Joyce 1

Elijah Joyce

Professor Morean

English 1201.527

26 April, 2020

Vaccines (Adults)

Introduction

“Get your flu shots here!” is a phrase we all hear every year. Millions of people and animals

around the world enjoy good health because of vaccines. According to Stanley Plotkin in The

History of Vaccines, vaccines were invented in the 18th century. And, scientists have made many

advances in vaccine development since then (Plotkin). Vaccines have saved countless lives.

Vaccines have helped humanity destroy lethal diseases that could have harmed creatures of all

kinds. And, with the advent of Genetic Engineering, techniques for vaccine development are

rapidly advancing (Plotkin). Unfortunately, there is a group of people called the Anti-Vax

Movement that wants to stop humans from vaccinating anyone. The Anti-Vax group thinks they

are preventing diseases. But, in actuality, they are increasing the risk of a broad sweeping

contagion with the potential to destroy humanity. People who subscribe to the Anti-Vax

Movement choose to ignore the overwhelming scientific evidence about the effectiveness of

vaccines. Vaccines prevent and eradicate diseases and do indeed help both humans and animals.

Background

Since vaccines were invented in the 18th century, there has always been opposition to them.

According to Azhar Hussain in The Anti-vaccination Movement: A Regression in Modern

Medicine, various groups of people have opposed vaccines since they were invented in the
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1700s. This included ministers who sometimes preached about the evils of vaccines (Hussain).

Indeed, in the early days, vaccines were sometimes dangerous. People often contracted the same

disease the vaccine was to prevent. Also, scientists sometimes used people as incubators in the

vaccine development process (Capurro). Smallpox vaccine is one example. Children were

infected and the contents of the resulting sores were used to develop the vaccine (Capurro). In

1853, England enacted vaccination laws. But, given the dangers, parents became wary of

compliance with state-mandated vaccination laws. The anti-vaccination movement originated in

this context (Capurro).

Since vaccines were first introduced, skeptics began questioning their ability to prevent diseases.

Slowly, those skeptics formed a movement called The Anti-Vaccine Movement, aka, Anti-Vax

Movement. Scientists have disproved the main arguments that the Anti-Vax Movement uses, but

the movement does not accept the results. Modern-day doctors usually tell patients vaccines are

harmless to humans and will help stop diseases, but the Anti-Vax Movement tells people

vaccines will harm humans now and will harm future generations. In Vaccine Rejection and

Hesitancy: A Review and Call to  Action, Tara Smith indicated that the Anti-Vax Movement uses

emotional appeals to parents by using words that invoke health and safety such as “vaccine

safety” (Smith).

How Vaccines Can and Have Helped

According to Hussain, vaccines have wiped out many common diseases, such as smallpox

(Hussain). This is true. Vaccines are basically a dead or weak living version of a specific virus.

A person’s immune system takes in the vaccine’s viruses and treats them like a new disease.

Even though those viruses in the vaccine should not be able to get a person sick, the immune

system will still act to it. The immune system then builds anti bodies to protect itself from the
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new disease. Vaccines can allow a person to become immune to a disease without catching the

disease.

An article from the United States Department of Health & Human Services, which is the

parent agency of the Center for Disease Control states that, in 1973, Japan had a major

Whooping Cough epidemic. The Japanese government set up a vaccine program that vaccinated

nearly 80% of Japanese children. In 1974, only 393 people had whooping cough in Japan

(CDC). Vaccines in a single year decreased the number of cases from thousands to only a few

hundred, and the entire population wasn’t vaccinated. Imagine if the entire population had been

vaccinated. There might not have been a single case of the whopping cough in Japan in 1974.

When Vaccines are removed from society

In Japan, shortly after the 1974 vaccination program virtually eliminated Whooping

Cough in that country. Rumors began to spread that the vaccine was not safe for kids, so parents

stopped vaccinating children. The Anti-Vax Movement was able to put those rumors into the air

and as rumors go, it spread like a fire. In 1976, only 10% of infants were vaccinated. In 1979,

Japan had an epidemic again with 13,000 cases of whooping cough and 41 deaths. The Japanese

government began to vaccinate children again in 1981 and the number of cases dropped

(CDC). Because of the Anti-Vax Movement spreading rumors about the vaccines, 13,000 people

got whooping cough and most importantly, 41 people lost their lives. The Anti-Vax movement

says they are wanting to help humans, but they effectively killed 41 people by spreading false

rumors about a vaccine that was saving lives.

Figure 1 - Butler, Hilary. “Hilary's Desk.” Whooping Cough in Japan, 3 June 2012

Another example occurred in the 1970s and 1980s in which some British parents refused

to vaccinate their children against Whooping Cough after a false report was published that

claimed 36 possible harmful effects of the vaccine. This caused an outbreak of the disease.

