Alvin Banaag

Section 5

Nursing Dilemma: Vaccine-Wary Parents

By Steve Goodman

The vaccine debate first arose from a study by British researcher Andrew Wakefield. Published in 1998 in The Lancet, the study suggested there was a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. It claimed that mercury in the vaccine caused the developmental disorder in 12 youngsters. The findings were never confirmed. And, several studies done since have found no link between vaccines and autism. But, that hasn't stopped the continued concern among parents. Listen and Be Sympathetic The current climate surrounding vaccines is confusing at best. Make it a point to be cognizant and sympathetic to any concerns your patients' parents may have about vaccines. Parents refusing a vaccine or questioning the need for one are not doing so to be difficult. These parents honestly feel they have their child's best interest at heart. "Healthcare professionals can best respond to the concerns of 'vaccine hesitant' parents by trying to understand, respect and address their 'health belief systems,'" says Edgar K. Marcuse, MD, a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle. Always keep in mind that parents' questions about vaccine safety are not entirely unfounded, nor are they necessarily a bad thing. It was parents' concern that helped create many positive changes in immunizations, such as the phasing out of the oral polio vaccine and the removal of mercury from vaccines. Without the activism of parents, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP)-a federal Omnibus program that allows those who have been injured as a result of vaccines to get fair compensation without the need to sue a vaccine's manufacturerwould never have been created.