Social norms strongly influence vaccination decisions and the spread of disease

http://www.healthcanal.com/public-health-safety/47670-social-norms-strongly-influence-vaccination-decisions-and-the-spread-of-disease.html

This article is about the dangers of social norms and how they can affect critical thinking regarding matters such as vaccination.  When vaccine scares are on the rise, it becomes more socially acceptable for parents to refuse to have their children vaccinated.  Many vaccines are mandatory for children attending public schools, but even then, parents can apply for an exemption. The more people refuse vaccinations, the less effective the vaccination is toward the disease, and the disease will eventually come back. Because the opinions of others are so important to us, if we see other people refusing to vaccinate their child, we accept that it is okay to also refuse it.