Vaccinating your child seems to be the question of the decade for many parents and families. Typically, parents usually follow their doctors advice and automatically get their children vaccinated. But now, almost every parent has heard these concerning and alarming side effects that may accompany vaccinations. Faced with conflicting information, there are many questions that arise from these concerns and parents do not want their children to catch any crucial illness but are also concerned about the risk and side affects of vaccines. Challengers have claimed that vaccines do not work, that they are or may be dangerous, or that mandatory vaccinations violate individual rights or religious principles. Some wonder, are vaccinations even 100% effective? For parents, choosing to be vaccinated is like playing a game of roulette; it’s a gamble.
Deciding not to have your child vaccinated has causes for concern amongst society. Families are being bombarded with stories about the dangers of vaccines like how sick their child can get and the illnesses and crucial diseases it may cause them. But on the other hand, you have society that is considered to be at an “at risk” condition when there are families that are not being vaccinated. So, protecting the society that we live in and the environments that we are constantly around may become dangerous and possibly deadly. Children are suffering because parents are more frightened by vaccines than by the disease they prevent.
Although some families chose not to vaccinate, other families are skipping mild vaccinations while others vaccinations are designed to prevent potentially life threatening illnesses. Lack of complete vaccine treatment increases the risk of disease for our entire population...
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...y that is considered to be at an “at risk” condition when there are families that are not being vaccinated. Almost every parent has heard these concerning and alarming side effects that accompany vaccinations and some wonder are vaccinations even 100% effective? The obvious truth is, without vaccines, epidemics of vaccine-preventable diseases would return like measles and rubella. Although they may not be 100% effective, they still offer outstanding protection and without them, we can expect society to be like it was years ago and we would suffer from the diseases of our grandparents as we have slowly seen recently through the media. Our days now are the beginning of these epidemics and diseases “showing their face” so as a society we need to make the best decisions for not only our families but for our communities and environments that we put ourselves in.
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Show MoreThey 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.”
“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.
The use of vaccinations has been a major topic in the news lately. The decision to or not to vaccinate your child is a decision that parents face each day. For some the decision is an easy one, a no-brainer. For others, it’s a very difficult one to make. People that are pro-vaccine believe that they are protecting their children and the future generations by vaccinating them against diseases that they could potentially get. People that are ant-vaccine believe that by choosing not to vaccinate, they are protecting their children and future generations from the serious side effects that they could potentially get from the vaccination.
Childhood vaccinations have replaced common childhood illness as a “rite of passage” for many young children. Many parents, at the recommendation of their physician, diligently bring their children to the doctor every couple of months for what are thought to be important and safe vaccinations. Many parents are lead to believe that vaccinating their children, albeit the so-called slight risks associated with vaccines, is the responsible thing to do for the sake of the common good, which includes their child’s safety, as well as the safety of the community. But are parents made aware of some of the ingredients in these so-called safe vaccines and the inherent risks of the ingredients? Are parents aware of the protection the United States government offers to vaccine manufacturers and those who recommend and administer the vaccines? Do parents realize that their child just might be a sacrificial lamb?
