The Vaccine War

Today in class students watched Frontline's The Vaccine War which aired on April 27, 2010.  Since this show aired, it has come to light that Dr. Andrew Wakefield, misrepresented his findings to show a link between vaccines and autism.  Read more about the news here


For homework, answer the questions below.  Be sure to reference what you saw in the video as well as the activity we did in class (Gathering the Facts - Vaccines). 

Click the links below to access the video.

Part 1 (minutes 0-14)
Part 2 (minutes 15-29)
Part 3 (minutes 30-44)
Part 4 (minutes 45-end)

• Through a published schedule and set of guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health officials recommend that every child receive certain vaccinations by age 6. What are the benefits of this recommendation to public health officials, to the community and to other children?
• Some parents and health care professionals question the CDC’s recommendations and decide not to vaccinate their children, while others, like Jennifer Margulis, choose to vaccinate their children along an alternative schedule. How might her decision affect both her own children and others?
• In what ways is vaccination different from other types of personal health decisions?
  Who should be involved in deciding whether children receive a specific vaccine?
• Should the government have the right to compel vaccination? Should parents have the right to refuse it?