are so important. Thanks so much for sharing!
Lisa
Kara,
ReplyDeleteYour research and explanation is very interesting. I now see why parents are encouraged to get their child vaccinated. What we think is gone is still lurking waiting on someone to slip up like they did in Japan. Vaccination is a great preventative treatment even if some parents don't think anything will happen to their child. It is always best to be safe now rather than sorry later. Great post.
Latishia