Vaccinations and Our Disease of Doubt
By Adam Salgado, grade 10, Texas.
Since the first days of vaccination there has always been hesitancy in using such preventative measures, however now it has become a talking point for mainstream political candidates. Despite global successes and proven science, in recent decades anti-vaccination ideology has proliferated on a shocking scale. With multiple parties and religious groups attacking their use and credibility, we must ask ourselves how vaccines became such a widely debated issue, and as our government begins to take a hardened perspective on vaccination, we must prepare to curb this wave of medical misinformation.
History shows that it doesn’t take much to convince people that painful things are bad. Oftentimes an unrealistic fear of such things can be extremely harmful. We do not fear going to the gym, or exercising, but sometimes it feels daunting. The same is true for vaccines. However, with vaccines, it is much easier to employ the ever present doubt in the government. This doubt in the government, and medicine as a whole, was especially present in the late 1700s and the 1800s.
In Anti-vax: the history of a scientific problem by a psychology professor in Chile, Dr. Miguel Gallegos, et. al. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9383768/) the authors write that “It is important to note that the anti-vaccination movement dates back to 1796 when the English doctor Edward Jenner introduced the smallpox vaccine. This vaccine reduced the number of deaths caused by smallpox,… and in 1979 the disease was officially eradicated.” During the 18th century medicine was particularly primitive, with the only vaccine literally being the (inactive) virus it warded against, so, it is natural that some members of the public might have developed a sense of dread surrounding vaccines. These hesitations were merited, in a time where illness could end up in death. However, In the modern day and age, we get to look back on history, with clear evidence that vaccines did work and they still continue to work.
The vaccines available these days are far more effective, as well as harmless, but this does not alter the fact that vaccines are nonetheless a widely-disputed issue. Also in Anti-vax, the authors write, “Until now, it is well known that immunizations are the world’s safest method to prevent diseases. People against immunizations represent a relevant part of the global population and examining the negative attitudes towards vaccines should be included in the world’s scientific agenda.”
A percentage of the population has always doubted vaccines, but recently vaccine requirements have become a widespread political issue. These confounding attitudes towards scientifically proven medicine are often baffling, and they make it important to study, and hopefully curtail the misinformation that has bred distrust of vaccines. This issue exploded during the Covid-19 pandemic, when after the release of the vaccine, President Trump began staunchly opposing the vaccine mandates. However, this opposition extended far beyond the U.S. borders and was a global phenomenon.
An opposition to mandatory vaccination requirements is understandable. In order to prepare for future pandemics, we must first understand what causes people to resist vaccination. Without changes in public mindset, their widespread use would be much more difficult.
Our current administration’s attitude towards vaccinations is particularly frightening, and will create a real danger to public health. American politics have significant influence over this issue, and key players in the anti-vaccine movement such as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. are shaping up to have more sway than ever on vaccinations. According to Truthout, Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as Surgeon General during Trump’s first administration, said “If RFK has a significant influence on the next administration, that could further erode people’s willingness to get up to date with recommended vaccines.”
The anti-vaccine attitude of the current administration will have a negative impact on public health as a whole. If people do not get vaccinated, it will not only be an issue for the ones not taking them, but also for anybody around them who may be immunocompromised, making this dangerous and all the more worrisome. Truthout also reported that “…the Trump-Kennedy alliance has alluded to taking certain vaccines off the market. Both have made claims that vaccines are linked to autism, despite the fact that this has been repeatedly debunked in scientific studies across several decades. Nevertheless, Trump didn’t rule out the possibility of banning some vaccines in an interview with NBC News.”
This skewed perspective towards vaccines has left many worried—and not without reason. While vaccines may not be universally accepted, the idea of banning them, or making them less available for those who need them, can be more than enough to cause unease about the future of medical care in America.
Controversial though they may be, vaccines are widely accepted for a reason. It is not the place of our leaders—whomever they may be—to argue against centuries of proven success. Vaccines are as beneficial to human beings as bathing, and while it may seem trivial to some, the decision to vaccinate can mean life or death to some, especially the week, the elderly and the immunocompromised. The only real cure for the disease of doubt is awareness. During the next four years this awareness will be more important than ever, as vaccines are battered from all sides with misinformation and distrust.
—Adam Salgado, grade 10, Texas.