Internet Misconceptions About Vaccines

Here Are the Real Facts

How many times have you browsed the internet for answers involving your health?

The truth is... most of us are guilty

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said something relating the matter:

"After a recent medical procedure, my very capable doctors explained what I needed to do to heal properly. But first I had to relearn something about myself I should have known for a long time: as a patient, I'm not very patient.

Consequently I decided to expedite the healing process by undertaking my own Internet search. I suppose I expected to discover truth of which my doctors were unaware or had tried to keep from me.

It took me a little while before I realized the irony of what I was doing. Of course, researching things for ourselves is not a bad idea. But I was disregarding truth I could rely on and instead found myself being drawn to the often-outlandish claims of Internet lore.

Sometimes, the truth may just seem too straightforward, too plain, and too simple for us to fully appreciate its great value. So we set aside what we have experienced and know to be true in pursuit of more mysterious or complicated information. Hopefully we will learn that when we chase after shadows, we are pursuing matters that have little substance and value." 1

Although relating this message to a much more spiritual example, Elder Uchtdorf's words also relay another lesson concerning our health. While researching information is essential to our well-being, it is also essential to be certain we are researching from reliable and educational sources. 

Common Vaccines and Their Preventable Diseases
First let's learn about some of these diseases vaccines can prevent.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has well researched information regarding vaccines and their preventable diseases.

HepB:

• Hepatitis B: A viral infection affecting the liver. This disease is transferred from an infected individual to another person via bodily fluids such as blood and semen. Such circumstances include infected individuals sharing needles, sexual intercourse or from mother to child during birth. Although this infection can be short-term, for some it becomes a lifelong disease leading to several liver complications. 2

HepA:

• Hepatitis A: A viral infection affecting the liver. This disease is transferred from ingestion of contaminated food, water, or fecal matter (poop). While one may not be intentionally eating 'poop', some people may have improper hand hygiene after using the restroom while others may lack hand washing completely. This can result in spreading of germs to other people and to food. The illness can last up to 2 months, and in some cases, may cause jaundice, weakness, nausea, and stomach pain. 3

MMR:

• Measles: A contagious viral infection that affects the respiratory system causing a fever, rash, and difficulty breathing.
• Mumps: A contagious viral infection causing flu-like symptoms. In some cases it can cause meningitis, deafness, or encephalitis.
• Rubella: A viral infection causing a fever accompanied with a rash. Pregnant women who contract the rubella virus are at risk of a miscarriage and other fetal complications. 4

VAR:

• Varicella: Also known as the "chicken pox". A contagious viral disease that causes a blister-like rash resulting in itching and a fever.

Tdap:

• Tetanus: A bacterial infection often contracted via skin wounds. This toxin can cause muscle cramps throughout the body resulting in lockjaw, breathing problems, and even paralysis.
• Diphtheria: A contagious bacterial infection which thickens the mucous of the nose and throat which can obsturct a person's airway. This illness can also cause paralysis and heart failure.
• Pertussis: Also known as "whooping cough". A contagious bacterial infection causing several cough attacks which make it difficult to breathe. 5

IPV:

• Polio: A viral disease that affects the brain and spinal cord; which can cause meningitis, weakness, and nerve paralysis. In some victims where paralysis occurs, the respiratory nerves can be affected, resulting in loss of breathing function. 6

RV5; RV1:

• Rotavirus: A contagious viral infection common in young children that causes diarrhea, fever, pain, and severe dehydration.

HPV:

• Human Papillomavirus: Is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), which means an infected individual can transfer the disease to another person via vaginal, oral, or anal sex. This disease can cause genital warts or cancer. 7

A Little Bit of History

The Iron Lung

Before we can comprehend the now, let's rewind a bit back to the past.

It's hard to imagine life threatening diseases nowadays because many have been eradicated after the discovery of vaccines.