After a factual health study was published, people began vaccinating their children and the

outbreak subsided (Hussain). According to Hussain, a similar situation occurred with the MMR

(measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. People resisted vaccination, and multiple measles

outbreaks occurred. Better communication improved the situation (Hussain).

Figure 2 Salzberg, Steven. “Anti-Vaccine Movement Causes Worst Measles Epidemic In 20 Years.” Forbes Magazine, 2015

The Anti-Vaccine movement might do more harm in society than good. Due to the

movement, some areas in the United States that have a good vaccine program are still seeing

major outbreaks of diseases that we have vaccines for. In 2014, the infection rate of measles was

the highest it had been in 20 years. Ninety percent of the cases that year were of people who had
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not been vaccinated. Measles was a disease that vaccines had virtually destroyed in the United

States, but the Anti-Vax movement convinced people to not receive vaccines, which in turn led

to an outbreak.

What does the Anti-Vax Movement say?

Unfortunately, many scientists work primarily in a lab environment and do not interact with the

general public. In her paper about why people may reject vaccines, Tara Smith indicates that,

although scientists may be experts in the technical realm, they may not have experience

communicating with people considering the risks and benefits of vaccination (Smith). Rather

than do extensive research about vaccines, many people in the general public simply search the

internet and believe whatever they may read about vaccination. So, it is easy for them to get

false information from internet sources. People who believe what they read on the internet are

prime targets for the Anti-Vax Movement.

Additionally, although some people in the Anti-Vax Movement are simply misinformed

ordinary citizens, many Anti-Vax people are focused on making money from their efforts. They

generate multiple income streams by creating multiple websites and selling advertising space on

them. People who sell books or other items that appeal to others in the Anti-Vax movement pay

the website owner to host their ad and also pay for each potential customer who clicks on an

advertisement (Smith). Anti-Vaxers also profit by writing books about their views and soliciting

donations from like-minded individuals (Smith).

The Anti-Vax Movement has a bold statement which is completely different from what

doctors say. The statement they claim is, “Vaccines do not, cannot, never have & never will

prevent illness or disease.” (Vaccine Resistance Movement). The statement is the exact opposite

of what doctors say. And, it ignores a broad spectrum of scientific evidence supporting the
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effectiveness of vaccines. For example, clinical studies show the flu vaccination in 2017-2018

prevented 109,000 hospitalizations. The influenza virus can cause severe symptoms including

fever, dehydration, and even death. Severe cases require hospitalization to prevent brain damage

due to fever and organ damage due to dehydration. Left untreated, the flu virus can potentially

cause death. Vaccinations can strengthen the immune system, reducing the impact of the disease

on the patient (CDC). Ignoring the overwhelming evidence, the Anti-Vax group continues to

influence gullible people. The majority of the Anti-Vax group is normal people, not doctors or

scientists. Most people will trust a doctor over an average person off the street, but when the

Anti-Vax movement has a reach with “evidence”, they can draw people to resist vaccines.

In today’s society that has significant reliance on the internet, it is easier than ever before

for the Anti-Vax Movement to publish false information. Because people have the right of free

speech, anyone can write a book or manifesto. And, with a few mouse clicks, anyone can

publish a website. Websites are not subject to fact-check review or any sort of approval. Anti-

Vax authors can also use social media sites to distribute their false information. Using a

combination of social media platforms allows Anti-Vax authors to identify their ideal audience

and structure advertisements that appeal to parents who may be searching for information about

vaccinations. These online anti-vaccination authors undermine science with manipulating data

and hypothesis. This can spread false rumors which in turn can result in entire populations

stopping a specific vaccine that can possibly eradicate a disease.

Religious Reasons

Religion is a common reason that people use for refusing vaccination. One vaccine in particular,

the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine has stirred many debates. The MMR vaccine

“was originally derived from the cells of aborted fetal tissue” (Hussain). Many religious groups
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oppose abortion. This leads them to oppose the vaccine. The MMR vaccine also contains

peptides derived from pork. Some religions are opposed to pork, and are therefore opposed to

the MMR vaccine (Hussain). And, some religions believe that it is inappropriate to “meddle in

the affairs of God” by changing the condition of someone who is sick (Hussain). Another

example is polio. As recent as seven year ago, polio was problematic in Pakistan. The root

cause is religious in nature. A group of religious leaders will not permit children to receive polio

vaccinations (Healthline). But questions can come from why we have tools that can save lives,

but go against a religious group morals?

