At a young age, children’s immune systems are designed strong enough to enable them to fight against invading bacteria and viruses. Vaccines safely contain weak versions of pathogens in order to stimulate antibodies which results in immunity to that disease, therefore benefiting the person. Immunizations benefit society by preventing 2-3 million deaths annually (Nesson 18). Yet people wrongly choose to not vaccinate their children which leads to outbreaks of returning deadly diseases. In recent years, rumors have linked vaccines and autism or other diseases together. Due to those rumors, parents refuse to vaccinate because they fear their child will develop a disease. However, scientist conducted various studies to demonstrate the safety of …show more content…
Edward Jenner, the “Father of Immunology”, created the first smallpox vaccine in 1796. His vaccine was the start of the nation becoming supplied and supportive of vaccines. Vaccines have been used to properly create immunization from deadly diseases however in recent years, U.S. Citizens began to doubt the safety of vaccines. They claim can end up giving people diseases, which goes against vaccines’ one sole purpose. Instead, vaccines produce immunity 90 - 100% of the time (Vaccines are Effective 2). The reasons vaccines may not fully work could be due to conflicting factors a person has. People may also reject vaccines due to false rumors about vaccines being contaminated with germs and other harmful substances. Before vaccines are used for the benefit of public health, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determines that they are safe and effective for its intended use by going through extensive clinical tests (Vaccines are Effective 2). The FDA, a program run by the government, would not allow medical professionals to use vaccines on humans if they did anything …show more content…
Diseases thought to be almost to the point of extinction, such as Polio and Measles, came back with deadly and horrifying symptoms due to society’s failure to vaccinate. For society to become safe, 95% of the population needs to become immunized (Nesson 18). With parents refusing to vaccinate their children, our society becomes vulnerable to terrifying diseases. Vaccines are a crucial part of the public health system therefore the Department of Health and Human Services developed a plan, “The National Vaccine Plan”. According to the Assistant Secretary for Health, Howard Koh, MD, MPH, “The National Vaccine Plan articulates a vision that will ensure that the nation's prevention strategies protect the public for the next decade and beyond” (Tucker 6). The plan promises to develop a new priority vaccines for domestic and global use. Also eventually involving to create a law to make vaccines mandatory for the nation. Mandatory vaccines would ensure no more outbreaks of disease society and save plenty of citizens from
... you wait, the more likely your child’s immune system will be able to handle the onslaught with minimal damage” (Sarah). I am not suggesting that we return to the days without vaccines. But we must seriously address what appears to be an obvious link between the epidemic of developmental delays, autoimmune diseases, and the increasing number of mandatory vaccines. Every parent should know the advantages as well as the dangers associated with each and every vaccine, each and every time it is given. They should know the positive and negative consequences of refusing that their children be vaccinated, and be made aware of how they can go about getting exemptions. Also-- the government, industry, health-care professionals, and parents must band together to get the research needed to determine the safety of these vaccines. The stakes are too high for us to do otherwise.
...s teacher, classmates, friends and family members at risk. Immunization and vaccines save millions of lives each year. Vaccines imitate infection, but do not cause illness, what they do is cause the immune system to produce T-lymphocytes, antibodies and B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that disease in the future. The bacteria and virus’ that cause life threatening diseases still exist, but because of vaccination, there are 90% less cases of these illnesses in America today. Less than 1% of children have severe side effects to vaccinations. In the recent past many celebrities have chosen to voice their opinions regarding vaccinations. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has done extensive research on the link between the rise in the cases of Autism and vaccinations, since Wakefield’s 1998 study and has found vaccinations to be safe and effective.
One of the important reasons why parents are concerned about the safety of these vaccines is due to the 1998 theory proposed by British gastroenterologist David Wakefield linking autism to the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Though the Institute of Medicine has already conducted safety review panels since 2001 and rejected any such correlation, parents continue to fear about their children suffering from autism or immune dysfunction due to vaccinations. (American Journal of Public Health, 2008)
The correlation exists because some children developed signs of autism shortly after being vaccinated. However, the only real relationship between the two is the timing of early childhood vaccinations and the first appearance of symptoms of autism (“Top 20 Questions”). Unfortunately, because of this many parents choose not to get their children vaccinated. This leads to many children facing serious illnesses and possibly infecting others, because parents believe the illness is less of a risk compared to ASD even though there is no proof. A 2013 CDC study added to the research showing that vaccines do not cause autism spectrum disorder. The study looked at the number of antigens from vaccines during the first two years of life. The results showed that the total amount of antigen from vaccines received was the same between children with ASD and those that did not have ASD (Knopf). This shows that although it is not a proven fact that vaccines cause autism it is very unlikely. Therefore, parents should ensure that their children are vaccinated because they have nothing to fear. Vaccines are only beneficial to the child's
“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
In the Frontline episode The Vaccine War, a progressively distressful debate ensues among many scientists and doctors within the public health system and an unnerving alliance of parents, politicians, and celebrities. The topic of debate is the overwhelming pressure parents feel to vaccinate their children and their right to decline such vaccinations. In several American neighborhoods, groups of parents have been exercising their right to refuse vaccinations, which has elevated anxiety on the return of vaccine-preventable diseases such as pertussis and measles. The reason such parents are denying their children various vaccines such as the MMR “triple shot” for measles, mumps, and rubella is because they are convinced that it is linked to autism, a link that has yet to be proven. Many of these parents are focused solely on their children, not taking into account that their decision may put the American populace at risk for disease. Such parents are not thinking about other members of society that vaccines don’t work for, and in certain adolescents the effects deteriorate, thus only when every person is immunized the “heard immunity” is successful.
