Term Paper on "Vaccines and Autism"

Term Paper 7 pages (2097 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Vaccines and Autism

The work of Bob McChesney (2001) entitled: "Policing the Unthinkable" states that over the past twenty years due to "...neoliberal deregulation and new communication technologies, the media systems across the world have undergone a startling transformation." (McChesney, 2001) This is due to fewer companies that are larger in size and exert more control from a "vast empires that cover numerous media industries." (McChesney, 2001) There is little and possibly no competition in today's media industries and McChesney states that economic competitiveness is barely in existence as well. Entry into these industries for new players is practically impossible. McChesney states that in the majority of liberal democracy theory "such a concentration of media power into so few hands is disastrous for the free marketplace of ideas," (McChesney, 2001) This work has undertaken review, over a period of three-weeks time, four articles published in the 'news' media in order to analyze the news media and how information concerning vaccines and autism has been presented in the news media and how this subject has been portrayed.

STATEMENT of THESIS

The news that is provided by today's news industry is a plethora of skewed facts, filtered reporting, and agenda-setting by a few controlling media empires leaving U.S. citizens grasping for the real story which is rarely the one related in today's news reporting.

I. PAUL OFFIT on AUTISM and VACCINES

The first new report reviewed was a report published in the Dallas News on Monday, April 7, 2008, entitled: "Paul Offit: Autism and Vaccines - a Careless Ruling" which s

Continue scrolling to

download full paper ⤓

tates that the Poling's and their daughter, nine years of age "stood outside a federal courthouse in Atlanta...and announced that the federal government had admitted that vaccines had contributed to her autism." (Offit, 2008) While this report states that the news is "shocking" the fact is that across the country, teachers and parents are well aware of the results of vaccinations for all too many children and the impacts upon their lives and the lives of their family. The Dallas News report states that the federal government, while Health Officials at both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics "have steadfastly assured the public that vaccines do not cause autism..." appears to "have said exactly the opposite." (Offit, 2008) This report relates that fact that due to heavy filing of lawsuits in 1985 against the makers of vaccine "Congress created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, financed by a tax on every dose of vaccine." (Offit, 2008)

Included in this program was a list compiled by doctors, lawyers and scientists of the various health complications linked to vaccinations. Offit states in this opinion editorial news report that he is both: "coinventor and co-patent holder of a newer rotavirus vaccine" which makes it understandable why this particular opinion editorial report takes the freedom to be quite truthful about the state of affairs surrounding complications due to vaccines. This individual does not blame the scientists, doctors or lawyers, but instead places the blame on the judicial system itself stating: "The system worked fine until a few years ago, when vaccine court judges turned their backs on science by dropping preponderance of evidence as a standard. Now, petitioners need merely propose a biologically plausible mechanism by which a vaccine might cause harm - even if their explanation contradicts published studies." (Offit, 2008)

II. BERNADINE HEALY M.D. SPEAKS on AUTISM and VACCINES

The second news report analyzed in this study is one written by Bernadine Healy M.D. And published in the Brain & Behavior section of the U.S. News & World Report on April 10, 2008 entitled: "Fighting the Autism-Vaccine War" which relates that one of the most "vitriolic debates in medical history is just beginning to have its day in court- vaccine court, that is." (Healy, 2008) Healy states that while no blame was laid the independent Office of Special Masters of the Court of Federal Claims - with a 20-year record of handling vaccine matters - recently conceded that the brain damage and autistic behavior of Hannah Poling stemmed from her exposure as a toddler to five vaccinations in one day in July, 2000." (Healy, 2008)

Healy relates the concern held by physicians due to mercury in vaccines and states that the real concern of physicians was not "autism but the lunacy of injecting mercury into little kids through mandated vaccines that together exceeded mercury safety guidelines designed for adults." (2008) This report is candid however, falls short of placing responsibility squarely upon the shoulders that it should fall upon - and that being the shoulders of the physicians who have thus far failed to ask the right questions and tragically for many children failed many times to ask any questions whatsoever concerning the safety of vaccinations for small children.

