An interesting thing is happening with teens who were raised by anti-vax parents. The teens are actively seeking out credible information about vaccines and then going to doctors to get themselves vaccinated.
NBC reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 101 cases of measles as of February 8, 2019. Fifty-five of those cases were in Washington state, the epicenter of the outbreak. Almost all of the cases occurred in children younger than 10 whose parents had chosen not to vaccinate them.
The World Health Organization lists vaccine hesitancy among the ten top threats to global health in 2019. Vaccine hesitancy is described as “the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines.”
Quartz reported the story of an 18-year-old named Ethan who who was raised by an anti-vax mother. He wondered if he would need vaccinations in order to attend college, and began researching vaccines online. Ethan made an appointment to catch up on his vaccines.
Salon reported that other teens are going to Reddit to learn about how they can get vaccinated. Reddit is a website where people can anonymously ask questions about anything at all. Teens raised by anti-vax parents may feel secure in using Reddit to learn about vaccines and how to access them.
NBC points out that getting vaccinated is a medical procedure. People under the age of 18 need the consent of a parent, guardian, or other adult family member. Those over age 18 can get themselves vaccinated.
A report by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) reported that more than one in four parents believe incorrectly that “you can have too many vaccinations”. 2 in 5 parents are exposed to negative messages about vaccines on social media.
RSPH is calling for efforts to limit health misinformation online and via social media to be increased, especially by social media platforms themselves. They also want education on vaccines in schools to be increased and improved.
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