Avoiding Essential Vaccines

There has been a rise in the percentage of individuals avoiding essential vaccines mandated in the standard school schedule according to research performed by Reuters and the Boston Globe. Many feel that the vaccinations do not necessarily combat disease, or that exposure to these forms of the virus could cause more harm than good. Scientists and physicians agree that postponement or avoidance of these vaccines could result in increased illness and potentially outbreak.

In many areas of the country it is the right of the parent to request an exemption from recommended schedules to gain allowance for their children avoiding essential vaccines. Many states try to limit the exemptions to less than 5% of the population, and for the most part this is true, however, in some counties exemptions are as high as 50%. A child may be considered exempt if the vaccination or process violates belief systems.

The efficacy of vaccinations has long been disputed but according to industry proponents, avoiding essential vaccines increases the chance of health issues. The most important question raised is whether all these vaccinations are necessary. Many have found and communicated that their children are well despite their exemption from common vaccines. Additionally, parents are concerned that introducing these viruses to their children too early may actually trigger infection. This has been refuted by science as the virus used is dead, however, it has been proven that some side effects have manifested in a subset of patients.

Communities and schools are trying to acknowledge and support each family's right to opt-out of mandated vaccination schedules, however, their primary concern is not the individual but the community at large. It is believed that if too many individuals are avoiding essential vaccines, then there is a larger risk for outbreak of the disease. In essence, though an individual may be healthy, they may play host to illness and infect other community members.