One disease in particular is Polio. In the early 1900s, polio outbreaks caused life threatening situations which required a device called an 'iron lung'. This piece of equipment allows a person to breathe by creating negative pressure around the lungs when a person's respiratory muscles fail.

"The first clinical use of the Drinker respirator on a human  was on 12 October 1928, at the Boston Children's Hospital in the US. The subject was an eight-year-old girl who was nearly dead as a result of respiratory failure due to polio. Her dramatic recovery, within less than a minute of being placed in the chamber, helped popularize the new device.  

Rows of iron lungs filled hospital wards at the height of the polio outbreaks of the 1940s and 1950s, helping children, and some adults, with bulbar polio and bulbospinal polio. A polio patient with a paralyzed diaphragm would typically spend two weeks inside an iron lung while recovering. Polio vaccination programs have virtually eradicated new cases of poliomyelitis in the United States. Because of this, and the development of modern ventilators, and widespread use of tracheal intubation and tracheotomy, the iron lung has mostly disappeared from modern medicine. In 1959, there were 1,200 people using tank respirators in the United States, but by 2004 there were only 39. By 2014, there were only 10 people left with an iron lung." 8 

Despite the history of the past, some people today see vaccines as unsafe and unnecessary. 

Like seen in the image, some argue that many vaccines are not needed because many of these diseases are no longer life threatening.

However, diseases ARE life threatening to vulnerable populations which include children, older adults, and the immunocompromised. 

Young children still have underdeveloped organs, nervous systems, and immune systems while older adults' systems are failing and slowly shutting down (p. 484). 9

Bacteria still exist despite the efforts of our nation to improve living conditions.

Harmful substances?

The CDC clearly lists vaccine contents

"Millions of doses of vaccines are administered to children in this country each year. Ensuring that those vaccines are potent, sterile, and safe requires the addition of minute amounts of chemical additives.

Chemicals are added to vaccines to inactivate a virus or bacteria and stabilize the vaccine, helping to preserve the vaccine and prevent it from losing its potency over time. The amount of chemical additives found in vaccines is very small." 10 

Some people today are considering vaccinations to be deemed unsafe because of the chemicals which are present; while, others see the potentially "harmful chemicals" as safer than having an unstable virus or bacteria entering the body.

So which is true?

If you have ever had an infection and received an antibiotic, you have probably been told to finish the entire dosage. This is to ensure that your body's harmful bacteria does not gain resistance to the cure of the medicine.

You might have also been advised to take probiotics along with your antibiotics. This is to replenish your gut flora because, while antibiotics kill harmful bacteria, they also kill off healthy cells too... making you immunocompromised and more likely to contract another type of infection.

If these drugs have the ability to cause harm and are associated with risks, why am I being recommended to take it? The question that should be asked is: "do the benefits outweigh the risks?" Likewise, with vaccines  (which have potentially harmful substances), the same question should be asked: do the benefits outweigh the risks?

There are many "harmful" substances we are exposed to daily. Not only can our bodies absorb things through our digestive system, but also through our skin--which in turn is transported to the bloodstream. This can include lotions, makeup, sunscreen, cleaning products, medications, and more.

Even Chlorine in a swimming pool is absorbed in minute amounts. Chlorine is a chemical that can be considered harmful to humans; however, it is used often in public swimming pools to kill harmful bacteria lurking in the waters. People, including small children, still choose to swim regardless of the chemical which is immersed into pools. 

In a sense, this example can be related to vaccines. While there may be some harmful contents in vaccines, perhaps it does more good than damage.

This however, does not mean there is not room for improvement!

Many pools now contain salt water instead of Chlorine. Does it mean it is a better alternative? Perhaps in some situations, but not all.

Allergies and Vaccines
Some people have certain allergies which would make it risky for them to get particular types of vaccines. 

If someone falls into this category, his or her doctor will advise such person to not get vaccinated (because in this situation, the benefits do not outweigh the risk). 

The CDC has information about this here.

