82% of American adults believe that kids should be vaccinated, and that vaccinations should be required for children to attend public schools, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. 88% believe that the benefits outweigh the risks. Vaccination is crucial in keeping the public healthy and safe.
Vaccination survey
Pew Research Center surveyed 1,549 American adults over the age of 18 from May to June in 2016.
82% of the people surveyed said that children should be required to be vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella, while 17% believe that parents should be able to decide whether to vaccinate their children. Adults older than 50 were more likely to support required MMR vaccination, as were more educated adults.
While support for vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella is high, the percentage of people who believe that the benefits of vaccination are greater than the risks is even higher.
Overall, 88% of the people surveyed believe that the benefits of MMR vaccine outweigh the risks, and only 10% believe that the risks of vaccination outweigh the benefits of vaccination.
77% viewed the preventative benefits of MMR vaccine as high and 66% viewed the risk of side effects from the vaccine as low.
Why vaccinations are important
Vaccines effectively decrease the risk for life-threatening diseases. Children and infants are susceptible to contagious diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella. These diseases can cause death, injury, or medical problems that last a lifetime.
Thanks to vaccination, a number of diseases that once injured or killed thousands of children each year are highly preventable.
The side effects from vaccination are typically minimal, but the preventative benefits are great. The potential risks involved with vaccination are negligible when you consider that they keep your child safe from life-threatening diseases.
Vaccines – such as MMR vaccine – help keep your children, your family, and your community safe. Vaccinating children is absolutely the right thing to do. Contact Northwest Arkansas Pediatrics to schedule your child’s immunizations.