Why I Choose immunization

The California Department of Public Health in partnership with the California Immunization Coalition, have recently unveiled a website campaign dedicated to being informed about immunization. Staying protected from diseases such as Hepatitis A/B, Chickenpox, and Tetanus is made possible through the use of vaccines – this is what the Why I Choose campaign hopes to make known to the general public.

There is a wealth of information on vaccine safety and more diseases that are preventable through immunization. The great part about the site is that it’s based on real stories and real people in the community – reflecting the need to address genuine concerns that everyday people may have.

Stories from real situations can be powerful tools in improving public health and I think the Why I Choose campaign is onto something.

They have also made it a point to integrate certain social aspects such as Twitter and a photo contest.

This is a guest post by the always enthusiastic Andre Blackman, founder of Pulse + Signal, the blog highlighting new ideas and innovation in Public Health.

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Comments

While this is fantastic information - from an Australian perspective it tells only half the story. While immunizations for Group C Meningococcal is available in this country, Group B the most common form here is not covered.  It is important for parents of immunized children to remain vigilant for the symptoms and not be lulled into a false sense of security. Group B meningoccal is a killer too.  More education and awareness is needed that immunized children are not protected from all strains of this deadly disease.

I don’t know the rules elsewhere, but where I live(Massachusetts, USA), all young people entering college or university that are going to live on campus are required to be immunized for meningitis, because it is so commonplace amongst live-in students due to the constant living in close quarters.

Something that I also try to fight against is the myth that vaccines cause autism. I’m autistic, and I think it is beyond foolish to not immunize your children. The 1998 study that made that conclusion was redacted by 10 of it’s authors in 2004, and was eventually dropped by the medical community. And there is plenty of research out there that debunks the myth, including the fact that the rates of autism amongst immunized children compared to unimmunized children are, in fact, exactly the same. It’s all a matter of coincidence - autism’s symptoms manifest around the age of 2, which is also the same age when most vaccinations have been done.

thiere more sides of vaccination
parents should be informed
i choose not to vaccinate
immunization and vaccination r different things
dont get confused
Big Pharma is usually more interested in u vaccinated than healthy
think - they want mercury out of ipods but they dont mind it injected in newborns bloodstreem

The Whyichoose project seems to take a different approach from typically public health advertising, where it doesn’t necessarily tell you what do do, but rather gives you stories and reasons why most people actually believe in the effectivness and need for immunizations.  is this only a viral campaign or do they do other means of education?