In these cases, when most everyone surrounding the unvaccinated person is immunized against disease, the likelihood of disease being spread to the unvaccinated individual decreases and acts as a protective force.

Statistics and Vaccines
First, Don't assume without first asking questions

When looking for an answer, a question must first be created.

For example, one might wonder: Is there an effect on the mood of a person who gets out of bed on the left side vs a person who gets out of bed on the right side every morning?

If I were to perform a mini experiment and ask: What side of the bed do you get out of every morning? Left, or right?

I would record that some would say left, and others would say right (statistics are gathered). 

Following that question, if I then asked: How do you feel overall during the day, good or bad?

I might discover supporting evidence which shows that those who claimed to get out of bed on the left side in the morning resulted in feeling significantly better than those who get out of bed on the right side (or vice versa).

After the results are collected, they must be thoroughly analyzed:

• Why is it that people seem to feel better throughout the day when they get out of bed on the left side?
• Is it possible that the bathroom door is located near that same side?
• Are there enough people in this study for this to be an accurate result?
• Did those who were interviewed even know what side of the bed they normally get out on in the mornings, or were they just guessing?
• What are the ages and genders of these different individuals?
• Geographically, where was this survey performed?
• Do the sides of the bed people choose to get out on every morning change/vary?
• What side of the bed do these people sleep on compared to what side they get out on?
• Was there a morning alarm that went off nearby?
• What are each of these individual's eating habits like throughout the day?
• How much sleep did each person get the night before?

Like this experiment, similar questions should be asked when reading any informative or educational source. Questions can include:

• How was the experiment performed?
• How many times was the trial conducted/experimented?
• How big was the population of the study?
• Although the evidence suggests one thing, is it possible there were other influencing factors?
• Etc.

With these questions involved, I might consider doing another experiment to see if my results change or remain the same. There are many potential influencing factors that might be important to further evaluate before banking on evidence as a fact.

Correlation is not always causation.

So, when reading information about vaccines, don't assume without first asking questions.

When it comes to science, the most recent and consistent evidence should be applied and practiced accordingly. This is what we call evidence-based practice.

It is possible (in fact, more often than not) that one might discover that the results of an experiment turn out to be inconclusive. That when comparing those who get out of bed on the left side to those who get out of bed on the right side, both parties surveyed in numbers that could not answer the question. In other words, the results displayed to be undeterminable. 

While inconclusive it may be, it is still useful evidence that can allow researchers to gain one step closer to the truth.

As a nursing student, I got to research for answers to a question I had which related to my career as a registered nurse. With the help of my team members we wrote an evidence-based practice essay and presented it to Dixie State University. If interested in learning more about analyzing research (or statistics), feel free to read this essay to see what it looks like.

Here are some statistics about measles and vaccines displayed on a graph from studies done by the CDC

This first graph demonstrates the number of deaths from measles with vaccines vs without vaccines from the years 2000-2017. This evidence supports that those who died from measles and had been given a vaccine were reported zero to half a million cases; while those who died from measles and had not been given the vaccine were reported one to one and a half million cases over a seventeen year span. 11

This second graph reports the number of measles outbreaks from 2010-2019. 12

Autism

Are vaccines the culprit or not?

At this time, we simply do not know.

Autism's cause is currently unknown. With that being said, there is no way to prove that vaccines are a causative factor because there has not been any direct link to be traced. This is a fact.

