Perspectives: Sam’s Perspective – Vaccinations

I need your help. First, let me say I am a believer in science, that with knowledge comes power to live better lives. So let me set the stage for my dilemma. Remember when you were very young and before school started in the fall, you had to first be vaccinated against a number of diseases. We all went through it. But now there is a movement in Oklahoma to say no to those vaccinations that prevent such things as small pox and measles. The movement has gained such strength that now state health officials are proposing new vaccination rules. The Health Department wants to require parents interested in exempting their children from immunizations for religious or personal reasons, to attend a vaccine education briefing at a local health department before receiving an exemption form.
The proposed rule change has apparently angered advocates for parental rights and those choosing not to vaccinate one or more of their children. Right now we are all facing the possible threat of a new type of flu, one for which there is no known vaccination and officials say its at least a year and a half away. The threat is world wide. So what’s going on here? The number of religious and personal exemptions requested, in some cases, have more than doubled over the past six years. Why? This is why I need your help. What’s behind the push to avoid immunization against a number of childhood diseases? We know they work so what’s at issue here? What’s it based on? What is the science behind it?
I’m not being critical when I say I just don’t understand. I truly don’t. So I’m asking for you to help me with this. A letter or an Email will do just fine. The question being, what’s behind the growing number of requested exemptions?
Please take a moment and send me some information on this. Help me understand why some parents are taking the stand against vaccinations. What are the arguments against them? Perhaps it would help if we could have representatives from both side on this show to explore the issues. If that’s the case, we can try to set that up. Again, drop me a note or an Email. I’ll take it from there.
I’m Sam Jones and that’s my perspective.