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Parental Attitudes in Childhood Vaccine Exemptions
PLoS One; ePub 2018 Jun 14; Pottinger, Jacobs, et al
In schools with high levels of vaccine exemptions, parents who choose to obtain exemptions from school immunization requirements do not appear to be exempting their children from vaccinations due to convenience. This is according to a study that examined parental attitudes and perceptions associated with childhood vaccine exemptions in high-exemption schools. Researchers administered surveys to parents in high-exemption elementary schools in Arizona during the 2012-2013 school year. They found:
- A total of 404 surveys were completed by parents in 2 counties; of these 35% were exemptors and 65% were non-exemptors.
- Exemptors were more likely to be concerned about serious vaccine side effects and believed it is better for a child to develop immunity through illness than vaccination.
- Exemptors were also less likely to trust physicians and information about vaccines and were more likely to obtain health care from a naturopath.
Pottinger HL, Jacobs ET, Haenchen SD, Ernst KC. Parental attitudes and perceptions associated with childhood vaccine exemptions in high-exemption schools. [Published online ahead of print June 14, 2018]. PLoS One. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0198655.
This study shows that when children did not receive vaccines, it was not due to a lack of availability but rather due to parental decisions. In these high exemption schools, the parents that did not give vaccines to their children have less trust of the medical establishment and are more likely to get information from alternative caregivers. The question is what scientific studies these alternative caregivers are basing their information on. When parents choose not to vaccinate their children, they put children at risk who are unable to be vaccinated. R naught is a number that is used to describe how many people one would infect if they developed a disease. The R naught for flu is 1.5-2, for Ebola it is 2, for measles in an unvaccinated population it is 19. — John Russell, MD