"Without a specific etiology, determining risk for autism is difficult. However, research continues to point toward genetics and the influence of agents on genes. Children with genetic abnormalities such as tuberous sclerosis, fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, congenital rubella syndrome, and neurofibromatosis have an increased occurrence of autism. Children who have family members with autism are more likely to be autistic. Boys have a higher rate of ASD than girls. Likewise, teratogens, such as valproic acid and thalidomide have been linked to autism. Advanced maternal age has been associated with autism, but research is now finding that the ages of both the parents plays a factor. An extensive, global study found that mothers of age greater than 40 years and fathers of age greater than 50 years were more likely to have children with autism than those of other ages. Maternal age also played a factor in those children who were born to mothers younger than 20 years. The study also found that if there is a great age disparity between parents (greater than 10 years), there was a higher incidence of autism. It is important to emphasize that multiple studies have found no link between immunizations and autism. Therefore, pregnant women should be vaccinated to prevent infection, a known cause of brith defects" (p. 1827-1828). 13 

If you have scanned the internet and social media for research concerning autism and vaccines, you may have come across something like this: 

However, remember not to assume without first asking questions:

• First, is this truly a reliable source?
• Second, do you even know the process of which qualifies these given "side effects"?

Medical professionals are taught to educate their patients of any potential side effects which could occur from a given prescription medication.

You may have even seen some television ads which promote a medication after listing about two minutes worth of possible side effects. Such side effects may include: a rash, difficulty breathing, bowel problems, nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, headache, heart problems, cancer, or even death. The list goes on! 

Here's why:

Patients who voluntarily choose to participate in a trial for a given medication are monitored closely by the FDA in order to report any possible side effects that may have been a result from the medication. 

Though a rash may have occurred during such a trial does not necessarily mean that it was from the drug itself (remember, correlation isn't always causation). In fact, even those who were given placebos reported to feel some of these so called "side effects".

Autism being listed as a side effect does not necessarily mean that it was a direct chain reaction resulting from a vaccine.

Within the image above, you may have also noted anaphylactic shock as a side effect for vaccines. Upon reading the side effect labels for most medications, you will find that "allergic reaction" is one of the most commonly labeled side effects. 

An allergic reaction may be minor (like a rash), or major (like an anaphylactic reaction). Everybody's bodies are different and therefore react differently. In all cases, when putting a new substance into your body there is a risk, whether that be a new type of food... or in this case, a vaccine.

FDA Process For Drug Approval
Did you know that the U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) has quite a lengthy process to approve drugs as being safe? There are actually five stages:

• First- Preclinical research:

Drugs are tested on cultured cells in a laboratory from both animals and humans.

"The goals of [the] extensive testing on cultured cells and in animals are to determine drug action and to predict whether the drug will cause harm to humans."

After a drug is passed to be safe enough to allow human testing, stage 2 begins.

• Second- Clinical investigation/clinical trials: 

In this stage, there are three phases

1. "Testing is conducted on 20-80 healthy volunteers for several months to determine proper dosage and to assess for adverse affects. The focus of the phase 1 trial is safety."
2. "Several hundred patients with the disease to be treated are given the drug. The primary focus of phase 2 trial is on effectiveness, although safety data continue to be recorded. In most cases, the effectiveness of the new drug is compared to [a placebo], which serves as a control 'non-treatment' group. This phase may take several years."
3. "Large numbers of patients with the disease are given the drug to determine patient variability. Potential drug-drug interactions are examined. Patients with chronic conditions such as cardiac, renal, or hepatic impairment are given the drug to determine safety in these important populations. Assessment of effectiveness and safety continues for several years."

• Third- New Drug Application (NDA):

This is an application that is submitted to the FDA once it passes all phases of the second stage. In this stage, all data is assessed to see whether the new drug is safe and effective. The drug is either approved here or not.

• Fourth- Postmarketing surveillance:

This stage monitors all drug reactions even after the medication has been released to the market.

"Some adverse effects are very subtle, take longer to appear, and are not identified until a drug is prescribed for large numbers of people. Adverse drug reactions are reported by the manufacturers, healthcare providers, and patients to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), a computerized database designed to support the FDA's postmarketing surveillance system. If the FDA discovers a serious problem, it will mandate that a drug be withdrawn from the market" (p. 19-20). 14 

From this process, it is noted that safety is priority.

