COMM 1110
Preparation Outline
Topic: Parents should not stop vaccinating their children due to risk of Autism.
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific purpose: To persuade my audience that autism is not caused by vaccinations and
children should receive all of their immunizations.
Position statement: Parents not vaccinating their children is a growing problem caused by
misinformation and media tampering and can be solved simply by educating the public on
vaccinations as well as autism.
Organizational pattern: problem-cause-solution
Introduction:
I. Attention Getter- You enter the ER at Palmyra Hospital, your daughter has a possible broken
arm. After sitting for about forty-five minutes in the waiting room, nurses begin to rush out of
the back, their faces are covered with masks, and they are wearing gloves and an odd yellow
outfit. You are thinking to yourself what could possibly be going on??? The nurses are handing
everyone in the waiting room their own mask, but smile and reassuringly say “It’s just a
precaution nobody panic. We have two confirmed cases of measles, but as long as you have had
your immunization everything is ok.” One nurse smiles as she hands you and your daughter
your masks. “Don’t worry ma’am these are only precaution.” You look at her as tears roll down
your face and your heart is beating wildly in your chest, but my daughter has never been
vaccinated!
II. Revel Topic Clearly- Parents who have not been properly educated have stopped vaccinating
their children, due to fears of the vaccinations causing autism, and this choice is leading to
outbreaks of communicable diseases that were once considered dormant.
III. Audience Motivation- Unvaccinated children are a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
They are susceptible to all the communicable diseases that most of us have been vaccinated
against. They are putting you, your children and everyone you know and love at risk.
IV. Credibility Statement- I have done extensive research as well as spoken with doctors and
public health officials about vaccinations. I am qualified to tell you the importance of
vaccinating your children.
V. Preview of Main Points- Today’s presentation will start with explaining the problems not
vaccinating children causes, the reason parents have stopped vaccinating their children and how
this problem can be solved.
(Transition- So first, let me explain just a couple of problems not vaccinating children from
birth will cause.)
BodyMain Point- According to reporter Joanne Faryson, in an article title “More Parents Not
Vaccinating Kids” on August 24, 2010 published by KPBS, the number of parents choosing to
not vaccinate their children has quadrupled in the past twenty years.
a. Dr. Dean Sidelinger, deputy of public health officer in San Diego California, who was
interviewed by KPBS which is a public service provider of San Diego State University,says
“Parents who choose not to vaccinate their kids must be aware they are making choices that
affect everyone.” This decision does not just affect the one child who is not being vaccinated it
affects the other children on the park playground with her, the man in line behind her at the
grocery store with a weak immune system from his chemotherapy treatments or the newborn in
the elevator with her at the mall. A claim that immunization is a personal decision that doesn’t
involve anyone else is complete ignorance.
b. Let’s use that newborn on the elevator as an example. According to a publication on the web
on May 13, 2011 by the Center for Disease Control, last year preliminary data showed more than
21,000 cases of “whooping cough” (pertussis) in this country. Twenty-six deaths were reported –
22 of these deaths in the U.S were in children younger than 1 year old. Pertussis vaccine is given
in a group shot referred to as DTaP; a child will receive this shot five times before age six and
three more booster as a school age child, adolescent, and adult. How well do you see this
newborn fairing beside a six year old that has never once been immunized for whooping cough?
(Transition- The problems with parents not vaccinating their children are real and the dangers
are growing every day; but why with such dangers do parents not vaccinate their children.)
Causes- The reason most parents do not vaccinate their children is mostly because of misleading
information.
a. Health officials say a now debunked study linking autism to vaccines and misinformation on
the internet have contributed to the anti-vaccine movement. The report is that of Andrew
Wakefield that was debunked by Britain General Medical Council “his actions in this area alone
were sufficient to amount to serious professional misconduct” they stated. This was reported on
CNN live wire, part of the Turner Broadcasting System, on May 24, 2010. And yet even after
his study has been debunked, the information from the report is still easily found all over the
internet.
b. Also, hesitating to vaccinate is associated with perceived risk. As the number of vaccine preventable diseases declines, risk shifts from the disease to the vaccine. Since vaccine preventable diseases are rare, an adverse event from a vaccine is perceived by the parent to be of
greater risk. Risk perception is critical. This cause was provided by G.S. Marshall in his book
Truth about Vaccines.
(Transition- Figuring out all the causes in the world for a problem doesn’t do anything to help
unless you have a solution.)
Solution- According to the results of a survey I give this class, everyone who took it agrees that
parents need more information on vaccines, no matter if you believe children should or should
not be vaccinated.
a. The solution is easy: the first step is to start explaining the risks and consequences of not
vaccinating a child as early as during pregnancy. Mothers build a strong relationship with their
OB, they are a trusted and credible source for information during a woman’s entire pregnancy,
and an OB would be the perfect starting point for the vaccination discussion.
b. Secondly, pediatric offices should start in the last trimester handing out pamphlets and
scheduling appointments with the parents to discuss not only vaccinations but also autism.In a
parent’s guide released by American Academy of Pediatrics on healthychildren.org,a physician
should stress the number of lives saved by immunization, as a positive approach, rather than
focusing on the number of deaths from not immunizing.
Conclusion- In conclusion, knowledge is a powerful ally for the war going on between
vaccinating and not vaccinating, just as fear is a dominating factor to not vaccinating. The two,
knowledge and fear, go hand in hand. To eliminate fear you must provide the knowledge and
provide it in a non-threatening way.
Recap Main Points: The problem that we are facing is parents not vaccinating their children due
to fear of the vaccines causing autism because of an unethical report that was written years ago
and has now been debunked. Also, because of not being educated to the real causes of autism
and not realizing the risk that is still around for the diseases we inoculate against. But, there is a
solution, inform the parents, of the risks of vaccinating and not vaccinating, of the risk to others
not just their children.
Closing Thought- To vaccinate one child has the ability to save hundreds of lives.