Treating children with vaccinations has become a hotly

contested topic in the last decade. Where do you stand

on the issue in consideration of the following statements?

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Immunization prevents 2-3 million deaths annually from diseases such as whooping cough, tetanus, and
measles.
 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Fear that vaccines increase risk of autism originated with a 1997 medical study conducted by Andrew
Wakefield, a British surgeon. An article explaining his conclusions was published in a medical journal, stating
that the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine was increasing autism in children.
 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Vaccination programs greatly reduced measles deaths between 2000 and 2016.
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Vaccines aren’t the primary reason for the reduction or elimination rates of infectious diseases. Better
sanitation, nutrition, and the development of antibiotics have made a tremendous difference.
What is your opinion regarding vaccines? Are you in favor of or opposed
to vaccinations for better health?

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Immunization prevents 2-3 million deaths annually from diseases such as whooping cough, tetanus, and
measles.
Source: World Health Organization http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/immunization/en/
 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Fear that vaccines increase risk of autism originated with a 1997 medical study conducted by Andrew Wakefield, a British
surgeon. An article explaining his conclusions was published in a medical journal, stating that the measles, mumps, rubella
(MMR) vaccine was increasing autism in children. The paper has since been completely discredited due to serious
procedural errors, undisclosed financial conflicts of interest, and ethical violations. Andrew Wakefield lost his
medical license and the paper was retracted.
Source: Public Health website https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/understanding-vaccines/vaccine-
myths-debunked/
 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Vaccination programs greatly reduced measles deaths between 2000 and 2016 from 550,000 to 89,780.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/understanding-
vaccines/vaccine-myths-debunked/
 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Vaccines aren’t the primary reason for the reduction or elimination rates of infectious diseases. Better
sanitation, nutrition, and the development of antibiotics have made a tremendous difference. But when
these factors are isolated and rates of infectious disease are scrutinized, the role of vaccines cannot be
denied.
Source: Public Health website https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/understanding-
vaccines/vaccine-myths-debunked/