Healthcare providers and patients together should have the same responsibility of educating and researching current information about the given side effects of a medication (including vaccines). Everyone should be appropriately informed enough to decide for themselves whether the benefits outweigh the risks! 

SIDS and Vaccines
SIDS, also known as 'sudden infant death syndrome', is a syndrome which cause is also currently unknown. Healthcare providers have based their practices on the most recent evidence that states newborn infants should be placed to sleep on their backs without loose items or blankets in their cribs in order to reduce the incidence of SIDS.

"SIDS is called a syndrome because the autopsy and clinical findings characteristic of most deaths of children from SIDS are varied and do not identify a disease process as the cause of death. Three factors that occur simultaneously lead to SIDS. First, the infant must have a vulnerability, an abnormality in the brainstem, which controls respiratory and autonomic response to stressors during sleep. Second, significant stressors that contribute to SIDS must be present, such as prone or side sleeping, face-down sleeping, and bed sharing. When infants are in the prone or side-lying positions, the brainstem abnormality compromises their protective reflexes, such as arousal and head turning, against asphyxia. Third, infants must be in a critical developmental period within the first 6 months of life. Although the question has been raised, researchers have identified no significant causal relationship between vaccinations and SIDS." (p.1102) 15

Fetuses and Vaccines
Yes, it is true, that vaccines include trace amounts of cells derived from fetal tissues.

You might ask why animal cells were not used instead? While animal cells were attempted along with other methods, many were found contaminated with unsafe viruses which were not found in those of a human cell. Due to this discovery, there was an exception to benefit humanity in the safest way possible.

In the 1960s there came a time when rubella became very problematic. Many pregnant mothers who contracted the rubella virus caused their babies to have birth defects and complications. “In some cases, women who were infected with rubella while pregnant terminated their pregnancies due to the serious risks from [congenital rubella syndrome (CRS)].” Two fetuses from abortions of such circumstances were dedicated to the research of rubella.

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As an ethical matter of attention, many anti-abortionists, including the catholic church, have questioned the rightfulness of the situation.

"Because of its position on abortion, some members of the Catholic Church asked for its moral guidance on the use of vaccines developed using cell strains started with human fetal cells. This includes the vaccine against rubella as well as those against chickenpox and hepatitis A, and some other vaccine.s The official position according to the National Catholic Bioethics Center is that individuals should, when possible, use vaccines not developed with the use of these human cell strains. However, in the case where the only vaccine available against a particular disease was developed using the approach, the NCBC notes:

The NCBC does note that Catholics should encourage pharmaceutical companies to develop further vaccines without the use of these cell strains. To address concerns about fetal cells remaining as actual ingredients of the vaccines, however, they specifically note that fetal cells were used only to begin the cell strains that were used in the preparation of the vaccine virus: 'Descendant cells are the medium in which these vaccines are prepared. The cell lines under consideration were begun using cells taken from one or more fetuses aborted almost 40 years ago. Since that time the cell lines have grown independently. It is important to note that descendant cells are not the cells of the aborted child. They never, themselves, formed a part of the victim's body.' In total only two fetuses, both obtained from abortions done by maternal choice, have given rise to the human cell strains used in vaccine development." 16

On a religious note 
Often I hear the words: "God would never"

For example, "God would never permit that his child be aborted and used for science."

However, as a Christian, who are we to decide what God would and wouldn't do?

In the name of science, was it not God who took a rib from Adam in order to create Eve, his partner? 17

And wasn't it God who prompted Nephi to kill Laban (contrary to his own commandment) because "It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle...?" 18

As a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, what we know to be true include the words from the scriptures, and the words from the Lord's appointed prophets.

