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Scientists and the well-educated alike have long marveled at the implications of vaccines.

Ever since the inception of vaccinations in the early 1800s, a multitude of infectious diseases,

such as smallpox, have been virtually eradicated from society (Lopez, 2016, p. 5). Alongside this

success, however, exist various groups of opposition fiercely discrediting vaccinations, claiming

that they are detrimental to human health. These so-called “anti-vaxxers” often hold their

convictions due to religious beliefs coupled with an ignorance regarding the science of

vaccinations. Unlike that of other solely political issues, one’s view on vaccinations directly

affects the health of society; those who refuse to vaccinate are more likely to contract various

diseases, thereby infecting the rest of the population. Regardless of the opposition, the science

supporting vaccinations is clear; German Lopez from Vox states that, “Vaccines work by using

the weakened version of a pathogen to imitate — but not cause — an illness in a way that forces

the body to develop a supply of defensive cells. These cells can then recognize and fight off a

future infection should it occur” (Lopez, 2016, p. 8).

Due to widespread scientific ignorance, the complexity of medicine, and the use of

heuristics, vaccinations remain a politicized issue in America. In lecture, Dietram emphasized

that a significant portion of the U.S. population lacks basic scientific education; for example,

NBC news reveals that Jim Carrey, a widely-known comedian, tweeted, “California Gov says

yes to poisoning more children with mercury and aluminum in mandatory vaccines. This

corporate fascist must be stopped” (Smith, 2015, para. 3). Absurd remarks like Carrey’s merely

reinforces a culture of scientific ignorance within American society. Like Carrey, many

anti-vaxxers firmly believe that vaccinations cause bodily harm, stating that they can even cause

autism. Without fundamental scientific knowledge of vaccinations, individuals are unable to

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understand its clear benefits; this ignorance translates to individuals having to resort to heuristics

and the media for making rational decisions about whether to vaccinate. Consequently, these

anti-vaxxers clash with those who are educated, causing vaccinations to become a polarizing

topic in America. Dietram provides insight to heuristics in his article “Messages and Heuristics,”

describing the low-information rationality phenomena; according to this model, humans utilize

heuristics and prior ideological predispositions to make decisions (Scheufele, 2006, p.1 ). This

inability to understand the complexity of vaccines and the use of heuristics results in severe

consequences, as a Vox video reveals that the vast majority of the 644 measles US measles cases

were from the Ohio Amish population, all of whom remained unvaccinated (Belluz, 2015, para.

1). Ultimately, vaccinations remain a politicized issue in America due to unfounded beliefs by

those who lack scientific knowledge disagreeing with those who are well educated.

In order to have prevented vaccines from becoming so politicized, scientists should have

first created a concise outline of both the medicinal contents and the science behind vaccinations

and secondly, utilized the media to communicate their findings to the rest of society. Given that a

portion our population is scientifically ignorant, it is critical for scientists to collaborate with the

media to show the clear benefits and specific contents of vaccinations. For instance, if scientists

give society easy access to a concise explanation of the annual flu-shot, individuals will be more

inclined to trust the vaccine and have a solid understanding of its potential benefits. By crafting

an outline of the contents and science of vaccinations, scientists can easily portray the reality of

vaccines through the power of the media. By synthesizing these two strategies of outlining

vaccines and educating citizens through the media, society will gain more trust in doctors and be

properly informed, thereby preventing much of the politicization of vaccinations in America.

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Works Cited

Belluz, Julia. (2015). California Gov. Jerry Brown just approved one of the toughest mandatory

vaccine laws in the country. Retrieved from

https://www.vox.com/2015/4/9/8376449/california-vaccine-exemption

Lopez, German. (2016). Vaccines, explained. Retrieved from

https://www.vox.com/cards/vaccines/what-diseases-have-vaccines-eradicated

Scheufele, D. (2006). Messages and Heuristics: How Audiences form Attitudes about Emerging

Technologies. Engaging Science: Thoughts, deeds, analysis, and action (20-25).

Smith, Alexander. (2015). Jim Carrey on California Vaccine Law: Gov. Jerry Brown Is ‘Fascist’.

Retrieved from

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jim-carrey-california-vaccination-law-gov-bro

wn-corporate-fascist-n384931