Vaccines and Autism Essay

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Vaccines and Autism

Autism can be best described as a "developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain" ("autism," 2013). A person is considered as autistic when he/she has an unusual and atypical development of communication skillfulness, societal dexterity and reasoning. This condition is more common in men as compared to women. An autistic child demonstrates the symptoms of autism until he/she is about two to three years old. In some cases, children are identified as autistic even before the mentioned age group ("autism," 2013).

The controversy over the association between autism and childhood vaccinations is still a hot issue since the idea was published in 1998 by Andrew Wakefield, a British researcher and gastroenterologist, in The Lancet. According to him, the MMR (a very common vaccine for children) that is used to help children fight against measles, mumps and rubella, was perhaps the cause of increasing rates of autism. After a research of fourteen years, his theory was debunked by numerous experts as an unsubstantiated one. They rejected his idea in 2012 claiming it as 'bad science' as they were not successful in finding any legitimate association between autism and vaccinations (childhood). However, the controversy has not calmed down and a lot of parents worldwide still think of vaccinations as a frightful step for their children safety (Mattson, 2000). After the so-called "discovery" by Wakefield, some parents made a declaration that several vaccines contain a mercury-containing preservative which was the main cause of autism. On the other hand, it has been testified by scientists over and over again that childhood vaccines are not harmful and autism is not a result of childhood vaccinations. Nevertheless, parents have continued to be fearful of vaccines (Offit, 2010).

The rejection couldn't help to recover the damage that Wakefield's theory had done. The world witnessed a drop in immunization rates and rise in disease rates. In particular, the parents in the United Kingdom rejected the idea of getting their children vaccinated. Despite the fact that autism is not caused by childhood vaccinations, the medical researchers and other concerned groups are still confused about the autism causes and the increasing autism rates. There is not a single person who can claim to know the root cause of this mental/brain disorder due to which a child is unable to communicate, interact and reason appropriately and normally (Mattson, 2000). In some cases, the possible causes of autism are identified to be "prenatal factors such as exposure to rubella, or chromosomal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome, or postnatal factors such as infantile spasms and herpes simplex, encephalitis" (Mattson, 2000). However, the theory that has gained popularity regarding the causes of autism is connected to a genetic variant that triggers in the womb of the mother by a toxin/virus found in the environment (Mattson, 2000).

The advocates of Wakefield's theory consider it as an authentic and plausible theory due to the autism-occurrence timing. They support the theory for the reason that the communication and behavioral problems that are demonstrated by a child are easily observable around the same age when he/she gets his/her vaccination shots that also include the MMR. However, the experts who have debunked this theory consider this scenario as a total coincidence. Another reason that is given by the advocates of Wakefield's theory for its credibility is that autism rates have increased apparently in the recent years. Although it was in 1943 that this abnormal brain disability was described, its prevalence was never studied or published as far as United States is concerned. The U.S.A. officials always depended on the estimates of researchers or the studies conducted in other countries. However, the increase in the rate of autism is apparent in the course of time (Mattson, 2000).

The Wakefield's Theory is also supported by a lot of parents whose experiences convinced them that their children became autistic with the involvement of the vaccines. Although no scientific theory supports the theory presented by Andrew Wakefield, there is a marked increase in the disease rates that consequently dropped the vaccination rates. On the other hand, experts firmly believe that immunizations are the most significant achievement in pediatrics (Mattson, 2000).

As far as the credibility of Wakefield's theory is concerned, it was rejected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The reason was simple. The research group that was led by Andrew Wakefield was not able to find the symptoms of any measles virus in the autistic patients' bowel tissues (in subsequent studies).

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The Wakefield Theory also lost its authenticity when about five hundred children and teens were studied by the British government as a response. The results debunked the theory completely as no evidence was obtained in the months after vaccination regarding the regression of children's behavior towards autistic symptoms. The children did not even show any increased likelihood to become autistic within two years of MMR reception. Also, researchers were not able to find any difference in the rates of vaccination among kids who had autism or were free of it (Mattson, 2000).

To cut a long story short, no casual relationship has been found between autism and some specific vaccinations that are necessary during childhood period. It has been found out that the immune system of an infant possesses the capability of giving response to a profusion of immunologic stimuli. From the time of birth, babies experience an exposure to innumerable viruses and antigens that have no association with vaccination. According to the studies conducted in this regard, it has been concluded that the autism spectrum disorder has no connection with vaccines and their consequent immunological stimulation, especially during the first two years of an infant's life. It is extremely important for parents to understand that their children are receiving safe and helpful vaccines ("Vaccine Safety: Vaccines Not Associated with Risk of Autism," 2013).

Despite the fact that autism development and its association with childhood vaccinations have been debunked by the CDC, the WHO and the Institute of Medicine, people are still reluctant to vaccinate their children even in the contemporary times. This is why it is exceedingly important to convince the public completely regarding the importance and safety of childhood vaccinations and their appropriate schedule. The false prophets of the modern times are responsible for misleading the public so egregiously. Even the famous celebrities and other opportunists have exploited the use of vaccinations and have manipulated the science in the mass media (Offit, 2010). It is crystal clear that this failed notion regarding the association of autism and vaccines has impacted the general public health in a number of ways.

After going through the scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of vaccines, it is totally unreasonable of parents who choose to not get their children vaccinated especially the ones who attend public school. The non-vaccination of school children may result in devastating consequences. This is because children vaccination has turned out as one of the most useful and significant health intervention of the modern times. Vaccinations have proved to have significant impacts on the health of children next to pure and clean water and proper sanitation. It is rather unfortunate that thousands and thousands of parents are against getting their children vaccinated. In a majority of cases, children who are not vaccinated still attend school as their personal, parental, religious, and philosophical and other so-called beliefs give them the advantage of exemptions. However, such an attitude needs to be discouraged at all levels as it is the responsibility of the parents to take all the essential steps in preventing their children from becoming a cause of infectious diseases' spread. This is because children who are not vaccinated pose harm to others. Their personal or whatever beliefs do not justify them to become social threats. It is the high time that parent s understand that countless lives have been saved by vaccines. Instead of worrying about the adverse effects of vaccines, parents must make sure that their children are vaccinated against a number of fatal diseases ("Necessary Shots? Childhood Vaccinations," 1999).

The philosophical grounds that parents present to refuse vaccinations are not basically referred towards their religious beliefs. Instead, they refuse vaccines as they do not want the governmental authorities to get involved in their children's medical care. It is, however, not the sign of being good citizens as the child who is not vaccinated persists to be a threat to the health of others around him/her. Similarly, when an individual decides to reject vaccination; he/she poses threat to the whole society. When a community has a high rate of vaccination, the rate of diseases is rather low as members are not frequently exposed to a pathogen. This is referred to as herd immunity. It can be described as the "form of immunity that occurs when the vaccination of a significant portion of a population (or herd) provides a measure of protection for individuals who have not developed immunity" ("Immunise Now 'Or Else'," 2013). People who….....

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