Summary: The Benefits Of Vaccinations

Over the past year, vaccinations have sparked controversy all over America. Some parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. I believe that all members of the community should be properly vaccinated to avoid the spread of disease, to prevent introducing eradicated diseases to other countries, and to prevent premature death.

In the United States, the law states that vaccinations are required for children entering school unless they have a valid reason that prevents them from receiving the vaccinations. Starting when children are born, they begin the regimen of vaccinations that continue throughout their adolescent years and adulthood. Each year children receive a variation of shots to protect them from the illnesses they will encounter in the world, especially once they attend school. The most common reasons parents forego getting their children vaccinated are religious beliefs, medical exemptions, and personal beliefs. Due to the rising number of parents declining to get their children vaccinated, the number of outbreaks of preventable diseases has increased. The question is now should parents/guardians be forced to vaccinate their children?

Outbreaks of preventable diseases happen when parents choose not to vaccinate their children. Vaccines are not only safe, but they are effective as well. Before being introduced to the public, vaccines are carefully reviewed by doctors, scientist and the federal government to make sure they are as safe as they can be. By vaccinating your children and yourself you are protecting everyone else around you love and care about

Between 1924 and 2013, vaccinations prevented 103 million cases of polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis A, diphtheria, and pertussis (Bailey). Vaccinating 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—successful creation of antibodies is referred to as immunity to the disease caused by the particular pathogen” (Introduction to Should Vaccinations be Mandatory). Popular conflicts regarding vaccination include the worry that this form of immunization isn’t natural, the idea that vaccination schedule for children in the U.S. takes away parents’ rights to make decisions for their children, and the concern that vaccinations aren’t safe for all children. Most doctors and scientists advocate for vaccinations in the name of herd immunity, protection against foreign diseases and prevention against pockets of disease outbreaks. Vaccinations should be mandatory for all children in the United States for who they are deemed safe and effective.

Diseases such as hepatitis B, chicken pox or pertussis are still very common. When parents choose not to vaccinate their children for these they are putting their child at high risk for infection. Also, although many may disagree, diseases still remain in the United States, but at extremely low levels. With this being said when vaccination rates drop the diseases could easily take over the United States. People may also argue that some diseases are “extinct” from the United States. While this may be true, the diseases that are “extinct” are still very active in other parts of the world. Today international travel has become very common so it would be quite easy for diseases such as polio or even diphtheria to come back to the United States. Many outbreaks have happened recently that brought back an infectious disease into the United

They have minimized the outbreak, and control of major diseases, as well as taken smallpox to the level of eradication. (Hinman para1) There are however, two medical reasons a child should not be vaccinated; those with compromised immune systems, and allergic reactions to the vaccine. (Yang para 3) A one hundred percent vaccination rate is not needed to protect the vulnerable members of society; however, those who have chosen not to be vaccinated put those who have no option in danger. There are a majority of states that offer religious, health and most notably, undocumented philosophical reasons to not be vaccinated. All of these reasons, regardless of how well-founded they are, put a damper on herd immunity. This all together put other children and many older adults at risk. Despite a parent's prerogative not to immunize their child, these parents waive their right to have their child attend a public school. Not only to protect those children who have not been vaccinated, but the entire school population if a disease should be contracted. The state of California, joins West Virginia, and Mississippi in removing a parent’s ability to use religious and philosophical beliefs as reasons not to have their child vaccinated, closing the gap in that states probability of herd

In most first world countries disease outbreaks are rather uncommon, that is because we have access to vaccines that keep

Millions of Americans get vaccinated every year to protect themselves from the flu and other communicable diseases. Most of these vaccinations are totally safe or cause very mild side effects, but in some circumstances, they can cause serious side effects or even death. When serious or fatal side effects occur, the national Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) allows victims to file a personal injury suit and claim damages.

As I began my research on routinely vaccinating my child, I started to map out my findings and ask myself a series of questions. Should vaccinating children be a United States law, or should it be a parent’s choice? More times than not, do the parents who decline or accept the vaccines know the truth about them? And why wouldn’t parents vaccinate a child if it could potentially save their life?

Did you know that 25 states don 't require homeschooled children to be vaccinated? Or that 19 offer philosophical exemption? Just by filling out a few forms parents can prevent their child from receiving life saving immunization. It should be required of all parents, whose children are able, to have their child vaccinated. It protects not only the child, but other non-vaccinated people around him/her. Also it 's a perfectly safe procedure. Finally, it has saved many lives and would save many more would it be a requirement.

It is very important to vaccinate all Children, Teen, and Adults because immunization can save your life against more disease than ever before. Some of the disease that killed thousands have been eliminated completely because of begin vaccinated. For example Polio is one example that had a great impact on vaccines. Polio was once America’s most- feared disease causing death and paralysis across the county. Vaccinations are a safe and effective vaccines are only given Children, Teen, and Adults after careful review by scientists and healthcare professionals. Yes, some vaccines will cause some pain, discomfort, Redness, or even tenderness at the injection site. That is all minimal compared to the Pain, Discomfort, and Trauma a disease can cause.

Immunizations should not be regulated by the state, for they do not know what is best for each individual child like a parent does. Parents who do not vaccinate their children are educated about or become educated through researching the pros and cons when it comes to vaccines. These parents find out what is in a vaccine or how they are manufactured. These parents are doing their job as a parent and protecting their child from what they believe can harm them physically. For example, parents who don’t immunize the children prevent their child from getting autism, a fever, getting the disease the vaccine is told to prevent, and in some cases death that is associated with getting vaccines. Every child’s immune system reacts differently to vaccinations. “Some vaccines for PCV, HPV, DTaP, Hep A, Hep B, and Hib contain yeast proteins which, according to VaxTruth and Joseph Mercola, MD, an alternative medicine proponent, contain MSG that can cause migraines, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease, ADD, seizure, and

Parents all across the United States have an issue with vaccinations for their children. Parents as of today do not have the option whether or not to immunize their children. These vaccinations are potentially harmful for children, but they also help and prevent life threatening illnesses. Parents should be allowed to choose to vaccinate their children because at times, the vaccine might harm the child, and because the parents simply just have right.

According to the WHO, “Immunization currently prevents between 2-3 million deaths every year”. Parents haven’t been vaccinating their children due to fear of negative effects, thus putting others at risk. Vaccination should be enforced to keep ourselves and the people around us protected, especially now that preventable deadly diseases such as measles have been resurfacing in the U.S. If parents continue to refuse vaccinating their children, we’ll be facing more consequences. Parents should be forced to vaccinate their children because it will decrease the chances of outbreaks in the U.S., it will protect babies and people with impaired immune systems that can’t be vaccinated, and the benefits outweigh the risks.

Vaccines have been around for centuries. The usefulness of vaccines cannot be denied. Even in the year 1000 AD, the Chinese knew that vaccines were helping to fight against some illnesses that were harming their population (“Background of the Issue Procon.org”). Since the Chinese began using vaccinations, medical advancements have helped create and improve new inoculations. Some of these advancements, however, have not only made vaccines more dangerous, but have also created moral and religious barriers for some new parents who may want to vaccinate their infants. With these barriers in mind, parents should not be legally required to vaccinate newborn children.