Uncovering Vaccines with Lizzy Koratich My I-Search Question What are the benefits and risks of vaccines? Why do people opt out of vaccines for them and their children? Why This Topic Interested Me My siblings and I have never received any vaccinations because my parents opted out of them. Up until second grade, I thought it was rare for people to get shots. I didn’t realize that vaccines were required to go to school and that I was in the minority. Now that I know this, I am meeting more people that aren’t vaccinated. For example, my next door neighbors have five children who aren’t vaccinated, and they homeschool. Similarly, my second cousins, have five children that homeschool and have not been vaccinated. This made me wonder if maybe not vaccinating a child fits into a view of life that includes homeschool and large families. Lastly, my sisters and I all had the Chickenpox when we were younger so I think we are immune to getting them again. I am curious whether beating the disease is better than just getting the vaccine. What I Already Knew I …show more content…
I started by interviewing Joanne Koratich, my mom, because she didn’t vaccinate my siblings and I. I asked why she made the decision, and she replied, “I believe the potential risks outweigh the benefits.” (Koratich, 12/5/17) This was close to what I had been thinking, but when she said it, it reminded me of a video I saw by Hank Green a while back about the scientific reasons behind not vaccinating your children, so I made a note to watch that on another day. I asked my mom if there was any reason why she would reconsider vaccinating us, and she said only if we were going on a trip out of the country where other diseases are a major concern. I only had those two questions for her, but they opened up more questions for me, and by that point, I thought that I was going to have to research only what I found important because I was running out of
Through the rise of technological advances in medicine, the vaccine has changed the world for the greater good of the human race. Making a great triumph and virtually eliminating an array of life-threatening diseases, from smallpox to diphtheria, thus adding approximately thirty years to many humans’ life spans. Although, a new complication has arisen, possibly linking neurological digression with this rise of new vaccines. Such a digression has forced parents to exempt their children from receiving vaccinations and brought forth mental anguish affecting the minds of many.
Luckovich’s editorial cartoon on H1N1 was published in October of 2009 and the cartoon is in Luckovich’s classic scribble sketch style. His cartoon alludes to H1N1 and the vaccine scares that caused avoidable sickness and death. Luckovich was in favor of vaccinations and he shows in his editorial why they are important. He directed his editorial cartoon specifically towards parents who refuse to vaccinate their kids due to rumors or lifestyle choices. His cartoon’s overall point is if you don’t vaccinate your children they will get sick and die from a preventable disease. The editorial was published after a major outbreak of a devastating strain of H1N1 that killed and hospitalized many, it spread quickly because of people who refused to vaccinate
The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear written by Seth Mnookin offers something for all potential readers. For those who are anti-vaccine, Mnookin offers valid science, testimony, history, and excerpts that demonstrate that vaccinating a child can be more beneficial than not. Instead of simply dismissing those who do not vaccinate their children, Mnookin offers valid points to counter argue in this debate. Mnookin offers thought, logic, reasoning, and research into his arguments, showing that his opinion is rooted in fact, rather than opinion or belief. Those who are on the fence about vaccination may find this book useful in that Mnookin not only offers plenty valid points about pro-vaccination, however, he also provides
“Vaccinations are causing a major upsurge in childhood diseases, adult maladies, and even deadly ailments such as Gulf War Syndrome and Lou Gehrig’s disease” (Blaylock). Every now and then an individual’s doctor calls telling them about the latest vaccine they should receive. The person immediately schedules a time to come in and get it done. But do they even give a second thought about it? Have they ever thought that maybe they do not need another vaccination? Many people have not taken the time to seriously think about the process of immunization. The truth is, there are many dangers that the average person should be unaware of. Rarely do vaccines actually accomplish what the public has been told. In fact, a lot of vaccines contain harmful substances that have been linked to disorders such as autism. The lack of education and dishonesty from doctors are putting people in danger of health problems without even realizing. Many parents feel obligated for their children to get vaccinated because of school, not knowing they have the alternative option of refusing immunization.
Vaccines are becoming increasingly hazardous for many children and parents are not being informed about the safety of their children. Current reports are linking vaccines to serious life-threatening disorders such as asthma, autism, immune system dysfunction, and mental retardation (Williams). These recent revelations are causing an increasing amount of people to claim religious and medical exemptions from vaccines. From 1999 to 2006, exemptions have more than doubled from 9,722 to 24,919 (Cronin). It is very clear that vaccinations are posing many problems for parents everywhere. Each day researchers are finding out about vaccines and are realizing that there are a lot more risks than benefits. Dr Phillip F. Incao explains: “Today, far more children suffer from allergies and other chronic immune system disorders than from life-threatening infectious disease. It is neither reasonable nor prudent to persist in presuming that the benefits of any vaccination outweigh its risk” (qtd in Spaker). While infectious diseases are becoming uncommon there is no need for any person to get vaccinated.
