What to Know About the Vaccine Debate

Since January 2015, the United States has seen an outbreak total of 121 cases of the measles across 14 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked the start of the outbreak to Disneyland in California. This disease has an effective vaccine that parents across the country are opting out of for religious, personal, and health reasons. The outbreak has rekindled the debate about the enforcement of vaccinations, parents’ rights to choose health options for their children, and the link between vaccinations and development disorders. Here we provide an overview of previous Chicago Policy Review articles that highlight various angles of the vaccine debate.

1. The Deadly Vaccine Loophole: Religious Exemptions and the Rise of Pertussis in New York

This article highlights loopholes that result from exemptions to vaccines. Researchers detail the rise of Pertussis in New York where voluntary religious exemptions have increased from 0.23 percent to 0.45 percent over the past decade. Though it is unclear which religious groups are utilizing the distinction, exemptions are most common in households with over $75,000 in yearly income. For more information about vaccination exemptions read the original article here.

2. A Deep Dive into Immigrant Children’s Health

Our second article highlights the health care dynamics for immigrant children and how they are being affected by the outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases. How often are first-generation immigrant children using the American health care system compared to their second-generation counterparts? Could appropriate healthcare for these children of recent immigrants be one piece of the puzzle to stopping outbreaks of preventable diseases? Check out the article here.

3. American Skeptics: How Special Interest Groups Create Ambiguity on Climate Change

The last article highlights how special interest groups steer the conversation on various issues through the media. In this article we consider how the debate on greenhouse gases both informs and misinforms the public. Research from this study finds that a balanced discussion between experts arguing for and against a policy can actually reduce the scope of information communicated to voters. Has a balanced discussion on vaccines and vaccinations occurred in America? What interest groups are driving the conversation? Check out the article for more.

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