Immunizations have saved millions of lives over the last hundred years. Currently vaccination rates are at their highest in the United States. Most vaccinations are given during infancy through adolescents. Infants especially are more susceptible to infectious diseases; this being the reason it is so important to guard via immunization. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunizations help prevent disease from spreading and protect infants and toddlers against threatening difficulties of diseases such as polio and measles.(2004) Data compiled by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) states that children today now receive as many as 49 doses of 14 vaccines before they reach age six, this is about 12 times higher than the number of vaccines administered to children back in 1940. (Huff, 2013) Immunizations were developed to eradicate diseases such as polio and measles. There is no longer polio and measles in the United States, so why are our children still being immunized against them? Are all these immunizations still necessary? Although there is understanding in why certain immunizations are essential there are many vaccines that can cause harm to us, especially infants and children. Vaccines have been shown to cause autoimmune diseases and other serious reactions, suppress the immune system and contain toxic ingredients bringing about neurodevelopment diseases.
As sickness struck person to person, rendering them helpless, it left sadness and tragedy across the world. As a result, vaccinations were created to prevent and put an end to diseases and the sorrow. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations (MMR), that are supposed to help are being questioned by people believing they are linked to Autism. Numerous studies have shown that there is no connection between the two. The holes and lies in this theory are prevalent when looking in depth at how this theory was established, whom it benefits if it's true, and the facts that disprove it.
In recent years, the correlation between vaccines and autism has become the subject of much debate. On one side, there are the anti-vaccinators, or anti-vaccers. On the other, there’s pretty much everyone else. Despite the fact that the anti-vaccination movement has little base in scientific fact, their campaign to end early infanthood vaccinations rages on. While doctors and scientists try desperately to make parents look at the research studies, vaccination rates continue to fall. But, even in these dark times, there is still hope that scientific fact will prevail and defeat the anti-vaccination fear mongers who have caused many children to fall ill and even die because their parents did not properly vaccinate them. This is one of the most saddening scientific failures of the twenty-first century. A failure to educate the public properly has resulted in child, even infant, fatalities. The anti-vaccination movement was started based on falsified data and continues only because of a lack of knowledge and proper education of the general public.
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...
“Childhood vaccines are one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. Indeed, parents whose children are vaccinated no longer have to worry about their child's death or disability from whooping cough, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis, or a host of other infections.” (Ezekiel J. Emanuel, 1). Vaccines helped humanity for many years in eliminating illnesses that disfigured, disabled and a lot of times took lives away. Children who do not get vaccinated not only risk themselves by being an easy target for diseases they also, harm everyone around them. In the end, today's children are the fuel of the future. Every parent should think carefully before taking any chance that may harm the coming generation.
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.
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).
Recently the number of parents who are intentionally delaying their children’s general vaccinations is increasing. The controversy that is causing the number of delayed vaccinations to go up is based on the fact that there are negative articles connecting them to autism and other similar diseases. When parents are researching vaccinations and they read those negative articles, those articles make them believe that vaccines cause autism. Vaccines are important because they protect humans from preventable diseases and getting them could save human lives. Vaccines are important throughout life no matter what some research suggests. Parents are now more likely to intentionally delay vaccines because of negative press, even though vaccines
Vaccinations, or vaccines for short, are injections that deliver a living attenuated organism into a person’s body. Children are very important to the continued welfare of humankind, and thusly, their well-being is of heightened importance. Vaccinations have a significant impact on an individual’s health, and children are not excluded from the benefits of vacations. It is of utmost importance that children are provided with the chance to a healthy future. Due to underdeveloped immunosuppressant systems, children are vulnerable to diseases that adults are typically resistant to, as their immune systems have had many years to evolve and grow in strength. Vaccines help children gain considerable resistances to diseases that would otherwise cause serious health problems. When used throughout the entirely of a population, vaccines have the potential to eliminate the possibility of contracting specific diseases.