North American children are now the most vaccinated on earth. Children receive about thirty-three doses of ten vaccinations by the age of five years. Not only do children need a separate vaccine for most diseases (hepatitis B, polio, Hib, and chicken pox are single vaccines; DTaP and MMR are multiple) but they generally need more than one dose of each vaccine. Because of the many vaccines needed, vaccination is an extremely controversial topic in the United States Today. Whatever side of the aisle you may fall with regard to your opinion about vaccination, one thing is for certain: the choice to vaccinate or not is a decision that has the potential to greatly impact the health of you and most importantly, your children for the rest of their lives.
Mumps, Measles, Whooping Cough, Smallpox, Polio and, Diphtheria are all deadly diseases that were once a death sentence to children and adults around the world, but there is something that can help combat these fatal diseases. Vaccinations can change the course of these lethal diseases, but some families are still refusing to vaccinate the future of the world. Vaccinations can not only be beneficial to the child itself but to rest of humanity as well. There is evidence that goes against false claims bashing vaccination and the positive effects of vaccination overrule all of the negative. Vaccination can have a positive effect on the world due to its life-saving properties, effects on humanity and the extensive amount of safety and care that
Wallace may have fallen short of persuading readers to vaccinate their children, but recently this has been a very controversial topic. In order to make this a better article, more facts and statistics should have been used to reveal how large of an issue this really is. Overall, Wallace did a nice job of presenting her argument on why parents should vaccinate their children, but in order to make a larger impact different types of resources and references are
Healthy people 2020 is a guide to promote preventative care. In this plan there are three levels of prevention. Primary prevention is the first level. This level is the most desirable; it promotes activities and health promotion that prevent the disease from occurring in the first place (Ward & Hisley, 2016). Primary prevention can be many things such as physical activity and immunizations. This level is something that parents can provide for their child from beginning at birth by following an immunization schedule that is standard by the CDC, that is provided at their family doctor. According to Healthy People 2020 (n.d.), “Vaccines are among the most cost-effective clinical preventive services and are a core component of any preventive services package” (p.1). This prevention is something I have dealt with a lot when working in a family practice clinic; some parents are for vaccinations and some not so much. It takes education and proper resources to help a family decide on the vaccinations.
Imagine an outbreak, one of the most infectious viruses that thrives most in adolescents or infants, lets say the measles, happens in your hometown. Presumably, you and your family are all safe, for you have all been immunized. But your neighbor’s child (for now, lets say Tim) has yet to get vaccinated, and his parents refuse. Tim’s parents have strict moral values, which infringe on his ability to get the medication he genuinely needs. They believe vaccinations cause autism, vaccines do more harm than good, and by not immunizing, their kids build up a stronger immunity. Aside from the paranoia and false side effects vaccines cause, they can help to build up your immune system and are a necessary part in a normal, functioning, individual’s life.
(Jane C Finlay, Noni E MacDonald, 2001). Working with Vaccine -hesitant parents. Canadian Paediatric Society. Retrieved May 3, 2013, from http://www.cps.ca
Almost every child receives a total of fourteen vaccinations before age six. Almost. As discussed in the Frontline episode “The Vaccine War”, some parents choose not to vaccinate their children against diseases such as measles, polio, and whooping cough. The episode, aired on April 27, 2020 and produced and directed by John Palfreman, explores the views of these parents who feel vaccinations are a threat to their child and also the views of medical researchers and government agencies who work to placate the fears of nervous parents.
... Tarrant and Thomson (2008), parents readily admitted that they had knowledge discrepancies in regards to childhood vaccines but believed that the benefits of immunization overshadowed any risks that might be present. The biggest source of information for these parents was family members and peers. Along with this information wide-ranging public health programs and mandatory vaccination requirements for school entry made certain that childhood immunization recommendations were followed.
Those who choose not to vaccinate their children are endangering the health of those unable to be vaccinated themselves, such as infants, pregnant people, and the immunocompromised, by jeopardizing community immunity. According to vaccine.gov, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, community immunity or “herd immunity” occurs when “a critical portion of the community is immunized against a contagious disease, most members of the community are protected against that disease because there is little opportunity for an outbreak” (Community Immunity). An infographic featured in an NPR article entitled “How Vaccine Fears Fueled the Resurgence of Preventable Diseases” illustrated the rise in measles cases in Western Europe and of pertussis (whooping cough) cases in the U.S (Doucleff). In the first eight months of 2014, there were eighteen measles outbreaks, and six hundred cases of measles. This is incredibly dangerous because outbreaks give these diseases the opportunity to evolve and become resistant to vaccines, putting even vaccinated children at risk (Harmon). Parents making the decision not to vaccinate are doing so out of a place that all parents share: a desire to keep their children healthy. However, these anti-vaxxers are basing their decision not on
For innumerable centuries, unrelenting strains of disease have ravaged society. From the polio epidemic in the twentieth century to the measles cases in the latter half of the century, such an adverse component of nature has taken the lives of many. In 1796, Edward Jenner discovered that exposure to cowpox could foster immunity against smallpox; through injecting the cowpox into another person’s arm, he founded the revolutionary concept known as a vaccination. While many attribute the eradication of various diseases to vaccines, many United States citizens are progressively beginning to oppose them. Many deludedly thought that Measles had been completely terminated throughout the United States; however, many children have been patronized by