Policy Brief
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School
University of South Florida, Tampa *
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Course
4631
Subject
Medicine
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by MinisterKomodoDragon3668
Not immunizing your child puts everyone at risk.
It’s your child’s first day of school, you’ve spent the last few years nurturing them and
watching them grow every day, you decided not to immunize your child due to lack of fear
or concern that they could contract anything. A few weeks later you notice some cold-like
symptoms, shortly after this you notice a rash developing as well as breathing issues. After
taking them to the doctors you’re informed that your child has contracted measles. Looking
back, you think “was not immunizing my child really worth is?” and “who else did I put at
risk for not vaccinating my child?”
Prior to vaccinations, most, if not
all, children were likely to contract
a life-threatening illness by the
time they reached adulthood. With
these illnesses came wide-spread
infections, hospitalizations, and in
some cases death. Vaccines have
historically proven to minimize the
contraction of such illnesses,
saving numerous lives as well has
financial hardship for the families and communities impacted. Without the administration of
these life-saving vaccines, you are not only putting your own child at risk, but you are
putting your child’s peers at risk of infection.
Proven Benefits
According to the American Public Health Administration (
APHA
), prior to the Measles
vaccine, it was nearly guaranteed that your child would contract measles prior to reaching
18 years of age. Additionally, with over 4 million infections nationwide, there were tens of
thousands of hospitalizations, thousands of neural complications and hundreds of deaths,
all of which can be avoided with the administration of a vaccine. The World Health
Organization (
WHO
) states that there are vaccines for over 20 life-threatening illnesses,
which prevent millions of deaths across the world.
A Shot for a Healthier Life
Current Immunization Laws
Numerous states already have similar laws in place, requiring the immunization of
youth prior to admittance at an educational center. Both California and Texas have
similar laws implemented thus far, supporting the immunization of youth applicants
for both public and private education centers. These immunizations have a proven
track record of minimizing cases of death and illness.
Did you know?
Currently, all 50 states have
entry requirements supporting
the immunization of children.
2
The Opposing Stance
Anti-vaccination groups have laid claim that vaccinations, specifically the measles
vaccine, was directly related to children showing signs of autism after administration.
These suggestions, as well as many others, have been
disproven
by large scale studies
proving that the prior claims relating vaccines to autism were concluded with misconduct
and personal interests.
Policy Recommended
This policy, outlined by the Florida Department of
Health, specifies that children seeking admittance to
an educational establishment in Florida must be
immunized for the life-threatening diseases specified
in the policy. While this policy does advocate for all
children to receive the required immunizations, it does
include two criteria for immunization exemptions.
These being Medical Exemption, requiring written
confirmation by a physician as well as exemption for
personal reasoning, such as religious and parental
opposition.
3
For additional information:
Dylan Schlyer
(727) 808-1575
dschlyer@usf.edu
Suggested Resources:
National Library of Medicine
World Health Organization
American Public Health Association
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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