Research published today in BMC Public Health, which observed at vaccine-and immune response related behaviour’s in California over a 14 year period, finds that non-medical vaccine-immunities operate in a similar way to a contagious disease with cases proceeding from high exclusion areas. Here, the author for ‘the relation to vaccination research’, Paul L Delamater, tells us about the conclusions and what they mean in policies.
Most of the current debate surrounding US centres about vaccination and on parental rights and whether parents are bound to vaccinate their children. Hesitancy towards vaccination is not a new phenomenon in the US or anywhere around the globe. Since vaccines were introduced, there has been a subdivision of the population opposed to them (for multiple reasons). Modern vaccine hesitancy can likely to be sketched back, at-least partially, now exposed research linking the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine with autism.
Since there is no federal-level mechanism to induce immunization, states are responsible for passing and enforcing their own policies and regulations. Currently, all states except Mississippi, California and West Virginia provide vaccine hesitant parents with an option to exempt their children from school-entry vaccine requirements for non-medical reasons. Although the details and restrictiveness vary from state to state, non-medical exemptions can be obtained based on parents’ personal, religious or philosophical principles.
Using highly sensitive new technologies not used in vaccine manufacturing, Italian scientists reported they were “puzzled” by their discoveries which included single particles and aggregates of organic debris including red cells of human or possibly animal origin and metals including lead, tungsten, gold, and chromium, that have been linked to autoimmune disease and leukaemia
Given the focus of our research, we did not scrutinize the recent policy changes in California. The state implemented two new laws regarding non-medical immunities after our study period. AB2109 was implemented prior to the 2014-15 school year, requiring parents to receive counselling from a health care provider prior to obtaining a non-medical exemption. SB277 was implemented prior to the 2016-2017 school years and eliminated the non-medical immunity provision completely.