Immunization occurs when a person is made resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. A vaccine stimulates the body’s own immune system to protect a person from an infection or a disease. The vaccines give a small amount of a virus or bacteria that has been weakened or killed. The immune system learns to recognize and attack that virus or bacteria if the person is later exposed to it. Everyone’s immune system is different and not all will generate an adequate response. Because of this he or she will not be immunized from that particular disease. For young children the recommended vaccines are measles, chicken pox, pneumococcal disease, and other illnesses. As they get older, children should get other vaccines to protect them from diseases. People who also travel are required to get vaccinated. People who travel to Africa especially South Africa are required to get vaccinated for yellow fever because it is still prevalent there. A benefit of getting vaccinated is herd immunity, which is also known as community immunity. It refers to everyone in a community being vaccinated at high rates. With enough people immune to a specific disease, it is difficult for that disease to affect that community. When a community vaccination rate drops below the threshold of herd immunity, disease outbreaks can occur. For example the threshold of herd immunity for polio is estimated to be between eighty and eighty-six percent. If that vaccine
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate an individual 's immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen. In simpler words, a vaccination is the injection of a killed or weakened organism that produces immunity in the body against that organism. The immune system is the body 's defense against
vaccines, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, smallpox and polio. Today a child receives 52 vaccines, 15 of these shots are by the
Whether or not to vaccinate yourself/ your child has become a very important question to ask yourself. With recent news of vaccinations having a possible link to autism and many other negative side effects, it has become increasingly more important to weigh the risks and the rewards of vaccinations. While this may be a risk, the risk of zero vaccinations worldwide would have an exponentially larger and more negative effect on the majority of the world. Vacinations are the key to achieving longevity in life not only for one person but for the whole of the human species. This leads one to ask “if everyone is vaccinated, what is the difference if I decide not to vaccinate due to inherit risks?”
There are many arguments that people have developed and built upon that are convincing me of the importance of the vaccinations. The benefits of vaccinations really were shown when “The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that 732,000 American children were saved from death and 322 million cases of childhood illnesses were prevented between 1994 and 2014 due to vaccination” (Huffington). This is proof right in front of our eyes that vaccinations are working for some children. Something that saves 732,000 lives is a very important asset. Also, I think that it is critical to take into account the 322 million children that were saved from sickness. These 322 million children were kept from getting an illness that could be life threatening or even just uncomfortable. No matter the severity of the sickness there is an importance in the prevention of these diseases. Another intriguing argument for the continued use and importance of vaccines is that “most childhood vaccines are 90%-99% effective in preventing disease” (AAP). With a 90%-99% success rate it shows that it is so important to receive a vaccination because of the dangers of the diseases. In fact the 90%-99% effectiveness has “save[ed] 2.5 million children from preventable diseases every year” (Shot@Life). This direct correlation between these two arguments makes this side of the topic even more compelling. Another statistic that creates a realization that there may be more to vaccinations than we see on the
People in the United States are urged from day one that vaccinations are important for the well being of their children and for everyone that your child may come in contact with. Recently, childhood vaccinations have been stigmatized as a negative process. Parents have become increasingly concerned about the effects and side effects of vaccinations. The problem being, that the infectious diseases that are being prevented for, are being forgotten about. Vaccinations have been doing their job in protecting us for so long that the infectious diseases are less scary than vaccination process itself (Austvoll-Dahlgren & Helseth, 2012, p. 271). Vaccinations are a preventative measure and one that will continue to be implemented in children for their individual safety and for the safety of the public. However, it is still the families’ choice whether or not they want to proceed with the vaccination process or not. Most vaccinations are going to be administered by a registered nurse, therefore, it is the role of the nurse to supply information, and answer questions when counseling families through this process. The goal is to make people feel as comfortable and as informed as possible so that they can make a decision on whether to submit to the vaccination process or not.
