Sparking Controversy

For decades, vaccines have efficiently been able to either eradicate certain diseases or significantly decrease their incidence.  The process of vaccinating introduces a foreign antigen to the immune system evoking a response of immunity.  Despite how effective vaccines have been towards so many diseases, to this day, many controversies arise based on the idea that vaccines are unsafe.  There is no medical product can ever be 100 percent safe or efficient, and, in anything, there is always a chance that something bad will come from something good.  Even with that being said, vaccinations have been the safest and most powerful and efficient tools at preventing deadly disease for years upon years. 

Throughout history, vaccines have carried a significant amount of controversy; varying from religious, moral, effectiveness, and safety implications dating back to the late 18^th century.  Anti-vaccination groups have existed for centuries, claiming that vaccines are detrimental and should not be mandatory. Despite the world of good that vaccines have contributed to public health, the controversy lives on today.

One of the most recent vaccine controversies results from the 1998 study of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine performed by Dr. Andrew Wakefield.  The study examined the correlation between the MMR vaccine and Autism.  The Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder where social and communication skills are affected typically in the first 3 years of life. It was claimed in the study that the preservative Thimersol found in the MMR vaccine was toxic and would cause Autism in children.  After the claim, Thimersol was rapidly removed from vaccinations, hoping to potentially decrease the rates of Autism.

However, even after Thimersol was removed, Autism was still on the rise.  The study by Dr. Wakefield was later claimed fraudulent in early 2011. Resulting from the hypothesis that Autism is caused by the MMR vaccine, many parents, out of fear, are choosing not to vaccinate their children.  The rates of vaccinations are down, while the rates of childhood diseases are on the rise.  The incidence of once almost completely eradicated fatal diseases such as measles, pertussis, and whooping cough are now on being seen more and more every day.  By letting pseudoscientific beliefs manage the decision to withhold from vaccinating children, there is strong potential for a global epidemic of- once controlled- diseases. The implications of not vaccinating are real.  It is essential that the truths behind the controversies are exposed.

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