Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Arguments to support mandatory vaccination
Pros and cons to vaccination of children
The case against mandatory vaccination
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Arguments to support mandatory vaccination
The Immunization of Children
Vaccinating children in the United States has recently become a topic of controversy. It is a hot topic nationwide, especially as some states are now pushing towards mandatory immunizations. This means all children will be required to have up-to-date immunizations to attend public school systems without the ability, or parental guardian’s ability, to opt-out for personal or religious reasons. Regardless of which side of the fence someone stands on regarding immunizations, it would be impossible for them to ignore the fact that disease outbreaks are prevalent and they are occurring all around them every day. I will be addressing both the advantages and disadvantages of one particular vaccination, MMR: measles, mumps,
…show more content…
The MMR vaccine protects, not only those who receive it from the spread of mumps, measles, and rubella, but those around them as well who may not be able to receive vaccinations for certain health reasons. As with any disease, I believe it is one’s duty to protect those around them by controlling the spread of the disease by taking appropriate precautions. If this means receiving a vaccination, even if it is thought to pose risks to those who receive it, by all means I believe they should still receive it. In many cases, the risks of not being protected are much more life-altering than the potential side …show more content…
“Measles, mumps, and rubella.” Children’s Vaccines. 11 September 2014. www.webmd.com. 1 October 2015. “American academy of pediatrics urges parents to vaccinate children to protect against measles.”
American Academy of Pediatrics.23 January 2015. www.aap.org. 3 October 2015. “Anti-vaxxers vs. vaccine.” The Why Files: The Science Behind the News. 19 February 2015. www.whyfiles.org. 3 October 2015.
“Attendance at the Disneyland theme park (Anaheim, California) from 2009-2014 (in millions).”
2015. www.statista.com. 3 October 2015.
Krisch, Joshua A. “Anti-vaxxers likely caused the 2015 measles outbreak.” 17 March 2015. www.vocativ.com. 3 October 2015.
Krucik, George M.D. “What are the measles?” www.healthline.com. 2 October 2015.
“Measles, mumps, and rubella.” National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Vaccine-
Preventable Diseases and Infections. www.adolescentvaccination.org. 3 October
They pose a real health concern to the public. Those that haven’t been vaccinated pose a risk to others that aren’t vaccinated, babies that are too young to vaccinate, and those with a weak immune system. The growing number of unvaccinated families has become a growing concern for physicians. The Chicago Tribune reported, “Almost all physicians encounter parents refusing vaccines, according to a recent study.”5 The study also reports, “A small number of pediatricians — about one in five — have turned away unvaccinated families from their practices, said Dr. Sean O 'Leary, an associate professor of pediatrics at Children 's Hospital Colorado and lead author of the study.”
Health care is a major global issue that affects millions of people every day. In this paper I am going to review an important health care topic that includes childhood immunizations and religious exemption policies. Immunizations are one of the most cost-effective public health achievements that protect both individuals and the community as a whole. Vaccinated individuals help the community by creating what is called herd immunity for those who cannot be vaccinated due to age or current health conditions get some protection because the spread of contagious disease is contained. High vaccination rates and low incidences of diseases indicators of successful immunization programs.
Background: Merck & Co. is an American pharmaceutical company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. In 1971 the United States approved the use of an MMR vaccine made by Merck, containing the Jeryl Lynn strain of mumps vaccine. In 1978 Merck introduced the MMR II, using a different strain of the rubella vaccine. In 1997 the FDA required Merck to conduct effectiveness testing of MMRII. Initially it was over 95%; to continue the license; Merck had to convince the FDA that the effectiveness stayed at a similar rate over the years.
“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.
Parents must be forced to vaccinate their children. The detrimental effects of failing to vaccinate a child can be spine chilling for not only your child but you and your loved ones around. Despite our best efforts to keep our children safe, their lives are unhygienic, a proverbial germ fest some might argue. Children must be vaccinated as they are unaware of their surroundings and a vaccination will save their life; only the child’s but also the people around them.