In 1978, such prophets of God urged members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be immunized:

"Reports that increasing numbers of children are not being immunized against preventable childhood diseases deeply concern us. In the United States alone approximately 20 million children, 40 percent of those 14 years old or younger, have not been adequately immunized against polio, measles, German measles (rubella), diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), mumps, and tetanus. Every parent who has agonized when these diseases have maimed or bought premature death to their children would join us, we are certain, in a plea to mobilize against these deadly enemies. We urge members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to protect their own children though immunization. Then they may wish to join other public-spirited citizens in efforts to eradicate ignorance and apathy that have caused the disturbingly low levels of childhood immunization. Failure to act could subject untold thousands to preventable lifelong physical or mental impairment, including paralysis, blindness, deafness, heart damage and mental retardation. Immunization campaigns in the United States and other nations, if successful, will end much needless suffering and erase the potential threat of epidemics. Such efforts are deserving of our full support." 19 

The revelation of the prophets up to date has not since changed; therefore, with this knowledge, we can have faith that God currently approves of vaccines--this is a fact.

Whether pro- or anti- abortion, religious or not, it is important that the ethical dilemma of abortion itself be set aside for its own debate when discussing vaccines.

Vitamin K Injections At Birth
Do you have a child who was born in the hospital?

The chances are that your child was most likely given a shot of vitamin K.

Why is this?

Hemorrhage (bleeding) can occur within the first few days of life for a newborn baby due to a vitamin K deficiency. Bacteria in the stomach help influence the production of vitamin K, and because newborns have not yet consumed anything into their digestive system... a vitamin K deficiency results. It is recommended that within 1 hour of birth, babies receive a starting dose in order to decrease the risks of hemorrhaging or even death (p. 2396). 20

Again, scrolling through the internet, you may find something like this. 

What is a black box warning?

If you happen to have a pharmacology or drug guide book lying around (which I'm sure most people do not), you might know what this is. A black box warning is a warning label to the providers and consumers of such medication to be extra cautious when prescribing and consuming doses. Like a lot of vitamins, too much of a good thing can be bad, especially to little ones. Back in the olden days, doctors found that many babies were dying shortly after birth without much reason. Vitamin K assists with blood clotting, and without a sufficient amount can cause internal bleeding. It was discovered that vitamin K is a deficiency in newborns and eventually became addressed by giving newborns a vitamin K injection. 

World Health Organization (WHO)

The WHO addresses those with questions regarding vaccines. 

"In this modern age of communication, health-care workers will encounter patients who have reservations about getting vaccinations for themselves or their children. There can be many reasons for fear of or opposition to vaccination. Some people have religious or philosophic objections. Some see mandatory vaccination as interference by the government into what they believe should be a personal choice. Others are concerned about the safety or efficacy of vaccines, or may believe that vaccine-preventable diseases do not pose a serious health risk. All health-care workers giving vaccines have a responsibility to listen to and try to understand a patient's concerns, fears, and beliefs about vaccination and to take them into consideration when offering vaccines. These efforts will not only help to strengthen the bond of trust between staff and patient but will also help determine which, if any, arguments might be most effective in persuading these patients to accept vaccination. These pages address six common misconceptions about vaccination that are often cited by concerned parents as reasons to question the wisdom of having their children vaccinated. If staff can respond with accurate rebuttals perhaps we can not only ease parents' minds on these specific issues but discourage them from accepting other anti-vaccine "facts" at face value. The goal of health care providers is not to browbeat parents into vaccinating, but to make sure they have accurate information with which to make an informed decision." 21

These "six common misconceptions about vaccines" cited by concerned parents include the following (click on the links to see the responses):

1. "Diseases had already begun to disappear before vaccines were introduced, because of better hygiene and sanitation".
2. "The majority of people who get disease have been vaccinated."
3. "There are "hot lots" of vaccine that have been associated with more adverse events and deaths than others. Parents should find the numbers of these lots and not allow their children to receive vaccines from them."
4. "Vaccines cause many harmful side effects, illnesses, and even death - not to mention possible long-term effects we don't even know about."
5. "Vaccine-preventable diseases have been virtually eliminated from my country, so there is no need for my child to be vaccinated."
6. "Giving a child multiple vaccinations for different diseases at the same time increases the risk of harmful side effects and can overload the immune system".

