Public Health Topic: Immunization

This topic is meaningful to me because I always kept all of my children appointments especially the ones that included vaccinations. Now that I am in the child care field, I am learning that their are so many children that have not been immunized. I recently have a family member who wanted to enroll her two children into my daycare. It was then that I learned her children had not been immunized since she brought them home from the hospital which was 2-3 years ago. I found this information to be esstonishing to me because her children aren't protected. I also know that their are many people who do not believe in immunizing their children due to religious reasons or personaly beliefs.

Immunizations for children in the U.S. are doubled the amount for children in the Western countries (Generation rescue, 2009). A study was performed to see if the higher vaccination requirements lead to autism and under 5 mortality rate. At the end of the study, the idea that vaccinations cause autism was dismissed due to the implications that a lesser vaccination requirement would increase infant mortality and other diseases (Generation rescue, 2009). Iceland and Sweden have a vaccination requirement of 11 manadatory shots. Iceland infant mortality rate is 3.9 and Sweden is 4.0 per 1,000 children. Although these rates are low compared to the United States additional studies are needed to actually reduce the amount of required immunizations in the U.S.

This information could change the amount of immunizations that are required for children in the U.S. to begin daycare. Considering their isn't enough evidence to support this theory, I still feel that parents should be knowledgable about the importance of vaccinating.

Generation rescue inc., (2009) Retrieved on November 11, 2010 from www.rescuepost.com/file/gr-autism_and_vaccines_world_special