Alaska needs to improve vaccination rate

This editorial originally appeared in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

National Infant Immunization Week began Saturday. Don’t believe the claims being put out the anti-vaccination crowd.

Having your child immunized not only protects against illnesses such as measles, chickenpox, whooping cough, rubella, hepatitis and mumps, but also protects the wider population by keeping those diseases and others from spreading.

Anti-vaccination believers want you to think that vaccinating your child could cause autism, seizures, fainting, multiple sclerosis, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other problems. Research doesn’t support those claims, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Adhering to those misplaced beliefs potentially harms children and puts us all at risk. Alaska already has one of the lowest rates of vaccination among its children. Unfounded fears will prevent us from having a greater number of healthier kids.

Alaska ranked 39th in the 2011 National Immunization Survey for children ages 19 to 35 months. State officials say a key factor in the low ranking is vaccine hesitancy, which is described as a parent or guardian having concerns about the need for and safety of vaccines.

Alaska officials researching vaccine hesitancy in the state asked mothers of 3-year-old children “Have you ever delayed or decided not to get vaccine shots or immunizations for your child?” The study period ran from 2009 to 2011 and obtained responses from 1,727 mothers.

They found that the percentage of vaccine hesitancy increased each year in the study, from 23.8 percent in 2009 to 33.2 percent in 2011. The prevalence of the hesitancy was highest among women who were white, older, more educated, and living in the Gulf Coast and Interior regions, according to the study.

The most common reasons given for delaying or not getting immunizations were as follows, with some mothers giving more than one reason:

• 54.6 percent believed that too many vaccines are given at once.

• 42.1 percent believed some vaccines are given too early.

• 29 percent believed some vaccines do more harm than good.

Where did the mothers get the information on which to base their decision? The study found that the popular media, including the Internet, and friends or family were the leading sources.

Alaska clearly needs to do a better job at spreading the importance of childhood immunization.

What can happen if you don’t get your child vaccinated?

A great example of the harm — to child and community — occurred earlier this year in the area of Kenai and Soldotna. Three unvaccinated young adults acquired chickenpox. The three cases were related, and state officials expressed concern about exposure to the wider community.

Get your child vaccinated. It’s the smart thing to do.

-newsminer.com