The Making Of

• What are your personal views on vaccinations?

Vaccinations are one of medicine's greatest achievements and should absolutely be mandatory. I have two young daughters and have fully immunized both according to the recommended schedule provided by my children's pediatrician.

• What are your thoughts and opinions on media's involvement with vaccinations?

The media has, unfortunately, swayed the public to view vaccines in a negative light. Both important figure heads (such as President Trump) and famous individuals (like Jenny McCarthy) have been very vocal in their beliefs that vaccines cause autism and other negative side effects. They are out there posting on Twitter and Facebook about how bad vaccines are and many people are going to believe what they say. The doctors and scientists have not been able to reach the general public in a similar fashion.

• How often do you see children that are not fully immunized?

Approximately 20% of the patients that come in are not up-to-date on shots.

• What tests can you order from the ER for diseases that are typically vaccinated against?

A nasal swab can test for flu and pertussis, but only the flu test will result while the patient is in the ER. Blood samples can also be sent to test for hepatitis, but it takes a few days for those results to come back.

• How are mandatory vaccinations tracked in Michigan?

Vaccine status of all children in day care, kindergarten, and 7th grade must be reported to the local health department, which then reports to the state government. 90% of all children must be either up-to-date on immunizations or have the proper waiver by November. The facilities then have until the following February to increase this proportion to 95%, or risk losing state funding.

• What are waivers and how does someone obtain one?

A waiver is a legal document that must be obtained for any child not following the recommended vaccination schedule set forth by the state government. Waivers can be medical, philosophical, or religious in nature.

Medical waivers are obtained at a physician's office if a true contraindication exists, in that the child should not receive some or all vaccinations due to a health issue.

Philosophical waivers used to be handed out by school secretaries, but are now obtained at a local health department. The state of Michigan passed a law in 2015 that requires parents to attend an educational session with a public health nurse or public health department representative in order to receive a philosophical or religious waiver. These educational sessions cover: risk of disease versus risk of vaccine, additional sources for more reliable information, and vaccine information statements for any vaccine parents want waived.

Traverse City was ranked #81 out of 84 counties in the state of Michigan for most waivers given out in 2016. The average Michigan county has 3.2% of its population with waivers; Traverse City is more than doubled with 7.5% of its population having waived some or all vaccinations.

• What are common concerns parents have regarding vaccinations?

Traverse City parents cite many of the same concerns you hear everywhere else: vaccines cause autism, ingredients are dangerous, too many are given at once, etc. However, the arguments against vaccines tend to go in trends. This month the main concern reported will be thimerosal, but next month it will be back to autism. It is kind of like the parents talk among themselves in some sort of a network. Unfortunately, vaccines have done such a good job at eradicating these diseases that you no longer see the kids that have died from chicken pox; you don't see the severe complications (such as losing limbs, going deaf, suffering brain damage) that can result from the vaccine-preventable diseases. Polio is only a plane ride away.

• What happens during an outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases?

If there is an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease in the community, a child that is not fully immunized may be excluded from school for up to 3 weeks for an incubation period. They must remain home until either the disease comes and goes, or it doesn't come at all. Many parents don't really consider the consequences that come as a result of this exclusion when signing waivers; they would likely have to take time off work, find childcare, or even risk planned vacations.

Take measles for example. The virus can continue to live and actively infect other individuals up to 2 hours after the originally infected person leaves. People that are not vaccinated against measles have a 90% chance of contracting the disease.

On the other hand, children that have been vaccinated will not catch the disease approximately 85% of the time (no vaccine is perfect).If they do happen to contract the disease, it is typically a much milder form with fewer complications.

• How does one obtain vaccines if they are unable to afford a doctor's visit?

There are multiple programs available to help people afford vaccines. Even if an individual does not have insurance, their local health department will do everything in their power to ensure that individual gets the vaccines they want.

American Parents

• Pro-vaccination comments:

"I think vaccines are much safer than the diseases they prevent."

"I wouldn't not vaccinate my child."

• Anti-vaccination comments:

"I think that vaccines should be a parent's choice. I don't think that a lawmaker should make that decision."

"We use organic and natural products and make sure that everything is very clean so that the kids stay healthy."

"They have unnatural ingredients and there's that link to autisms and other side effects."

"There's stuff all over online about vaccine-choice."