Vaccines

Reduced Vaccination
Author’s Name
Institution

Low numbers recorded in immunizations are as a result of vaccine shortages. Effects of factors such as delays in the production of medicine to curb upcoming ailments, immensely affect the volume of the population that receives them. Furthermore, there are very few manufacturers for these vaccines. These numbers are mainly due to licensing and harsh governmental policies that are meant to ensure quality and integrity. Also, the companies find some brands to be non-profitable and expensive to manufacture, therefore abandoning such projects. With new strains of diseases arising each year, demand for urgent and efficient vaccines skyrockets. The ever-rising human populace ensures that in case of an epidemic, the need for some vaccines exceeds the rate of immunizations. It also means that newer medicine is favored market-wise and thus runs out quickly. Logistical problems and inadequate storage of vaccines in remote locations render the vaccines useless thus not reaching the designated population.
In the recent years, the public outlook of the government-offered immunizations has dramatically changed. In the United States, for example, a small but significant number of parents are skeptical about some or all vaccines. A staggering 9% of the interviewed population in a 2015 survey admits that vaccines are not safe for healthy children (Funk & Rainie, 2015). A further 30% expressed the opinion that the decision of whether to vaccinate children should remain with the parent.

The growing doubts are sure to affect the immunizations levels further in the coming future as it is the young people that express such opinions. Trust in public institutions is a significant player in arriving at such outcomes as elaborated by (Parasidis, 2016). The number of people who trust medical practitioners and the medical field, in general, has drastically dropped. Therefore, this is associated with the fear of side effects accompanied by vaccinations. As a result, anti-vaccination campaigns have gained track over the years discouraging progress.
Avoiding immunization creates the risk of a continued epidemic. With more people vaccinating, the number of annual cases of epidemics drops. Studies on child immunization indicate how the rate of disease has greatly reduced proportionally to the high numbers of vaccination (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2018). A low annual mortality rate due to such conditions means saved lives. The concept of “herd immunity” is compromised if there are some individuals not vaccinated. Persons who avoid vaccination also risk their freedom as they may be required to be quarantined to reduce exposure levels.
Despite these outlined risks, many parents still find loopholes during enrollment, allowing their children to mingle with others without vaccination. In the earlier years, the “personal belief” rule accommodated most anti-vaccination parents. This provision permitted parents to skip injection with the reason that they do not believe in it. However, most states in the United States, for example, have eliminated this law, forcing the parents to come up with new ways to avoid vaccinating their children. Medical practitioners play a role in ensuring this through exception notes, and many in the field support this perception.
It is the view of many that the exercise of immunization is made mandatory (Funk & Rainie, 2015). In a case study, about 70% of health workers had the opinion that the influenza vaccine should be a requirement (Douville, Myers, Jackson, & Lantos, 2010). The role played by vaccines is large. There needs to be a standard for undertaking immunization. For the herd immunity to remain intact, every person should be vaccinated. This guarantees that eliminated ailments do not re-emerge and that the health of the general public is guaranteed.

References
Douville, L. E., Myers, A., Jackson, M. A., & Lantos, J. D. (2010). Health care worker knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding mandatory influenza vaccination. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 164(1). doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.252
Funk, C., & Rainie, L. (2015, July 1). Americans, politics and science issues. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/07/01/chapter-5-public-views-about-biomedical-issues/
Parasidis, E. (2016). Public Health Law and Institutional Vaccine Skepticism. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 41(6), 1137-1149. doi:10.1215/03616878-3666204
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2018). Vaccine Benefits | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Retrieved from https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/vaccine-benefits