III. NEW YORK TIMES REPORT

The third report analyzed in this study is one entitled: "Public Forum to Address Safety Issues on Vaccines" published in the April 11, 2008, edition of the New York Times. This work states that the first public meeting of the federal government on establishment of research agendas for exploration of vaccine safety will be held with the intention of defusing "years of criticism from vaccine skeptics that the government is hiding what it knows about vaccine safety or failing to investigate the issue diligently." (Harris, 2008)

IV. HEALTH OFFICIALS OFFER ENCOURAGEMENT for VACCINES

The fourth news report reviewed in this work is one published online at www.chron.comentitled:"Health Officials Encourage Immunizations" published on April 14, 2008, and states that "National Infant Immunization Week is April 19-26" and is supportive of vaccinations for children. Nancy Drake, R.N. states: "We want to keep people healthy and prevent the spread of diseases. We have a transient population here than can come in contact with several diseases." (Morgan, 2008) Dr. Alexander Gonzalez, Chief of pediatrics at Memorial Hermann-Katy states: "...simply because these are childhood illnesses that we are trying to prevent. This is the population that is most at risk for these diseases and they are the ones who would likely to have the worst outcomes." (Morgan, 2008)

It is related in this report that in Texas "the schedule of required vaccinations...can be a little complicated and overwhelming for parents with different shots needed for different diseases at different ages and different intervals." (Morgan, 2008) Gonzalez goes on to relate in this report that because the body many times "requires repeated exposure to that disease...in most cases, one vaccine or exposure is not enough to ensure a high percentage of immunity." (Morgan, 2008) This report is highly supportive of and positive when speaking of vaccinations and states that the Centers for Disease Control Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimates that the average "vaccination coverage across the United States for children enrolled in kindergarten for the 2006-07 school year was 96.3% for polio; 96% for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP); 95.6% for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR); 96.8% for hepatitis B; and 96.5% for varicella (chicken pox). In Texas, those numbers are 98.2% for polio; 97.7% for DTaP; 97.9% for MMR; 98.2% for hepatitis B, and 98.6% for varicella." (Morgan, 2008)

This report asks the question of: "Why are some children not being vaccinated?" (Morgan, 2008) One reason stated is medical exemptions of youth due to having had an allergic reaction previously to the vaccination or a component of the vaccine. A second stated reason is youth with a "severe immunodeficiency that prevents them being able to receive a live virus vaccine such as MMR or varicella..." (Morgan, 2008) Stated as a third reason is an exemption titled "Reasons of Conscience" stated to be the reason "under which religious beliefs would fall." (Morgan, 2008) in the case of the "Reasons of Conscience" the requirement is for the parent to gain approval and complete an affidavit from the Texas Department of State Health Services." (Morgan, 2008)

This report, despite reports within the same month stating federal government findings that vaccines are linked to autism states that "One thing that does not warrant exemption, though, is the fear of the unfounded link between vaccinations and autism." (Morgan, 2008) This report goes as far as to state that 23 studies published actually "debunk such an association" and cites the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Immunization Action Coalition having all "issued statements testifying to the lack of any proven relationships between autism and MMR vaccination." (Morgan, 2008)

Finally, this work urges parents to continue the schedule of immunization for their child. This report has chosen to completely and totally ignore the erroneous findings of earlier research prior to the federal government's findings on the Poling child who is stated to have autism due to having received vaccinations and specifically a combination of five vaccinations in one vaccine. This report states that "many parents have to hold their screaming, kicking and crying children down while the nurse administers one, two, three, sometimes four shots..." And strongly recommends… READ MORE

Download Full Paper

Write a New Paper for Me

Quoted Instructions for "Vaccines and Autism" Assignment:

“

Mass Communication Written Assignment Instructions

Extended Comparative Agenda Setting Media Analysis

This assignment extends that initial exercise by asking you to perform a comparative analysis of media agendas by looking at agenda setting across different media sources. This assignment asks you to track these attributes across a variety of sources to gain a fuller sense of agenda setting effects for public opinion. This assignment also asks you to consider the broader contexts in which these attributes appear.

Your task involves examining three to five different news sources over a three week period. Choose to study sources that can be fairly compared in terms of the size and character of the audience, time and the medium. This would mean choosing three newspapers, or three websites. Choose sources in one medium. Find as many stories in your chosen sources that address your public figure, issue or institution. Trace the same story across these different sources and note the attributes being used to talk about your selected subject.

