Studies have shown that the reasons for anti-vaccine sentiment run deep, and scientific facts don’t often matter. A new study drills deeper into reasons for resistance and possible ways to counteract them.
Measles is contagious three or four days before a rash appears on the skin, making it highly communicable.
(Shutterstock)
Seven to 10 days in bed with a high fever and rash is the best outcome you can expect if your child catches measles. Brain damage or death is the worst.
Two women sell roadside refreshments in rural Kano in 2011.
Shobana Shankar
Shobana Shankar, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)
Nigeria’s highly mobilized efforts to eliminate polio, and even tackle measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases along the way, may have lessons for the US.
If a Canadian health-care professional believes that an adolescent is a mature minor and has not been vaccinated, they are legally and ethically obliged to provide them with information about vaccination.
(Shutterstock)
In Canada, the age of consent for health-care decisions is assessed on a case-by-case basis. It can be age 14, or sometimes even younger.
Terry Roark holds a photo of her son, Thomas, at the state Capitol in Sacramento, California, April 24, 2019, to voice opposition to a bill that would allow state health officials more say in vaccine exemptions.
Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo
As measles cases surge, people blame parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. A sociologist who has studied public health says anti-vaxxers may not be so different from the rest of us.
A risk analysis could offer insight into the anti-vaccination decision of some parents.
Shutterstock
Measles cases in the US have reached their highest in 25 years. A bioethicist argues why parents opposed to vaccination are not just wrong about the science, but about the morals.
Most Canadians support the idea of mandatory vaccination. But unintended consequences could worsen the under-vaccination problem.
(Shutterstock)
Because of the potential drawbacks of forcing people to vaccinate their children, we should take other measures to increase vaccination rates.
Scientific evidence is clear: Vaccination is good for people and society. Online discussions are increasingly reflecting that reality.
gorillaimages/Shutterstock.com
Anti-vaccination sentiment is leading to disastrous consequences, not only in the U.S. but European countries, particularly Italy. A philosopher of science suggests how best to use facts to fight it.
Young boy receiving polio vaccine.
Asianet-Pakistan/Shutterstock
Effective communication strategies will be crucial if scientists want to counter the worrying anti-vaccination trend.
A sign at a clinic in Vancouver, Washington on Jan. 25, 2019 asks unvaccinated children 12 and younger to leave the facility.
Gillian Flaccus/AP Photos
A measles outbreak is causing major concern in a Washington county where only 22 percent of children are vaccinated against the disease. A vaccine expert explains the risks.
Many parents object to vaccination for religious reasons, while others may file for exemptions for convenience.
Africa Studios/Shutterstock.com
Recent measles outbreaks show the dangers of not vaccinating – and the importance of vaccination. Is there a way to accommodate those religiously opposed to vaccination and minimize other exemptions?
Californians in June 2015 protest a bill that did away with personal belief exemptions for vaccinating children before they enter school.
Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo
Vaccination rates for children in some parts of California are down, despite a law that narrowed exemptions. Here’s a look at why people refuse to listen to evidence when it comes to the flu vaccine.
Vaccine work because they help create herd immunity.
JPC-PROD/Shutterstock.com
Billboards spreading misinformation on the risks of vaccination have popped up around American cities. A bioethicist explains why decisions not to vaccinate children are indefensible.
Thanks to nonmedical exemptions, vaccination rates are falling in some states.
Zodiacphoto/shutterstock.com