Background: Immunization is a necessary component of well child services within public health. Despite the documented effectiveness of vaccines, some parents choose to refuse or delay immunization for their children. Adherence to different beliefs has affected immunization coverage in one Regional Health Authority in Southwest Alberta. Methods: This qualitative study involved exploratory, descriptive open-ended interviews with a sample of 47. The sample included people of Dutch ethnic background, Hutterites, and parents and practitioners who engage in alternative health beliefs and practices. Results: Major findings include: 1) among the Dutch, most noted their decision to refuse to immunize was based on religious beliefs; 2) the Hutterites' decision not to immunize was due to their experiences with adverse reactions but was further supported by their use of alternative health; and, 3) the alternative health group are more concerned with the safety of vaccines with regard to the short-and long-term effects on their children's health. Discussion: All three groups conveyed a common concern of child health and safety. Educational initiatives need to be implemented to allay parents' fears. Community development activities with individuals of the groups included here who support immunization will increase acceptance of immunization.
We have assessed the importance of a melanocyte-specific DNase I hypersensitive site and matrix attachment region situated 15 kb upstream of the mouse tyrosinase gene by analysis in transgenic mice. Transgenes containing all, part, or none of this region linked to the tyrosinase promoter and human tyrosinase cDNA were introduced into genetically albino mice, and pigmentation and transgene message levels were analyzed in the resulting transgenic lines. The effect of the upstream region was to enhance significantly gene expression in melanocytes, and to provide position-independent expression of the transgene. Two exceptions to complete position independence were seen; these lines displayed a mosaic expression pattern in which the transgene was expressed fully in some melanocyte clones but less so in others, resulting in transverse stripes of colours ranging from near white to dark grey. Unexpectedly, pigmentation in the eye of all transgenic lines containing the upstream region was nonuniform, in that the neural-crest-derived melanocytes of the choroid and anterior iris contained significantly more pigment than those derived from the optic cup (retinal pigment epithelium and posterior iris). Transgenes containing a small part or none of the upstream region were expressed poorly and in a position-dependent manner; of those lines that were visibly pigmented, expression was equal in the neural crest and optic-cup-derived cells of the eye.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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