Use these sources *****“ Newspaper (online):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/health/policy/11vaccine.html

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/brain-and-behavior/2008/04/10/fighting-the-autism-vaccine-war.html

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/katy/news/5698780.html

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-offit_07edi.ART.State.Edition1.4664920.html

After engaging these different versions of *****the news*****, construct an essay reporting your observations and comments about what you have seen. The purpose of this activity is to have you compare the ways in which *****the news***** sets an agenda and then to link this engagement to broader concerns about what it means to be an informed citizen.

Here are some questions to consider:

a) Attribute prominence: When/where are these attributes presented? (top story, back page, home page, buried link?) How much space or time might be devoted to your chosen focus?

b) Source of attributes: Who provides these attributes? Who does not get to provide attributes? Why might this be?

c) What is important about the context in which the stories appear (music, color scheme, editing, set design, layout, etc.)? Why are these things significant and how do they function to communicate these attributes?

d) How are the attributes in the chosen sources different? How are they similar? In what ways do they make similar assumptions about your chosen focus?

Significance/Importance questions:

f) What is important about your findings? How might the results of your study be significant for public opinion? What potentially follows from the attributes ascribed to your chosen focus?

g) How does this experience alter your assumptions about what *****the news***** is or should be? If *****the news***** is created and communicated, NOT handed down from on high, is this a good or bad thing? Why? How might some of our readings (like Lippmann, McCombs or McChesney) assist you in your observations? These 3 sources will be emailed to you.

h) How do your observations inform your perspective on the informed citizen? How did the information viewers would have received over these three days further/hinder their participation in democracy as a citizen? It will be wise to consider how you define citizen.

The essay will be evaluated based on the degree of depth you perform with your analysis and how closely the project links your commentary to your observations garnered from your viewing experiences. Remember that you are not merely addressing the *****˜what***** and the *****˜how***** in talking about what kinds of attributes are used and how they are being used, but also the *****˜so what***** in addressing the significance of these attributes for public opinion.

Some Final Considerations

Your essays should:

-- have a thesis (remember that you*****re making an argument).

-- be proofread. If you don*****t, I will.

-- have evidence to substantiate your points, whether quoted, paraphrased, or simply mentioned.

-- argue rather than simply assert. An argument gives reasons and evidence; an assertion just states something without any backing.

You*****ll be graded holistically (not by a point system for various aspects) on such dimensions as the clarity of the writing, the coherence of the argument, the organization of the essay, excellence in style, and creativity and originality.

Value: 200 points

Length and Format: 7-9 pages (I won*****t read beyond page 10) plus Works Cited page. All papers should be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font (no smaller!), with page numbers. Failing to meet these criteria will mean a 10 point deduction for each criterion that has been missed.

Citations: Please follow MLA or APA style guidelines.

Additional Guidelines: Indicate your name at the top of page 1. No title page is necessary. A title *****Vaccines and Autism*****.

*****

How to Reference "Vaccines and Autism" Term Paper in a Bibliography

“Vaccines and Autism.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2008, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/vaccines-autism-work/2480. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.

Vaccines and Autism (2008). Retrieved from https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/vaccines-autism-work/2480

A1-TermPaper.com. (2008). Vaccines and Autism. [online] Available at: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/vaccines-autism-work/2480 [Accessed 5 Oct, 2024].

”Vaccines and Autism” 2008. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/vaccines-autism-work/2480.

”Vaccines and Autism” A1-TermPaper.com, Last modified 2024. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/vaccines-autism-work/2480.

[1] ”Vaccines and Autism”, A1-TermPaper.com, 2008. [Online]. Available: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/vaccines-autism-work/2480. [Accessed: 5-Oct-2024].

1. Vaccines and Autism [Internet]. A1-TermPaper.com. 2008 [cited 5 October 2024]. Available from: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/vaccines-autism-work/2480

1. Vaccines and Autism. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/vaccines-autism-work/2480. Published 2008. Accessed October 5, 2024.

Related Term Papers: