Why Some Parents Aren't Vaccinating Their Kids & The Importance of Health Education
As I stated in a previous post, vaccines can have side effects. Some are minimal and/or mild and others are more severe, although those severe side effects are more rare. Other than the potential side effects of vaccines, there are more reasons that parents refuse to vaccinate their children.
"Parental refusal of vaccines is a growing a concern for the increased occurrence of vaccine preventable diseases in children. A number of studies have looked into the reasons that parents refuse, delay, or are hesitant to vaccinate their child(ren). These reasons vary widely between parents, but they can be encompassed in 4 overarching categories." (Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines). Those 4 categories include, religious reasons, personal beliefs or philosophical reasons, a desire for more information from healthcare providers, and, of course, safety concerns. These parental concerns about vaccines in each category can lead to a wide spectrum of decisions. The decision may vary from parents completely refusing all vaccinations to only delaying vaccinations so that they are more spread out. Many parents admit to having concerns and questions about childhood vaccinations and because of this, it can be helpful for pharmacists and other healthcare providers to understand the cited reasons for hesitancy so they are better prepared to educate their patients' families. Education is a key player in equipping parents with the necessary information so that they can make responsible immunization decisions for their children.
I find personal & philosophical reasons for vaccine refusal to be a little selfish. I do understand the hesitancy behind vaccinating and believe that it's completely the parent's choice. However, I think that one's personal or philosophical beliefs should not get in the way of their child's health. It just doesn't seem like a legitimate enough reason to not let your child get a vaccine.
I do agree that health education is important for everyone in any health related situation, not just with vaccines. Knowledge of things like this can help determine what you want to do in terms of your health and just gives you a better understanding of health related things. And it's not only important for parents, but for kids as well. Health education teaches about physical, mental, emotional and social health. It motivates students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. Furthermore, health education curricula and instruction help students learn skills they will use to make healthy choices throughout their lifetime. Effective curricula result in positive changes in behavior that lower student risks around things such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, injury prevention, mental and emotional health, nutrition, physical activity, prevention of diseases and sexuality and family life. In general, healthy students learn better. Numerous studies have shown that healthier students tend to do better in school.
(Information from Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines & Why Health Education Is Important)
"Parental refusal of vaccines is a growing a concern for the increased occurrence of vaccine preventable diseases in children. A number of studies have looked into the reasons that parents refuse, delay, or are hesitant to vaccinate their child(ren). These reasons vary widely between parents, but they can be encompassed in 4 overarching categories." (Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines). Those 4 categories include, religious reasons, personal beliefs or philosophical reasons, a desire for more information from healthcare providers, and, of course, safety concerns. These parental concerns about vaccines in each category can lead to a wide spectrum of decisions. The decision may vary from parents completely refusing all vaccinations to only delaying vaccinations so that they are more spread out. Many parents admit to having concerns and questions about childhood vaccinations and because of this, it can be helpful for pharmacists and other healthcare providers to understand the cited reasons for hesitancy so they are better prepared to educate their patients' families. Education is a key player in equipping parents with the necessary information so that they can make responsible immunization decisions for their children.
I find personal & philosophical reasons for vaccine refusal to be a little selfish. I do understand the hesitancy behind vaccinating and believe that it's completely the parent's choice. However, I think that one's personal or philosophical beliefs should not get in the way of their child's health. It just doesn't seem like a legitimate enough reason to not let your child get a vaccine.
I do agree that health education is important for everyone in any health related situation, not just with vaccines. Knowledge of things like this can help determine what you want to do in terms of your health and just gives you a better understanding of health related things. And it's not only important for parents, but for kids as well. Health education teaches about physical, mental, emotional and social health. It motivates students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. Furthermore, health education curricula and instruction help students learn skills they will use to make healthy choices throughout their lifetime. Effective curricula result in positive changes in behavior that lower student risks around things such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, injury prevention, mental and emotional health, nutrition, physical activity, prevention of diseases and sexuality and family life. In general, healthy students learn better. Numerous studies have shown that healthier students tend to do better in school.
(Information from Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines & Why Health Education Is Important)
Comments
Post a Comment