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essays on the history about childhood vaccines
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Vaccine: a preparation of killed microorganisms living attenuated organisms, or living fully virulent organisms that is administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease (“Vaccine.” Merriam-Webster.com.)
Most parents trust their pediatrician or family doctor more than anyone when it comes to the health of their child. However, many parents are beginning to question their doctor’s advice when it comes to vaccinating their children. After countless accusations of harmful effects of childhood vaccinations, some parents have decided to stop having their child vaccinated, putting not only their child, but the entire human population in danger.
In 1796, Edward Jenner created a vaccine developed from the cowpox virus. He then gave this vaccine to a 13 year old boy who was suffering from smallpox. The boy became immune to the smallpox disease and Jenner was named the founding father of vaccinations. After his discovery vaccines were later created for Cholera, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Polio. (“A Brief History of Vaccination”.)
Vaccines are the only government mandated health procedure. This is because the government has found that it can take weeks for the body to naturally protect itself from diseases. By that there can be severe progression or spreading of diseases that can not only harm an individual, but the public around them. At that point it becomes too dangerous to only depend on natural immunity. The purpose of vaccines are to “trick” the body into developing antibodies that are able to fight diseases and protect a person before they become sick or show signs of the disease. (“Understanding How Vaccines Work”.)
The controversy regarding vaccinations originally sprung because of a discove...
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... common as 1/150. Some say that this is not a coincidence because immune disorders are often brought on by environmental factors. When many people think of the vaccine controversy, they think of autism. Studies have shown Autism being caused by chemical toxins and have brain, immune, and intestinal repercussions. Children were not developing these symptoms until after vaccines had been given to them. Autism and mercury poisoning have almost identical symptoms, pointing towards Thermisol being a contributing factor to the jumps in Autism. (“Know…The Vaccine Controversy.”)
Parents also believe that they deserve to have the rights to choose what medications are injected into their child because of religious reasons. Forcing someone to perform an act in violation of their religion is a violation of the 1st amendment of the constitution. (“Know…The Vaccine Controversy”.)
Edward Jenner, “the father of immunology”, was born on May 17, 1749. He was one of nine siblings and he was treated for smallpox for a very long period of his childhood. I predict that his treatment to small pox as an infant encouraged his work into creating the vaccine for smallpox itself. It is said that his work “saved more lives than the work of any other human”. He found the similarities of cowpox and smallpox, and then analyzed his experiments to conclude that previous cowpox patients had immunization to smallpox.
During the 20th century, one of the greatest medical innovations was achieved, which was the vaccine. The vaccine used various chemicals and biological substances as a way of preparing the immune system for some sort of future infection, particularly by a virus, which are more difficult to treat than bacteria. However, since the time of its use, vaccines have been under constant scrutiny, especially when some of them were mandated by the government for entry into school. Nevertheless, even though some disagree with the policy of mandatory vaccinations, these vaccines are an ethical way of ensuring the safety of individuals.
The fact that parents see’s vaccinations as a choice makes me think why do they see vaccinations as a “bad” thing. Then I realized just maybe some parents don’t know anything about vaccinations and prefer that they don’t put a unknown source in their baby, or maybe they are just given wrong information by other parents that don’t believe that infants should get vaccinated. I believe that every single parent should to a pediatrician/ or family doctor and ask them all the questions the have on vaccinations because at least they will get the right
Vaccinations have been used since 1796, when Edward Jenner created the first vaccine for smallpox (Alexandra). Since then, vaccines have destroyed several viruses such as smallpox and polio. Vaccines were not required of students attending schools until 1855, when Massachusetts enforced a vaccination law for smallpox. By 1920, over half of the United States passed vaccination laws requiring school children to receive a smallpox vaccination. Smallpox would later be eliminated in 1980. After the elimination of smallpox, many other life-threatening diseases would be discovered.
“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
Edward Jenner is often regarded as the “Father of Immunology” for his development of the smallpox vaccine. His remarkable discovery has laid the foundation for future scientists working with immunizations. Jenner’s impact is seen worldwide to this day with the complete eradication of the deadly smallpox virus. Edward Jenner’s Legacy will always live on as the first to vaccinate using a live virus. Vaccines are improving everyday, which benefits the public’s health, all thanks to Edward Jenner.
