On the 28th of February 1998 British gastroenterologists, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, published a paper declaring correlations between vaccines and severe developmental disorders in children (Gerber & Offit, 2009, p. 456). Although Dr. Wakefield’s study has since then been found to be flawed, his research started a highly controversial debate between artificial and natural immunity. The reality is that we still do not know all the potential short and long-term effects vaccines may have on us. Do the side effects they pose out weighing their benefits? Do we know what is being added to vaccines and are they safe? These are just a couple of questions that should be considered before vaccinating yourself or your children. Vaccines contain a whole or part of a given antigen that may either be weakened or dead. Once you have been injected with a given vaccine, your body begins to develop antibodies against that pathogen, creating temporary immunization towards that specific disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013). This may seem like a logical way to defend our health, but by doing this we are bypassing natural IgA immunity, our first –line defense against harmful pathogens. IgA is found in mucosal tissues and works to defend against invading pathogens and other enteric toxins by blocking their attachment to epithelial cells. Eliminating this element from our natural immune system often causes our bodies to over react to vaccines, sometimes creating unwanted effects (Mantis, Rol, & Corthésy, 2011). It is well known that vaccines can cause many different side effects. Once you have received a vaccine, it is highly recommended by the CDC to monitor for sever, life-threatening symptoms. Certain adverse effects such... ... middle of paper ... ...ccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 48(4), 456-461. doi:10.1086/596476 Gould, B. E., & Dyer, R. (2011). Pathophysiology for the health professions. St. Louis, Mo: Saunders/Elsevier. Mantis, N. J., Rol, N., & Corthésy, B. (2011, October 5). Mucosal Immunology - Secretory IgA's complex roles in immunity and mucosal homeostasis in the gut. Retrieved March 21, 2014, from http://www.nature.com/mi/journal/v4/n6/full/mi201141a.html Marcola (2011, April 29). The Emergence of Vaccine Induced Diseases. Retrieved March 21, 2014, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/29/the-emergence-of-vaccine-induced-diseases.aspx U.S Food and Drug Administration (2014, March 14). Thimerosal in Vaccines. Retrieved March 28, 2014, from http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/safetyavailability/vaccinesafety/ucm096228#saf
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.
The article’s information is presented with the goal of informing a reader on vaccines. The evidence is statistical and unbiased, showing data on both side effects and disease prevention, providing rates of death and serious illness from both sides. This evidence is sourced from a variety of medical organizations and seems reliable, logical, and easily understood, no language that would inspire an emotional response is used. The validity of studies is not mentioned in the article, but it does encourage readers to investigate further to help make a decision. The article allows a reader to analyze the presented evidence and come to their own
Atkinson, William. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Washington: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1996.
The effectiveness of vaccinations continues to be proven (Malone and Hinaman n.d.). For example, after development of the measles vaccine and the implementation of the vaccination program, the number of reported measles cases declined from 57,345 in 1977 to 2587 in 1984( CDC 2010 ). However, even though vaccinations have been proven safe and effective; there are still risks as well as the implication that not every person who is vaccinated will obtain immunity. That being said, serious damage from vaccination is a rare occurrence (Malone and Hinaman). A Glanz study (2013) from the Vaccin...
“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.
There have been many issues surrounding vaccinations all around the world. Vaccines are made with dangerous toxins that can cause disorders in many different people. Dr. Joseph says that almost all vaccines are made with immune adjuvant, which causes the immune system to react in a harmful way (qtd. in Garcia). Some serious side effects of the immune adjuvant include lowering of intellectual and sexual abilities and death in serious cases (Garcia). Also, in a recent study Mark Geier and David Geier found that thimerosal in vaccines is linked to neurodevelopment disorders, such as autism. They found...
First of all, let’s clear something up. Vaccines are definitely safe, they undergo prolonged and extensive testing from reputable scientists, doctors and the federal government. They are designed specifically for you and your family to keep you all safe from deadly diseases.
Offit, P. (2011). Deadly choices: how the anti-vaccine movement threatens us all. New York, NY: Basic Books.
The idea behind vaccines is to provide the body with just enough of the disease-causing substance to trick the body into producing antibodies against it. By injecting weak or dead infectious agents through the skin, it’s believed that the body will create the appropriate immune defense. Infants come into the world with antibodies they have gotten from their mother through the placenta. Infants who are breastfed continue to receive many important antibodies in the colostrum (the thick, yellowish premilk that is secreted during the first few days after a woman gives birth) and breast milk. During the first year of life, the immunity an infant gets from its mother at birth wears off. To help boost the fading ability to fight certain diseases, vaccines are given. Once the antibodies are produced, they stay around, protecting the child against the disease they were designed to fight.
Editor Noel Merino of Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory? states that, “Vaccination is the process by which pathogenic cells are injected into a healthy person in an attempt to cause the body to develop antibodies to a particular virus or bacterium” (Merino 7). Once the antibodies
This immunity is dependent upon our body to be exposed to a particular type of pathogen once before. After the exposure, our body’s immune system learns of a way to counteract the foreign substance. The immune system learns the most effective way to counter each antigen that enters and then retains that strategy until the same pathogen attacks on it again. It completely customizes its attack, adapts to new conditions and remembers the information. This why people are given shots of inactivated viruses. When these viruses enter the blood stream, the body thinks that they are harmful pathogens and then develops a way of counteracting to them. After battling these viruses, they remember their form of attack, so in case these same harmful viruses enter the blood stream again, they can deal with them quickly and efficiently. Lymphocytes (T and B cells are required for this immunity). The antibodies IgA are expressed in our body on the mucous surface of the gut. When foreign substances enter, the intestine, they kill those pathogens before they can even grow in the
The Web. The Web. 07 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Possible Side-effects from Vaccines.
Preventing serious infections by making a person immune to the infection is called immunization. This process is usually performed by the administration of a vaccine to stimulate the person’s immune system to protect them against a subsequent infection or disease. According to the World Health Organization (2016), more than 5 million deaths were prevented annually between 2010 and 2015 due to vaccinations that were used around the world. Vaccines work with the natural ability of the human immune system to develop immunity to fight disease. When a foreign infectious pathogen such as bacteria or a virus enters the body, it multiplies and becomes an infection and in many cases, this infection leads to an illness. To understand how vaccines
For many years before the development of vaccines, it was known that after recovery from certain diseases some people would not become infected when exposed to it again. This course by which a person is protected from certain diseases after natural infection is termed active immunity. The person is protected since the immune system remembers the past infection and reacts quickly when it comes across the issue again. Yet, for diseases that can be life-threatening, attaining immunity in this way entails running the risk of death upon the first encounter. Even for non life-threatening diseases, a lot of infections carry a risk of grave complications after recovery and so it would be preferable to obtain immunity without taking unwarranted risks. Active immunity by way of vaccination presents a much safer alternative (Childhood Vaccinations: Understanding Vaccines, 2006).
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.