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Allison Stewart

Ms. Pettay

English 112

29 March 2017

The Real Fake News Epidemic: Vaccine Misinformation

Vaccines are a sensitive subject. No parent wants to be accused of putting his or her child

in danger. Parents want what is best for their children, but on the subject of immunizations, many

just do not know what path to take. Get them all? Delay them? Or just completely opt out? The

issue at hand is not whether or not vaccines are good or bad, but the simple fact that there is a

lack of correct, unbiased information on vaccines that parents trust.

The parents who decide to vaccinate their child as little as possible are often worried

about their childs safety. The Center for Disease Control, a federal agency that carries the goal

of improving overall public health, reports that about one in a million children will have a life-

threatening allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis, to vaccines (ProCon, Possible). This risk

is simply too much for some parents. They want to protect their child from everything in their

power, and if their child died from an allergic reaction to a vaccine that they allowed the doctor

to administer, they would never forgive themselves. Not only do all vaccines carry the threat of

anaphylaxis, but certain ones also can cause other adverse reactions. Robert Sears, a physician,

says that the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccines may be linked to long-term seizures,

comas, and permanent brain damage (ProCon, Vaccine). It is a parents worst nightmare to see

his or her own child lying lifeless in a hospital bed from something that could have been

prevented. These reported side effects scare many people away from vaccination.
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Not only can vaccines cause harmful side effects, they also contain questionable

ingredients. Some vaccines contain aluminum, and large amounts of aluminum can cause brain

damage (ProCon, Vaccine). Formaldehyde is also found in some vaccines, and exposure can

cause cardiac impairment, comas, and death. No matter how miniscule the amount of aluminum

or formaldehyde may be, parents who are against vaccines claim that it is simply too much of a

risk. Some doctors claim that a form of mercury called thimerosal is present in vaccines, and that

any type of mercury is harmful. Upon hearing this, older generations may remember a time when

they were told to dispose of mercury thermometers immediately, and wonder why mercury in

thermometers was a hazard but mercury in vaccines is acceptable. They may come to the

conclusion that the government cannot be trusted on immunizations. Parents question why the

government requires their child to be injected with chemicals such as these, and prefer to go with

what they believe is correct instead to protect their child.

Parents who choose to have their child vaccinated are often concerned with the diseases

their children could acquire and the harmful effects of those diseases. Even just the flu is a

terrible experience; no parent wants his or her child to go through that, let alone rubella or

measles. Another important aspect that parents must take into account is the herd immunity

effect. This is when enough people in a community are vaccinated so the disease is not present,

even though not all the members are vaccinated. Some parents take this to mean that they do not

have to get their child vaccinated so their child will not be at risk for an allergic reaction, but that

is not true. Only a few members of a community can not be vaccinated for the herd effect to still

be intact, and those members should be people who physically cannot be vaccinated, such as

those who are too young, going through chemotherapy, or have proven an allergic reaction.

Allergic reactions to vaccines are almost non-existent. According to Sanjay Gupta, Chief
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Medical Correspondent for CNN and practicing neurosurgeon, "you are 100 times more likely to

be struck by lightning than to have a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine that protects you

against measles." Usually when people express concerns about unsafe toxins in vaccines, they

are referring to mercury, aluminum, or formaldehyde. Harriet Hall, a retired physician and

surgeon who contributes to science-based medical journals, explains that the mercury in the

vaccines was ethylmercury, a component of thimerosal, a preservative. It was tested and found to

be safe as the body is able to break down ethylmercury quickly and safely. In 1999, the U.S.

removed thimerosal from vaccines, not based on evidence but as a precautionary measure to

appease the public. Formaldehyde is harmless in small amounts and is produced in much higher

concentrations in our metabolism than in vaccines. Aluminum helps enhance the body's immune

response to an antigen and is not harmful (Hall). Also, aluminum is found in higher doses in

many other foods that are readily available such as bakery items and cheese spreads. In-depth

knowledge of vaccines requires careful research that many parents do not have time for or do not

know how to do.

When first researching whether to vaccinate their child or not, parents almost always look

to the internet first. However, there is so much information circulating about vaccines that it can

be tough to figure out whether that information is true. Many people who believe vaccines

should not be mandatory argue that government agencies that put out information about vaccines

are biased and only provide facts that will show vaccines in a positive light. On the other hand,

those who support mandatory vaccines claim that websites run by people who are against

vaccines have no scientific backing and are based off of rumors and lies. Both sides should come

together and create an easy-to-access database full of articles on vaccines that are scientifically

backed. The people who are pro-vaccine can promote the scientific experiment and research part
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of the database, and the people who are anti-vaccine can make sure that the other side is being

completely transparent in their work and not neglecting the downsides to vaccines. It will act as a

checks and balances system to eliminate any sort of false narrative from taking over. Also, the

information can be originally written in the scientific jargon that researchers normally use, but it

will also be translated to everyday language so everyone can understand the facts. Parents will

be confident in the information they are getting from this database and they will be able to make

an informed decision as to whether they should have their child vaccinated or not.

In order to make a smart decision as to whether or not to immunize, the person in

question needs to have access to factual, nonpartisan information. This applies to all aspects of

life; in order to make the best decision, good-quality information is needed. This type of

collaboration of both sides is needed in regards to many issues facing todays society. With this

database, we will be taking a step towards a healthier, more understanding tomorrow.

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Works Cited

Hall, Harriet. Vaccines and Autism: a Deadly Manufactroversy. Skeptic [Altadena, CA], vol.

15, no. 2, 2009, p. 26. Science in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A211061621/SCIC?u=vbcps&xid=63bdcfcd. Accessed 4

December 2016.

ProCon. "Possible Side-Effects from Vaccines," www.cdc.gov, 4 February 2014. Accessed 24

March 2017

ProCon. "Vaccine FAQS: Aluminum Information from The Vaccine Book,"

www.askdrsears.com, 14 June 2014. Accessed 24 March 2017