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
Every summer before school starts I remember my mom taking me to get all of my vaccines. Although, at first I did not understand the importance I now realize how crucial vaccines truly are. Those vaccines were a major part of what kept me from obtaining harmful diseases or even passing them to other children. Vaccines are one of the safest medical products available and the best defense we have against preventable, contagious diseases. Not only are they beneficial to yourself, but also the rest of the population. Therefore, parents should be required to get their children vaccinated.
Some of the most fatal and dangerous diseases known to the human race are measles, polio, and diphtheria. Before the 1900s, these diseases caused communities to live in fear as they went about their daily activities. Since then, vaccines have been a solution created to prevent people from acquitting these horrendous sicknesses. “In the 20th and 21st centuries, many people in the United States have not personally encountered some of the diseases that are now vaccine-preventable” (p. 132). However, even with a major advancement in medicine, there are still children all across the United States that are being deprived of life saving vaccinations. The universal vaccination dilemma causes moral principles such as beneficence and justice to be debated continuously in regards to how nurses provide care to patients.
“Childhood vaccines not only have personal benefits, but for entire communities and the future of public health” (Espejo 1). If a child goes without immunization, then he or she is also putting others at risk. Most parents do not consider all of the options and effects that come along with not having their child vaccinated. Many are quick to reject because of the possible side effects and harm it could cause. However, nothing in today’s world is completely harmless. An adult can easily be in a danger at work, while the child is in danger of disease at daycare. That is why it is completely necessary to vaccinate. By doing this, family, friends, and others are being protected as well (Allen 71). “There are also children who cannot get certain vaccines for medical or other reasons, and those who are too young to be vaccinated. These children have no protection if they are exposed to someone who is infected with a communicable disease” (Espejo 4). Commonly, this is not thought
The MMR Vaccine is administered as part of a vaccination programme in the UK to children between the ages of twelve to thirteen months, and then at the age of three years and four months as a ‘booster’. This vaccine is a live, but attenuated vaccine, containing a weakened strain of each of the three viruses, used in order to provoke an immune response from the patient and provide them with future protection from the viruses if a secondary infection was to
Vaccinations have significantly reduced the disease rate throughout the world. Usually, vaccines prove to be between 90 and 99 percent effective. This reduces disease and mortality rate by thousands every year (Jolley and Douglas 1). On average, vaccines save the lives of 33,000 innocent children every year (“Vaccines” 1). In addition, if a vaccinated child did contract the vaccine’s targeted illness, that child would, in general, have more mild symptoms than an unvaccinated child that contracts the same illness. These vaccinated children will have less serious complications if they do contract the disease; they will be much more treatable, and have a lower risk of death (Jolley and Douglas 2). The risks of not vaccinating greatly outweigh the small risks of vaccination. Diseases like measles and mumps can cause permanent disability. While there i...
Imagine world where no grandparent has to worry about their grandchildren contracting some horrible disease. Contracting measles not only effects children but it also effects future mothers. Contracting measles while pregnant can lead to the fetus being deformed or worse, it can lead to miscarriages. According to Frances Child, “miscarriage, stillbirth, severe heart defects, and deafness in the unborn child are all linked to measles.” Getting an immunization can prevent this and other catastrophic events. Vaccinations can save not only those who are already born, but those who have yet to open their eyes as
Now, one vaccine in particular worries the anti-vaccers; the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella). The reason they think it is bad is because of its high mercury content, caus...
How would you feel if the right to choose to vaccinate your child was taken away? What if after the child received their vaccinations they contracted a serious illness or even died from the vaccinations? There are many cases that have shown adverse reactions in children who have had regular or mandatory vaccination series throughout their lives. Throughout our lives, we are introducing foreign particles and chemicals into our body by receiving the vaccinations that are mandated by our jobs or school. These vaccinations start from the time we are born and continue until the day that we die. Not only are we not allowing our body to build an immunity on it’s on, but we are also traumatizing our children by making them receive shots on a routine basis. There are many reasons that vaccinations should not be mandatory, but the most important are the number of vaccinations, ineffectiveness, and side effects.