Relevant stakeholders include federal, state, and local agencies, public health, health care providers, and consumers (parents). Please also read and understand the relevance of this to your paper, the Six Misconceptions About Immunizations. It should be included in the paper. This information can be retrieved from https://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/initiative/detection/immunization_misconceptions/en/ Six common misconceptions about immunization Introduction Misconceptions About Immunizations “Diseases had already begun to disappear before vaccines were introduced, because of better hygiene and sanitation”. “The majority of people who get disease have been vaccinated.” “There are “hot lots” of vaccine that have been associated with more adverse events and deaths than others. Parents should find the numbers of these lots and not allow their children to receive vaccines from them.” “Vaccines cause many harmful side effects, illnesses, and even death – not to mention possible long-term effects we don’t even know about.” “Vaccine-preventable diseases have been virtually eliminated from my country, so there is no need for my child to be vaccinated.” “Giving a child multiple vaccinations for different diseases at the same time increases the risk of harmful side effects and can overload the immune system”. This list of six common misconceptions was originally written by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States primarily for use by practitioners giving vaccinations to children in their practices. An edited version is reproduced here as useful information for health-care workers giving vaccination as well as concerned parents. In this modern age of communication, health-care workers will encounter patients who have reservations about getting vaccinations for themselves or their children. There can be many reasons for fear of or opposition to vaccination. Some people have religious or philosophic objections. Some see mandatory vaccination as interference by the government into what they believe should be a personal choice. Others are concerned about the safety or efficacy of vaccines, or may believe that vaccine-preventable diseases do not pose a serious health risk. All health-care workers giving vaccines have a responsibility to listen to and try to understand a patient’s concerns, fears, and beliefs about vaccination and to take them into consideration when offering vaccines. These efforts will not only help to strengthen the bond of trust between staff and patient but will also help determine which, if any, arguments might be most effective in persuading these patients to accept vaccination. These pages address six common misconceptions about vaccination that are often cited by concerned parents as reasons to question the wisdom of having their children vaccinated. If staff can respond with accurate rebuttals perhaps we can not only ease parents’ minds on these specific issues but discourage them from accepting other anti-vaccine “facts” at face value. The goal of health care providers is not to browbeat parents into vaccinating, but to make sure they have accurate information with which to make an informed decision. WHO gratefully acknowledges the permission of CDC Atlanta, to present an edited version of “Six common misconceptions about immunization”. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/initiative/detection/immunization_misconceptions/en/ You will also need to find this article on the library or something to it’s effects: Public fear of vaccination: separating fact from fiction. Amanna I1, Slifka MK. Author information 1 Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA. Abstract During the last two centuries, the world has seen a substantial increase in the number and availability of vaccines for the prevention of infectious disease. Smallpox vaccine remains the most celebrated vaccine-related achievement in human history, but worldwide reductions in many other diseases including measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria, and whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis) also illustrate the power of vaccination in controlling outbreaks of contagious diseases. Ironically, as advances in vaccination successfully limit disease outbreaks, the impact that these infectious agents once had on society becomes marginalized. Public confidence in vaccination may erode because of real or perceived risks associated with immunization, and this in turn may lead to lower vaccination coverage and loss of herd immunity. Here, we will discuss some of the elements associated with public perceptions and fear of vaccination and place these into the context of how deadly several vaccine-preventable childhood diseases can be if vaccination coverage is insufficient.
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