“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
For centuries different diseases and infections have plagued the human race. As science evolves throughout our history, we’ve figured out how to combat these illnesses effectively, but some still choose to not protect themselves or their children and put the rest of us at risk. Mandatory childhood vaccination is essential for keeping our population safe and building a strong and healthy future. While many support this stance, some also have opposing views to this subject. Some claim that the vaccines pose a dangerous health risk to young children that can amount from anything to a weakened immune system, to developing secondary disease from the vaccine. As well, some see vaccinations as non-effective and don’t see why they should immunize and potentially put their child at risk. Also, anti vaccine parents do not feel they should be held socialy responsible for not protecting their child and putting others at risk. These are legitimate concerns, but if you look at how diseases have been irradiated, the vast amounts of research done, and countless children’s lives saved because of vaccinations, you might ask yourself why people would decide to not protect the ones
Many parents feel that their kids get so many shots now a day compared to the when they were children. Even though this may seem accurate because a lot of vaccines are broken up, there is no evidence supporting this claim. Kids may receive more shots, but they are twice as protected against a variety of diseases compared to when the parents were kids. Furthermore, “It’s not the number of shots that matters; it's what's in them. Antigens are the viral or bacterial components of a vaccine that induce the immune system to build up antibodies and fight future infections. The total antigens children receive in vaccines today are a fraction of what kids used to receive, even including combination vaccines.” (Parents, 2017) Honestly, this conveys that whatever parents had when they were kids seems far more dangerous than what children have now. This further emphasizes that fact that even though parents think they are doing the best for their child by restricting immunizations based of a concern about an overwhelmed immune system is preposterous. This decision making is led by Anchoring. Anchoring is when you put too much focus on past events that influences your present decision. This parent concern put too much emphasis on vaccination practices done decades ago as opposed to basing their decision not to vaccinate off rational evidence as to why
Forced vaccinations, a topic of controversy facing our nation today, are vaccinations that are required to be received by the government. Many of the vaccinations required are for severe diseases and infections such as tetanus, chickenpox, influenza, measles, and polio. These diseases are correlated to be some of the most threatening around the world. Most of those vaccines are given to people normally when they are children. Numerous parents disagree with letting their children receive vaccinations due to some of the risks involved. Possible side effects of vaccinations include fever, rashes, body aches, and sometimes death. Many of these, however, are very rare because of the increase in science technology. Parents that stand against the vaccination of their child put not only their own, but other children in the community
In the centuries before the mid-1900’s, disease, infection, and death were rampant. So much so, that it was considered a blessing to reach adulthood, let alone survive to geriatric age. Young adults and children succumbing to disease were common and those living in these times accepted their fate that this was something they had to deal with. That is until the mid-1900’s, when vaccinations were introduced for the biggest diseases responsible for the plethora of death tolls; they made a long life expectancy possible and saved children’s lives. However, in recent years there has been a slow yet progressive move away from parents vaccinating their children. Their motives vary, but regardless of reasoning, a child not being vaccinated is putting them at risk. So what is causing this shunning of vaccinations and what kind of effects, either beneficial or detrimental, can it have on society and children?
“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.
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
Parents want their children to be safe, but not all parents want to trust the source that will keep them safe. Although technology and the field of medicine have made progress over the years, people’s mindsets have still not changed. These very human beings who are responsible for society’s progress have let fear and skepticism take over their lives. In particular, the simplest idea of vaccination (a form of treatment that provides immunity against diseases) has turned into a wide controversial topic. Interestingly, vaccines can be traced as early as 1000 CE, but vaccines were upgraded by dedicated intellectuals in the mid-twentieth century. In spite of extensive research and dedication invested in vaccines, many parents do not allow their
According to World Book Advanced Encyclopedia, immunization is defined as the process of protecting the body against disease by means of vaccines or serums (Hinman). While medical science backs up the efficiency and necessity of vaccines, within the past decade, a rise in parents disbelieving the medical community and neglecting to immunize their children has occurred. This “fear of vaccines” is nothing new, but with the ever-increasing safety of vaccines, the benefits of inoculation far outweigh the risks. Parents who refuse to vaccinate, or anti-vaxxers, put more than their children’s lives on the line, but also risk the safety of the whole community. Because vaccines are essential to protecting individuals and communities
People all over the world go back and forth regarding the importance in vaccinating their children. It’s such a debated topic, which even the population without children are throwing in their thoughts regarding this issue. Some vaccinations have been around for hundreds of years, with newer vaccinations hitting the market over the recent last few years. While many vaccines are considered mandatory through the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are quite a few immunizations that are optional. There is a stigma on both ends of the spectrum. If we divided the population into two separate groups, one group may argue that vaccinations pose a risk to the child rather than a benefit. On the other end, the second group may argue that children