Question

Option #1: Nursing Case Study

Parents have come in with their child who is now one-year-old. They have two other children. One child, who is now five, has autism, and the mother is sure this child developed these symptoms after receiving the MMR vaccine. She home schools her children and is very attentive. She holds a college degree and researches all the vaccines thoroughly for her children. Your place of employment measures immunization compliance. This mother and father only want specific immunizations and are refusing the MMR. What are your responsibilities and how can you honor your patients wishes?

Answer 1

A parent is always concerned about the safety of their child and it is rightly justified. In case of the parents mentioned in this question one of their child has autism and according to them, it is linked to MMR vaccine. Vaccine associated Autism was a major concern in parents around 1998 and a researcher did claim link between autism andbMMR vaccine. But the WHO conducted an independent literature review on the advisory of Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety and found there is no connection or linkage of MMR vaccine and Autism in children and recommended no change in vaccination programme. As a health care provider, it is our responsibility to explain to the parents about the WHO study, scientific basis of autism and ensure safety of vaccination and no linkage between MMR vaccine and Autism through expert counselling session by the doctors/ vaccination in-charge at the hospital. By counselling and presenting facts we can help the parents understanding and getbrid of the concern regarding the safety of the vaccination and ensure that the child recieves all recommend vaccines and not a particular set of vaccine. It is also our responsibility to explain that selective vaccination can leave the child vulnerable to other illness ans can affect healthy growth in the child. Autism is still yet to be fully understood and a absence of direct link cannot be correlated and no reason to avoid vaccination in the child. This approach should help the parents take a more informed decision for child safety.