INTRODUCTION  

My name is Jenn Fries and I’m a senior in the Legal Studies Academy. I’m here to talk to you today about my 
senior project. I researched vaccination, and I specifically focused on why people choose not to vaccinate 
despite the extensive scientific research that has proved vaccines to be both safe and effective. I also researched 
the implications of vaccine refusal on public health, and what legal interventions can be done to mitigate those 
effects. First I have a survey for you to take, then I’m going to give a brief presentation on vaccination and 
discuss what vaccinations are required if you’re going to college next year or joining the military, and then I have 
a fun game for you to play afterwards. Regardless of whether you’re going to college, joining the military, or 
going straight into the workforce, it’s important that you are able to make informed decisions about your health.  
 

HOW VACCINES WORK 

Vaccines introduce a weakened or dead version of a pathogen into the body, prompts an immune response to 
develop antibodies to destroy it. After the imitation infection has been eliminated, the antibodies remain in the 
body so that if you become infected with the same pathogen again, antibodies already exists to fight off the 
infection. This allows you to develop immunity to a disease without ever actually having it, which is beneficial 
because the diseases vaccines prevent are very serious and can even be fatal.  
 

SIDE EFFECTS 
Minor side effects after a vaccine like swelling, redness, and soreness at the injection site are ​normal​ and usually 
only last a few days. This reaction does not mean the vaccine made you sick, it shows that your immune system 
is reacting well to the vaccine and building immunity.  
 

VACCINE SAFETY 
 

Before a vaccine can be given to the public, years of extensive lab research and testing must be performed. If lab 
tests suggest the vaccine is safe, the vaccine moves on to the clinical stage, where it is tested in people. Once 
testing in people begins, it can take several more years before clinical studies are complete and the vaccine is 
licensed. When the vaccine is ready for the approval process, scientists and medical professionals at the Food 
and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate all available information about the vaccine to determine its safety and 
effectiveness. If the benefits of the vaccine clearly outweigh the potential risks, the vaccine will receive a license 
that certifies it for public administration. As the vaccine is made available to the public, it is closely monitored 
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for any side effects that were not observed during 
clinical trials. Because the development and approval process for vaccines is so rigorous, the current vaccine 
supply in the United States is the safest and most effective it has ever been.  
 

HERD IMMUNITY/THREAT OF DISEASE 

When you get vaccinated, you protect both yourself and the people around you though herd immunity. Herd 
immunity occurs when a significant number of people have been vaccinated. These high vaccination rates 
prevent the spread of disease because few people are susceptible to contracting the disease. For herd immunity 
to remain effective, only a small portion of a community can be unvaccinated. This is reserved for those who are 
unable to safely receive vaccines, due to a medical condition that has compromised their immune system. 
Because these people are the most vulnerable to disease, they rely solely on the herd immunity that is provided 
by the high vaccination of their community. If a community’s vaccination rates decrease and they are 
introduced to disease, an outbreak will more than likely occur.  
 

Nearly twenty years ago, measles was declared to be eliminated from North America. However, low vaccination 
rates are bringing the measles back. Currently, fifteen different states are experiencing outbreaks of measles, 
which have been attributed to undervaccinated communities. Most outbreaks begin with unvaccinated travelers 
who became infected abroad and brought the disease back with them. This goes to show that until 
vaccine-preventable diseases are globally eradicated, everyone is at risk of infection and should be vaccinated.  
 

ANTI-VACCINE MOVEMENT  
The modern anti-vaccine movement began with the publication of a study by former Dr. Andrew Wakefield that 
supposedly linked the MMR (Mumps, Measles, Rubella) vaccine with autism. The study consisted of twelve 
children, who all were claimed to experience some developmental delay after receiving the MMR vaccine, 
including eight of which who allegedly developed autism. Wakefield concluded that giving young children a 
vaccine that contains three weakened viruses harmed their cognitive development, and recommended that the 
MMR vaccine be given in three separate doses instead. The publication of the study instantly sparked a mass 
panic that caused parents around the world to refuse the MMR vaccine for their children.  
 