The concept of vaccines has existed around the world for hundreds of years. One of the first methods of vaccinations was known as variolation. (purple). Variolation was popular in China as
Illness has been a major part of humankind’s lives almost since the beginning of time. Throughout history, illnesses caused fatal epidemics that caused deaths between young and old, and brought fear upon all for the absence of a cure. Having an illness throughout most of history was considered an inevitable death sentence, as the majority of causes of death (Offit). Vaccinations have been experimented in China and Turkey in the 15th century, with methods such as inhaling or rubbing grounded up smallpox scabs against open cuts (Clem). Then in 1700s, the first form of modern vaccination was invented by Edward Jenner with the cowpox virus acting against smallpox, giving immunity against it (Offit).
The history of differentiating between diseases and vaccinating them is a practice that has been used for more millennia than you can count on two fingers. In 900 BC, a Persian physician named Rhazes was the first to publish a written account attempting to distinguish between measles and smallpox (successful or not is a whole other matter). It takes about 2500 years before any more development in the field of vaccination. In 1661, Chinese Emperor Kiang wrote a letter that stated that he fully supports inoculation, which is the introduction of a pathogen or antigen into a living organism to stimulate the production of antibodies. Then in 1676, English doctor Thomas Sydenham publishes ‘Medical observations on the history and cure of acute diseases’ which successfully distinguishes measles from smallpox while in great detail. The report also stated details about Scarlet Fever which was big at the time. In 1678, a Boston newspaper published America’s first medical work, Thomas Thatcher’ pamphlet: A Brief Rule to Guide the Common People of New England how to order themselves and theirs in the Small Pocks, or Measles. Once again, Thomas Sydenham discovers a medical breakthrough in 1684 by concluding that the common health practices, not available to the poor, were more harmful than good in mild smallpox cases. Sydenham’s discovery would be the last big medical innovatio...
Just like prescription drugs, vaccines can be a harmful risk. For example, the small pox vaccine that is recommended by government health officials carries a risk for complications like inflammation of the brain which can lead to damage of the brain or even death. People who believe we should have mandatory vaccinations will say that vaccines have saved many lives, and though its true vaccines have also caused many serious and sometimes fatal side effects. There are also many cases where many parents strongly believe that some vaccines may have caused autism in their children. The reason being that many parents noticed shortly after their child was vaccinated they noticed symptoms like loss of language abilities and they were suddenly stopped interacting with people. Also, the vaccines used to treat measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) are linked to many autism cases. Vaccines that contain thimerosal, which is an organic compound that contains mercury, has also been suspected to cause autism in children. Thimerosal has been removed from most vaccines because of its linkage to autism. Scientist believe that MMR vaccines trigger a regressive form of autism, because the measles virus in the vaccine embeds itself in the intestine, causing some kind of reaction in the brain. Mercury, a chemical element, is used in a lot of vaccines can be very dangerous. High levels of
The history of vaccine started with the spread of smallpox disease. Smallpox was a contagious disease and, it was spreading fast leaving permanent scars on patients' faces or worse taking their lives. At the time, there were several attempt to treat and prevent smallpox, but Edward Jenner had the greatest rule in eliminating smallpox.“Jenner's work represented the first scientific attempt to control an infectious disease by the deliberate use of vaccination”. ( “Conclusion” 1,2). Nowadays, Statistics show significant reduction in the cases of infectious diseases after the widespread of vaccination. There were annually 63,000 cases of Pneumococcal among children in the United States. After the beginning of vaccination, the cases redu...
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...
Vaccines against diphtheria, polio, pertussis, measles, mumps and rubella, and more recent additions of hepatitis B and chicken pox, have given humans powerful immune guards to ward off unwelcome sickness. And thanks to state laws that require vaccinations for kids enrolling in kindergarten, the U.S. presently enjoys the highest immunization rate ever at 77%. Yet bubbling beneath these national numbers is the question about vaccine safety. Driven by claims that vaccinations can be associated with autism, increasing number of parents are raising questions about whether vaccines are in fact harmful to children, instead of helpful (Park, 2008).
The number of vaccinations that a child has to receive is overwhelming to a child and parent. They will also be receiving boosters and other vaccinations throughout life. The ineffectiveness of vaccinations can also be a factor in a parent’s choice. Side effects are the main concern between parents’ decision of whether to vaccinate their children. Not everyone believes that vaccinations are helpful; it should be a parents’ choice whether their child should be
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