False Claims

The Anti-Vax Movement often falsely claims that vaccines cause Autism. The Anti-Vax group

often uses a specific statistic to make their point. The statistic is that for children born before

1992, 1 in 150 was diagnosed with autism. And, for children born before 2004, it was 1 in 68

children born was diagnosed with autism. They keep pushing the point that because of all the

vaccines we have, future generations are going to have more likely chances of having autism

(HistroyofVaccines). Scientific experiments and studies performed after the original study was

done in 2004 have proven the original studies wrong. A British gastroenterologist named

Andrew Wakefield conducted some of those experiments and studied data over that time window

to get a second set of eyes on the Anti-Vax group’s original findings. He didn’t want to take

chances on his studies, so he and 12 other scientists co-authored a study called Lancet. They

could not show any correlation from vaccines to autism. The Anti-Vax group had to stop him

from destroying their group. One of the co-editors of the Lancet, Dr. Richard Horton, came out

and stated the study Lancet was staged to look like the Anti-Vax group had no idea what they

were talking about. He went on to say, “That he had been paid by attorneys seeking to file
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lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers” (HistoryofVaccines). Three months of investigation

took place and then the British General Medical Council banned Andrew Wakefield from being

able to practice any type of medicine “stating that he had shown “callous disregard” for children

in the course of his research” (HistoryofVaccines). Brian Deer, a journalist, spoke with parents

of children involved in Wakefield’s experiments. Wakefield tested twelve children and said

there was no connection between autism and vaccines, but the parents said otherwise. They

claimed eight of the twelve children tested on showed symptoms of autism just a few days after

being given the vaccines.

“Vaccines straightjacket the immune system” is a phrase frequently used by the Anti-Vax

organization. But, they have been using that slogan since the 1700’s, with little or no empirical

evidence to support their claim. Back then, in the early days of vaccine research, there may have

been some truth to the claim. But, with the technology and the knowledge we have today,

vaccines don’t straightjacket the immune system. Instead, they make it like steel (CDC). Many

scientifically valid studies have indicated that, instead of “straightjacketing the immune system”,

vaccinations improve immune response to disease (CDC, 2017; Joyce, 2019).

Conclusion

Scientists developed vaccines in the first place to prevent the spread of deadly diseases, but

skeptics known as the Anti-Vaccine movement have rejected what scientists created. In the end,

doctors have more knowledge in the field of median than most of the Anti-Vaccine movement.

The doctors say vaccines help humans and if humans get vaccinated and teach their children to

vaccinate their children, the humans can eradicate diseases that are a problem in today’s world.

Anti-Vaccination groups would have people believe that vaccinations are basically evil. They

continue to claim that vaccines cause autism and damage the immune system. They often rely
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on emotional arguments to support their claims, rather than empirical evidence. When they do

cite empirical evidence, they often point to research studies that have been discredited and shown

to use biased or skewed tests. However, many validated and verified clinical studies by research

scientists have indicated the anti-vaccination group’s claims are false. Studies such as the Lancet

study conducted by Wakefield and twelve other scientists have found no correlation between

immunization and autism (HistoryofVaccines). And, other scientifically valid studies have

indicated that, instead of “straightjacketing the immune system”, vaccinations improve immune

response to disease (CDC, 2017; Joyce, 2019).The continued efforts of the Anti-Vax movement

to convince gullible people of their false claims are doing serious harm to our society.
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Works Cited

“Anti-Vaccination Movement Causes a Deadly Year in the U.S.” Healthline,

www.healthline.com/health-news/children-anti-vaccination-movement-leads-to-disease-

outbreaks-120312#1.

Butler, Hilary. “Hilary's Desk.” Whooping Cough in Japan, 3 June 2012,

www.beyondconformity.co.nz/hilarys-desk/whooping-cough-in-japan.

Capurro, Gabriela, et al. “Measles, Moral Regulation and the Social Construction of Risk: Media

Narratives of ‘Anti-Vaxxers’ and the 2015 Disneyland Outbreak.” Canadian Journal of

Sociology, 2 Apr. 2018, ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/17967/.

“Do Vaccines Cause Autism?” History of Vaccines,

www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/do-vaccines-cause-autism.

Hussain, Azhar, et al. “The Anti-Vaccination Movement: A Regression in Modern Medicine.”

Cureus, Cureus, 3 July 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6122668/.

Joyce, Elijah. Vaccines. Sinclair University, 26 Nov. 2019.

“Immunization | Vaccine | Inoculation.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 12

Mar. 2020, medlineplus.gov/immunization.html.

“Partners.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 6 Jan. 2017, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/partners/childhood/matte-articles-5-

reasons.html.

Plotkin, Stanley. “History of Vaccination.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of

the United States of America, National Academy of Sciences, 26 Aug. 2014,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4151719/.
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Salzberg, Steven. “Anti-Vaccine Movement Causes Worst Measles Epidemic In 20 Years.”

Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 2 Feb. 2015,

www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2015/02/01/anti-vaccine-movement-causes-worst-

measles-epidemic-in-20-years/#25a6525c6069.

Smith, Tara C. “Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: A Review and Call to Action.” Open Forum

Infectious Diseases, Oxford University Press, 18 July 2017,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5597904/.

“Vaccines: Vac-Gen/Why Immunize?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, 12 July 2018, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/why.htm.

“VRM Articles.” Vaccine Resistance Movement, vaccineresistancemovement.org/.