Almost a decade after the study’s publication, it was revealed that Wakefield was hired by a group of lawyers to 
produce results that would support a class action lawsuit against a vaccine manufacturer for alleged injury 
caused by the MMR vaccine. Several of the parents filing the lawsuit had their children participate in the study, 
while the remainder of the children were selected through anti-vaccination groups. Wakefield failed to disclose 
that a few of the children in the study already had developmental delays noted in their medical records before 
receiving the MMR vaccine.  
 
At the time of the study, Wakefield was also in the process of patenting a single-shot vaccine for measles. The 
results of his study would theoretically support his reasoning that the three-in-one MMR vaccine is unsafe, and 
that his single shot for measles should be patented and used in its place. The study also had errors in scientific 
method; the small sample size of only twelve children was not representative of the millions of children who 
receive the MMR vaccine each year.  
 

The supposed link between the MMR vaccine and autism was studied intensively for twelve years following the 
initial publication of the study. No study could confirm Wakefield’s study, which was eventually retracted in 
2010. However, twelve years later, the damage has already been done. In spite of the dozens of scientific 
research disproving the link between the MMR vaccine and autism, many people continue to believe this 
misconception.  
 
Vaccine deniers argue that because autism diagnoses have increased over the past few decades, vaccinations 
are to blame. However, they fail to acknowledge the advancements that have been made in diagnosing autism; 
an explanation for the increase of autism is that doctors are better able to diagnose it at an earlier age. When a 
child is newly diagnosed with autism (or any other neurodevelopmental disorder), parents tend to look to the 
most recent major event in their child’s life as an explanation. Usually, this major recent event is vaccinations. 
Many of the vaccines young children recieve are given at the age at which autism becomes noticeable. However, 
correlation does not equal causation.  
 

The main reason people refuse vaccines is because they believe the additives in vaccines cause 
neurodevelopmental delays, which has been disproven by many scientific studies. Additives are put in vaccines 
to enhance the immune response, ensure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine over a long period of time, 
or to actually produce the vaccine. All additives currently in vaccines have been studied by the FDA to ensure 
they are safe for human consumption.  
 

When researching vaccines, it’s important to utilize reliable sources of information. Many people who are 
against vaccines receive their information from unreliable sources, like social media platforms and 
anti-vaccination propaganda websites. Reliable sources like the CDC, World Health Organization, and National 
Institute of Health provide scientific evidence and quantitative data to support their information.  
 

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS: COLLEGE 

 

Due to the communal living spaces on college campuses, college students are at a higher risk for certain 
infections. To help prevent the spread of infectious germs, many colleges require incoming students to be up to 
date on certain vaccinations. Vaccination requirements depend on the school and the state in which the school 
is located, so check your college’s vaccination requirements to make sure you’re fully covered.  

After you receive the required vaccines, you must provide proof of immunization to begin the school year. Most 
colleges have a pre-existing form online that you can submit electronically or through the mail. All immunization 
documentation must be certified by a healthcare provider or medical records official.  
 

For example, here is the immunization information for VCU. To access more information and the proof of 
immunization form, search for immunizations on your university’s website. This is an example of what the form 
may look like; as you can see, it gives the deadline of thirty days after the semester begins, but deadlines may 
vary by university so check with your school. When you go to get your vaccinations, you need to bring a paper 
version of this form the healthcare provider administering your vaccines can complete it.  
 

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS: MILITARY 

Vaccinations are required to serve in the military. When you enlist, you will receive a comprehensive physical 
exam that includes verifying your immunity status against certain vaccine-preventable diseases. Health 
personnel will confirm your immunity status to certain vaccine-preventable diseases via laboratory blood test. 
Blood testing allows health personnel to directly check your antibody levels, which can determine if you are 
immune to a specific disease. Health personnel will then assess your immunity status and determine which 
vaccinations you need to receive. Additional vaccinations are administered on the basis of military occupation, 
the location of deployment, and mission requirements. Military health personnel will ensure you are up to date 
on routine vaccinations, and that you receive any additional vaccinations you may need.  
 

ACTIVITY  
 

Now we’re going to do an activity to simulate how an infectious disease spreads through vaccinated and 
unvaccinated populations. ​See activity for directions.