By: Karyssa Costagliola

Immunizations/Vaccinations started in 1796 by a man named Edward Jenner living in England. The first world vaccination he created was for smallpox which he took pus from a lesion from a cowpox sore and injected it in a young child who showed immunity weeks later even with exposure to the disease. His experimentation with the cowpox lesion to be used to give immunization of smallpox started the groundwork for what we study today in regards to vaccinations. Jenner continued to spread his knowledge in his studies of immunizations that by 1800 100,000 people were vaccinated in Europe alone and had even begun to spread throughout the United States. At first it was just state regulated and a choice to have these vaccinations it soon became required to be able to attend public schools which still remains in effect today. When Edward Jenner was performing these vaccinations his experiments were, “carried out in a pre-germ theory that lacked modern methods of quality control and sterilization”

These forms of experimentation lead to a lot of risks of contamination which made people apprehensive of contracting something else by getting the vaccine. The study of immunizations have come a far way and are being closely monitored as compared to years ago when they first begun. Some vaccines were taken away due to the fact they were causing the illness it was supposed to prevent in some cases killing children. There is still a lot of research that goes into developing these vaccines and new vaccines coming out to prevent newly surfaced diseases. Even with the newer technology that is in medicine now compared to when Edward Jenner started this trend it is still a risk and some people feel the risks of getting a vaccine for themselves or their children is not worth it.

Immunizations that are out today and currently being used from birth through adulthood is Hepatitis B, Rotavirus, Diphtheria, tetanus and Acellular Pertussis(DTaP), Haemophilus Influenza, Pneumococcal conjugate, Inactivated Poliovirus, Influenza, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Hepatitis A, Human Papillomavirus, and Meningoccoccal

The first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine is given at birth and then between the one and two month mark. The third dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine is then given between six and eighteen months in the beginning of life.

Rotavirus is a two dose and can be a three dose vaccine which begins at approximately two months of age to six months

The Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis or DTaP shot is given starting at age two months for the first dose. The second does is given at four months and the third does is given at six months of age. The fourth dose is then given at approximately fifteen to eighteen months of age

Haemophilus Influenza type b is a five dose vaccine. It is first given at two months of age and then at four months to six months of age the second dose is given. At and the final two doses are given between twelve and fifteen months

The Pneumococcal conjugate is a four dose vaccine first given at two months of age. The next two doses are given at four months and six months of age. The final does is given between twelve and fifteen months. Inactivated poliovirus is given in four doses starting at two months old. The second dose is typically given at four months old and then the third dose is given between six months and eighteen months. The fourth does is then given between four and six years old typically before entering kindergarten

The influenza vaccine is an optional vaccine that can be given from six months through adulthood to help prevent or lower the effects of the seasonal flu virus

Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is given first at approximately twelve to fifteen months old. The second dose of MMR is given between ages four and six usually before starting school

The Varicella vaccine is given in two doses the first given at twelve to fifteen months and the second being given between four and six years old typically before the start of kindergarten

Hepatitis A is a two dose series vaccine that both doses are given between twelve and twenty-three months old

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is a preventative shot that is given in a three dose series starting at eleven years old or when a child male or female are sexually active. This shot prevents genital warts and in girls cervical cancer. It is not effective for all types of HPV, but is used as a form of preventing this STD

The Meningococcal shot is given to high risk groups like teenagers and pre-teens it is usually given at eleven to twelve years old and a booster is given typically between sixteen and eighteen years old. It is said that, “adolescents who receive their first dose of meningococcal vaccine at or after age sixteen do not need the booster dose” (www.cdc.gov

The numbers of children that are vaccinated are increasing, but there are still many parents that choose not to get their child vaccinated. In Pennsylvania alone 79% of children ages 19 to 35 months are immunized. The state that has the highest rate of parents filling out exemption forms for certain immunizations is in Washington State at 6.2%

These parents choosing not to vaccinate in fact can risk the lives and well being of children that are vaccinated and is being researched on its effects. Some parents feel that the risk of vaccines can be life threatening and not worth the risk, but it is stated that, “No vaccine is 100% risk free, but the chances of major side effects from a shot are minuscule compared to the potential damage of your child’s health if he or she contracted the disease itself” (www.parents.com/heath/vaccines/facts/vaccination-facts/?page=2)

The parents that do vaccinate feel that their child is taken care of and they don’t really worry or think about the kids that do not. In fact the people that are unvaccinated can host a lot of infection and can pass on the infection not being sick themselves, but harming the children that are not fully immunized yet or that didn’t take to a vaccine. It is proven that, “Children under one year old who are exposed to measles, mumps, and other vaccine-preventable diseases before they have been immunized are much less likely to survive” (www.parents.com/health/vaccines/facts/vaccination-facts/?page=2).

Another misconception is people feel that the diseases that have not been seen here in centuries there is no reason to vaccinate against it. In fact it is proven that if more vaccinated people go down the rate of the disease increases even in the rarest disease. The world is increasing in people traveling to underdeveloped countries, adoptions, and other vectors that can bring these old diseases back to the states and will infect many children. One other vaccine that parents feel is not a big deal to get is the vaccination for chicken pox. Most parents feel it isn’t that severe of an infection when, “Chicken pox is actually responsible for the death of one child every week in this country” (www.parents.com/health/vaccines/facts/vaccination-facts/?page=2).

There is a lot of belief that vaccinations actually cause things like SIDS for example, but in this instance there is not enough factual information that can support this claim. Another illness people feel is caused by getting your child vaccinated is Autism. There have been a lot of studies done and at one point they felt the preservative thimerosalcould be responsible for the increase in children with autism, but it was removed since 2001 and they continued to study the effects and concluded it was not responsible or linked to the cause of Autism.

In recent news there is a growing concern of the Enterovirus that is spreading across the nation. This new virus has no known or developed vaccine, but it seems to not have affected any unvaccinated child. All cases of children that have the virus are all vaccinated and or updated on their vaccines.

Some studies have actually shown that children who are vaccinated have a higher risk of eczema, ear infections, asthma, hyperactivity and other chronic infections. A study has shown that, “There was a ten-fold increase in the incidence of tonsillitis in the children who were vaccinated” (www.thesleuthjournal.com).