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Calling the shots : why parents reject vaccines / Jennifer A. Reich.

by Reich, Jennifer A., author.

New York : New York University Press, [2016]

xi, 315 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

The public history of vaccines -- Parents as experts -- Vaccines as unnatural intervention -- The limits of trust in big pharma -- Who calls the shots? -- The slow vax movement -- Finding natural solutions -- Vaccine liberty.

The headline-grabbing 2014 measles outbreak at Disneyland was just the latest reminder of our nation's falling vaccination rates. What was less evident, however, was that this event was only one example of a larger story of an increasing number of parents who are refusing vaccines, believing vaccines pose greater risks than benefits to their children. Given the certainty of the medical commuity that vaccines are safe and effective, many wonder how such parents, who are most likely to be white, have high levels of education, and have the greatest access to healthcare services and resources, could hold such beliefs? For more than a decade, sociologist Jennifer A. Reich has been following the issue of vaccine refusal - from the perspectives of the parents who distrust vaccines and the corporations that make them to those of the healthcare providers and policy makers who see them as essential to ensuring community health. Rather than arguing one view, Reich carefully examines how parents who opt out of vaccinations see their decision: what they fear, what they hope to control, and what they believe is in their child's best interst. In describing parents' fears of Big Pharma, autism, or potential unknown side effects, and efforts to negotiate with physicians for alternative vaccination schedules or to promote "natural immunity," Reich provides a fascinating and empathetic potrait of the parents who are concerned. On the other hand, she presents the pediatricians who see the devastation vaccine-preventable diseases can cause, and the policy makers who aim to protect children and families. Drawing on in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations, this book compellingly examines the intersections between state power and families, perceptions of risk and necessity, trust in regulation and pharmaceutical safety, the relationship between doctors and patients, and how gender and privilege shape family life. Calling the Shots addresses central questions of individual rights and community responsibility and offers a unique opportunity to understand the points of disagreement on what is best for children, communities, and public health so we may bridge these differences. -- from dust jacket.

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