Frequently Asked Questions

The CDC compiled a list of questions and answers to commonly asked questions by concerned parents which can be found here.

These questions include:

1. How do we know vaccines aren't causing long-term health problems?
2. Why do children need so many doses of certain vaccines?
3. Aren't some of the ingredients in vaccines toxic?
4. Can a child get a disease even after being vaccinated?
5. Can a child actually get a disease from a vaccine?
6. Considering the rates of vaccine-preventable diseases are very low, my child is very unlikely to get one of these diseases. Therefore, isn't the benefit of vaccination also very low?
7. Why does the government require children to be vaccinated to attend school?
8. Can children be exempted from school immunization laws?
9. Vaccines are expensive. Is there a way to reduce the cost?
10. Can't so many vaccines overwhelm a child's immune system?
11. Isn't vaccination "unnatural"? 22

Experiences Are Real

The topic of questionable vaccine safety seems to be rising. Many share experiences of their children, or someone they know who contracted a severe reaction, chronically affecting their lives after receiving a vaccine. Such experiences are real to the person and should not be for others to judge.

Like mentioned before, every person is different and may react differently to substances that enter the body.

Vaccines can cause rare severe reactions just like any other material which may enter our body.

This is why we must be well educated and ask ourselves if the benefits outweigh the risks. The answer to such a question is personal and different for everyone. Your healthcare provider can provide you with the information you need to help make a decision!

Anti- or Pro- Vaccines?

Many of the answers to life's most complicated questions and ethical debates involve a lot of grey area. For those anti-vaxers out there, what would life be like where vaccines didn't exist at all? Would disease turn into a deadly pandemic?

And for those in favor of vaccines, is it safe for every individual to be vaccinated? Should individuals with allergies or compromised immune systems be forced to be vaccinated?

As much as we would like there to be black and white answers, there simply is not, for it is neither fair nor realistic.

We must have an open mind.

Having an Open Mind

Having an open mind means allowing your views on vaccines to change even in the case that evidence were to support information opposing your current stand on the matter.

Whatever your current stand on vaccines, could you be accepting to evidence which didn't support your views and opinions? 

Research is always in the works. The common phrase "I don't know what I don't know" stands true in many ways. We may not foresee what science will have to show us in the future, but what we can do now is utilize the current evidence to our benefit at the best of our abilities. 

Rather than being either blatantly for or against vaccinations, why don't we instead freshen up on the facts that evidence continues to present, and do what we can for now to keep safe and free from disease. 

Let us do our part in being educated enough to appropriately make a decision regarding vaccines and our health. 

Sincerely,

Your Local Student Nurse

1. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/it-works-wonderfully?lang=eng2. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hbv/index.htm 3. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm4. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html5. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/teen/tdap.html6. https://www.cdc.gov/polio/about/index.htm 7. https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_lung9. Nursing: A concept-based approach to learning (2019). (3rd ed. Vol. 1). Boston, MA: Pearson.10. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm11. https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html12. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6747a6.htm?s_cid=mm6747a6_e13. Nursing: A concept-based approach to learning (2019). (3rd ed. Vol. 2). Boston, MA: Pearson.14. Adams, M. P., Urban C.Q., & Sutter, R.E. (2019). Pharmacology: Connection to Nursing Practice. (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.15. Nursing: A concept-based approach to learning (2019). (3rd ed. Vol. 1). Boston, MA: Pearson.16. https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/human-cell-strains-vaccine-development17. Genesis 2:21-2218. 1st Nephi 4:1319. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/1978/07/immunize-children-leaders-urge?lang=eng20. Nursing: A concept-based approach to learning (2019). (3rd ed. Vol. 2). Boston, MA: Pearson.21. https://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/initiative/detection/immunization_misconceptions/en/22. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/tools/parents-guide/parents-guide-part4.html