Week 3: Summarising the debate

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For the "opposing arguments" in my position paper, I had to get a bit creative finding sources to cite which were actually against vaccination. In the end I relied on the web manifestos of one anti-vaccine group, and one "pro vaccine-choice" group. I hesitate to name them here, as no doubt they have Google alerts set up to detect and counter anyone who mentions them. I'm not interested in entering into that particular debate here.

My research also turned up a submission to the Health Select Committee inquiry into how to improve completion rates of childhood immunisation. I was fortunate to have come across this as a formal and articulate outline of the concerns of anti-vaccination groups in New Zealand, as early in the research process I doubted whether I would come across anything of this sort.

One of the key arguments in this submission was there has been a decline in death rates from infectious diseases that pre-dates the introduction of vaccination programs (Claridge, 2010). Therefore, it's reasoned, vaccinations were not responsible for the declines, rather it is other factors such as improved sanitation and hand washing. Graph upon graph then compared the decline in infection rates with the introduction date of the applicable vaccine.

This is typical of the arguments of anti-vaccination groups. When they aren't advocating that vaccines are outright dangerous, they suggest that the risks posed by vaccine, whether small or not, simply aren't worthwhile because vaccines just don't work in any case.

The Ministry of Health has an active role in directly combating false information about vaccination. The Immunisation Handbook 2014, is a great resource enumerating and refuting false beliefs about immunisation. Once the key points have been identified, it is easier to locate the appropriate primary literature to back up the facts.

For example, I found that improvements in sanitation do indeed help to control infection rates, However, outbreaks of diseases such as measles still occur (Ministry of Health, 2014). In fact, as these factors make it likely that you may dodge infection through childhood, this may make vaccination more important. This is because the symptoms of many infectious diseases are much worse for adults. Such is the case with Hepatitis A, which although harmless to children, increases in seriousness along with the age of the patient, the the potential to cause serious illness or death (Willner, Howard & Riely, 1998).

 Claridge, S. (2010). Submission on the Inquiry into how to improve completion rates of childhood immunisation [Submission to the Health Select Committee]. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/documents/evidence/49SCHE_EVI_00DBSCH_INQ_9658_1_A36922/sue-claridge

 Ministry of Health. (2014). Immunisation Handbook 2014. Wellington: Ministry of Health.

 Willner, I. R., Howard, S.C., & Riely, C. A. (1998). Serious Hepatitis A: An Analysis of Patients Hospitalized during an Urban Epidemic in the United States. Annals of Internal Medicine, 128(2), 111–117.