Terry M. Bella
The science classroom should not ignore the barriers to vaccine success that have nothing to do with the science. Recall that vaccine success is most accurately measured at the population level, the determination being whether the vaccine is effective at eliminating disease outbreak. A vaccine that creates life-long immunity, protecting people from a debilitating or deadly disease, can be for naught if the community does not adopt the practice. Herd immunity is needed for a vaccine to be effective, herd immunity relies on widespread adoption of the vaccine protocol by the community. Some barriers that have presented themselves are the public concern with vaccine safety, whether based on false information or hearsay, people have been known to choose not to vaccinate themselves or their children based on a perceived level of safety risk. There are also populations of people that refuse vaccinations based on religious beliefs, the premise being that we are born with all we need within our bodies already. Factions of populations refuse vaccination simply because they are perceived as government mandates and they believe strongly in their autonomy. Lastly, vaccines may be turned down because there is no perceived risk of the disease that the vaccine prevents. The fact that someone had never encountered a person with polio or measles gives the false sense that the diseases are not a threat.