Essay
Bill HF3239
“Use of an exemption to immunization due to conscientiously held beliefs for immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella prohibited”.
Bill HF3239 aims to ban the option of letting parents opt out their children 15 months and older from the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR), solely due to personal beliefs. If Minnesota were to remain with the option of denying the MMR vaccine due to personal belief, individuals would continue to deem the vaccine as unnecessary and not understand the importance of global health. Passing this bill is an important step in protecting young children and adults from the spread of harmful diseases.
As evidence shows, there is no outlying reason for your child to remain unvaccinated unless they have medical deniability. Reasons to medically withdraw your child from the MMR vaccine are as follows: your child has an allergy to components of the MMR vaccine, a weakened immune system, has tuberculosis, has recently been vaccinated, has recently had a blood transfusion or has long lasting issues with their blood flow. Otherwise, the MMR vaccine poses no threat to those that receive it.
Although there are very few legitimate reasons for vaccination deniability, many individuals have continued to create speculations regarding vaccines, in hopes of decreasing societal expectations of receiving dosages.
In 1998 Andrew Wakefield and a group of his colleagues were the ones to link the MMR vaccine to autism, creating a popular conspiracy theory. Wakefield decided to release a television series promoting this idea. In the series, he theorized that the MMR vaccine causes behavioral regression in young children. Although he used falsified statistics and evidence, the public took strongly to his theory and parents began to opt out of vaccinating their children, not only from MMR, but from all vaccines. With the fear that their children's brain development would regress. Wakefield’s theory was debunked almost instantly, the conspiracy theory being far from true. Vaccines are in no way linked to autism.
The recent measles outbreak across the United States earlier this year is proof of how no theories should prevent someone from accepting science. 92% of those affected by measles during the outbreak were unvaccinated - and most individuals that contracted the disease were from 15-19 years of age, the same age range as us. So far 1,723 cases have been reported. There have been 3 deaths and 12% of carriers were hospitalized.
Measles symptoms include a rash, runny nose, fever, cough, and conjunctivitis (commonly known as pink eye). In addition to the general symptoms, pneumonia, ear infections, and diarrhea can occur. Brain inflammation is the leading symptom in measles related deaths, which 3 out of 1,000 carriers experience. Additionally, regardless of whatever symptoms you experienced whilst having measles - individuals that have at some point contracted the virus are at risk of experiencing a late onset complication called Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSP), which occurs 7-11 years after having had measles. SSP targets your nervous system and is fatal for those who develop it.
By passing bill HF3239, Minnesota would gravely decrease its chances of spreading measles, mumps, and rubella. Diseases that cause the horrific symptoms I have listed above, and on occasion, death. The MMR vaccine is completely safe, effective, and backed up by research. Personal beliefs should not get in the way of promoting global health.