Parents are bombarded with information when it comes to their children and their children’s health and it happens the moment they are born. One main question they face off the bat is whether to immunize or not. For children ages 0-18, the CDC recommends vaccinations against 16 diseases, many of which could result in devastating illnesses and even death. Several injections coupled with several possibilities of severe reactions, pain, irritation, itching, ect. But through extensive, heavily monitored research and effectiveness, and evidence-based science illustrating the improvements and protection of the community it is clear that their benefits outweigh their risks. This paper will outline why the decision to immunize is one less
Vaccination is widely considered one of the greatest medical achievements of modern civilization (Harvard Law School, 2007). Childhood deaths from infectious diseases were commonplace less than a generation ago; however they’re now increasingly rare due to vaccines. In order to be effective at eliminating communicable diseases, vaccines must be administrated to a sufficient level of people in the community. However, there has been plenty of controversy over the morality, ethics, effectiveness and safety of immunization. It has been argued in the past whether laws should be introduced that render some vaccines obligatory for all children (Singer, 2009). These objections may lead to an unacceptably high number of exemptions, which can compromise vaccination programs and leave the population susceptible to outbreaks. Parents argue that it is they who should have the ultimate decision-making right on whether or not to vaccinate their children. Whereas nurses and health care officials oppose that view on the grounds that by making vaccination rates in children incomplete, we expose all children to contracting the vaccine-preventable diseases. The most recent Australian Childhood Immunization Register coverage report illustrates that 92.1% of children aged 12 to 15 months have been fully immunized in Australia (ACIR, 2014). A survey was conducted for the Mansfield community to analyze and identify the factors which prevents them from vaccinating their children.The
What is a vaccine? Vaccines have been defined as the development of depleted or killed microscopic organisms and once given that energizes antibody formulations. ("Vaccine," 2010) 23 various types of immunizations exist today. Vaccines have been reported to cause reactions that have gone under-reported and certain public health officials have been tracked
Coalition, Colorado Children's Immunization. 2010 - 2015. http://www.immunizeforgood.com/fact-or-fiction/benefits-vs.-risks. Journal, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Immunization Section, Colorado: Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition (CCIC) .
For those interested in the world-wide dispute of the correlation between the MMR vaccine and Autism, it would be equitable to allow the performance of the vaccination upon children. Autism is a mental condition, which is present from early childhood and is characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts. According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Autism statistics ranges from 1 in 68 American children as on the autism spectrum. The MMR vaccine is an immunization vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella. It is administered through a subcutaneous injection, commonly into the outer aspect of the upper arm. The recommended age for primary
published a controversial study in British journal Lancet where he linked MMR vaccination to autism. (Should I include what his study was based on and results?) Years later, many other studies proved it wrong but mistrust of science and mistrust of government is still there (2011). For example, Phea Paul study stated that there is no evidence that autism is cause by any vaccine and therefore no reason for parents to deny a child protection in today’s vaccines offered (2009). His study shows that if comparing risks mathematically of death or disability as a result of not vaccination a child which are small, to the risks of causing an autism spectrum disorder by immunizing it increases significantly.
“Immunization is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine” (World Health Organization, 2015, para. 1). Today vaccines come in all shapes and sizes, including attenuated and
In contrast, a positive aspect of many people having vaccinations is herd immunity. Herd immunity is the occurrence where a large proportion of a specific population is vaccinated to provide them immunity, and as a result, it also gives some protection to the people of the population who have and yet developed immunity. This happens as the a large group of vaccinated individuals are protected from a virus and creates difficulty for the it to spread because there is only a small percentage of the population left that could be infected by the disease. It is a very crucial aspect of immunity for the community as the people who cannot receive vaccinations (i.e. people with weak immune systems, very young children and patients who are too ill)
Herd immunity refers to a means of the whole community is protected from diseases by immunization and thus provides an indirect protection for individuals who have not developed immunity. The entire population can obtain protection against communicable disease, when sufficiently high proportion of population is vaccinated. The infectious disease transmission would decrease, as the number of the population getting immunized increases. For example, In 2008, measles outbreak in the United States and In 2010, a pertussis outbreak in California led to the hospitalization of 455 infants and 10 deaths. So vaccination is important and a best way to put an end against communicable disease.
Vaccination is another form of keeping our children healthy, especially when they are in school or daycare center. They are exposed to all kinds of illnesses and diseases, by getting them vaccinated their immune system will eventually starts