Childhood Vaccinations Mandatory

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.

Parents face many different decisions when raising a child; some decisions are trivial, and others can be controversial. Whether or not to vaccinate a child is one of the most controversial choices. So controversial, in fact, that there is a political conversation of making immunizations a requirement. Many people support the movement of making vaccinations mandatory. Proponents argue that vaccines save lives, vaccine-preventable diseases have not been eradicated, and vaccines protect herd immunity. Many people also disagree with the possibility of required vaccinations. Opponents argue that vaccines cause harm, immunity by vaccinations is inferior to natural immunity, and government policies should not dictate personal medical choices.

First, immunizations should be mandatory because they can save a child’s life. Because of the great success of medical professionals and scientists, children are able to live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Without vaccines children can get deadly diseases such as polio. There are about five hundred worldwide cases of polio today.

We must not forget how catastrophic disease was in the 17th century. Many people, especially children died early deaths because their bodies just could not fight those diseases. We live in a time and age where vaccines are available to help us fight off diseases that once killed so many. I truly believe that vaccines are essential in maintaining health in human populations. “The number of young children who are not fully vaccinated for preventable diseases has been steadily increasing over the last decade” (Daniel A. Salmon)”. With so many more parents claiming nonmedical exemptions, from what was once routine vaccinations, they are not only leaving their children vulnerable to diseases, but everyone that the unvaccinated child comes in contact with; From the classmates and teachers of these children, as well as other people and children in their community. Vaccines are necessary, and the risks of not being vaccinated far outweigh the small risks associated with vaccination. Preventable diseases can cause permanent disability and death. There has been no correlation between vaccines and developmental disorders such as autism. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “most childhood vaccines are 90-99% effective in preventing disease” (Vaccines ProCon.org)”. Vaccines are beneficial for everyone’s protection. Child Vaccinations should be mandatory.

Polio, mumps, and diphtheria are a few of the diseases that have killed numerous amounts of people in the past. Yet, in today’s time, they are diseases people rarely hear about others dying from unless they are discussing the past. The reason for this is modern day vaccinations. Vaccinations are shots that help prevent against certain diseases. Vaccinations not only prevent diseases, but can also cause them to become nearly extinct in treated areas. One example of this would be the small pox vaccine, people were dying from this disease every day, and now you rarely, if ever, hear people talk about it. Although these vaccines are lifesaving, parents are becoming reluctant to provide these treatments for their children. For this reason, all children should be required to get particular vaccinations, unless they have certain medical conditions.

Throughout the years, there have been many serious diseases that plagued the world, a number of which have been eradicated through the widespread administration of vaccinations. In the 1950s, the number of polio cases in the United States was at 58,000, and in 1988, this disease had affected 350,000 people (11 Facts About Polio). Because polio mainly affects children under the age of five, it became very important to parents that something was done to cure and protect their children. When the polio vaccine was created, doctors were able to administer it to people across America, eventually erasing the virus from the country. While the majority of parents in the United States agree that vaccinations should be mandatory for children (excluding certain children with medical conditions preventing vaccination), there are a growing number of parents choosing to take a stand against these rules. Vaccinations are important because when they are administered, the child becomes protected against the diseases, resulting in fewer cases of contraction. In order to protect the children and adults of the United States from many potentially life-threatening illnesses, vaccinations should be mandatory for every able-bodied child.

To Vaccinate or not to vaccinate, has been a question many parents in America have been asking themselves for years. Some parents believe that it is their right to decide if their children will be vaccinated; while some states believe that all children should be vaccinated. There are logical and illogical reasons for this argument. There should be a federal law that requires parents to vaccinate their children because it will lower the number of deaths, benefit those children who have lower immune systems, and it can get rid of some diseases all together in the future.

Recently, many diseases that had been eradicated because of childhood vaccinations have been making an appearance. Health officials are concerned that diseases will spread and lives will be lost. Officials all agree that vaccinations will benefit the population. Some parents feel it is an infringement on the right to keep the children healthy and safe. Vaccinations should be mandatory for all children because it will prevent diseases from spreading, protect future generations, and save children and parents time and money.

According to the most recent statistics, 1 in every 20 kindergarten students have not had the proper vaccinations required of school age children (PBS). All 50 states prohibit students who lack proper vaccinations from attending public, and many private, schools (CDC). However, exemptions to this rule are made if the vaccination requirement conflicts with the religious beliefs (effective in all 50 states) or philosophical beliefs (effective in 19 states) of the parents of these children (CDC). The number of parents with “philosophical beliefs” against vaccinations has increased dramatically over the past century. These beliefs however are based solely upon the influences of rumors from the media and not from the scientific or medical community. Parents are afraid to vaccinate their children due to falsified beliefs that vaccinations cause other health problems, contain life-threatening ingredients, and are unnecessary in today’s society.

Diseases and illnesses are studied constantly by doctors and scientists trying to find a cure for them. Plague and disease once ravaged our world killing thousands, with no hope or cure to prevent them from occurring. Today, however, is different. Technology is more advanced than ever, and people are living longer than ever before. Life expectancy in the United States has gone up by more than 30 years in the last decades. It isn’t by luck that many diseases now cease to exist, but through extensive studies, and research. The medical field is at the height of its studies with more people being cured of diseases than ever before. Most of this is to the credit of doctors and scientists developing vaccinations that help the body create antibodies, which help fight away diseases, and give the body immunity. I believe that forced vaccinations in children should be mandatory as they have the potential to prevent life threatening diseases, and save countless lives. Though many are against forced vaccinations and say they can cause mental illnesses or brain damage, this has not been proven. The rewards far out way the slight risk, if risk at all of the vaccination having side effects. The individuals who are not vaccinated are left vulnerable to illness, and can potentially infect those around them as well. Leaving scare of an epidemic, and wide spread of a virus. Forced vaccinations in the United States have been beneficial by preventing young children from contracting certain

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?

Jeffrey Kluger believes that “Vaccines save lives; fear endangers them. It's a parent need to keep hearing.” (“TIP Talk!” 2016) Vaccinations relate to the first amendment for more than one reason. One of the reasons being the first amendment relates to vaccinations because of freedom of religion. If a religion does not allow you to get vaccinated, and there is a mandatory vaccine for a child within that religion; you are breaking the first amendment’s laws of the constitution (“Vaccination & religious exemptions” 2018). A vaccine is a substance used to provide immunity against one or several diseases. Vaccinations were first

“Vaccines are the most effective tool we have to prevent infectious diseases” (mandatory vaccinations) As a result, in the future, if the body is exposed to the same virus it will be able to create the antibodies, and fight it off. The government allows competent adults to decide whether they would like to vaccinate themselves or their children. However, in certain situations, there are mandatory vaccinations. Mandatory vaccinations are when, “Public health benefits overcome strong individual rights protections” (Orenstein, 100). This is mostly for diseases, that in the past have caused mass fatalities. In 1905 the supreme court ruled, in the case Jacobson vs. Massachusetts that vaccination requirements are within the power of the state if

For many years, there has been a controversy about whether or not vaccinations should be mandated for everyone. In the United States, many diseases such as polio, diphtheria, measles, and whooping cough used to be extremely common, until vaccinations came around and started preventing these diseases. The main point for vaccines is to prepare a person’s immune system for any possible attack of a disease that comes in the future; a person’s body will be prepared to fight off the disease with the vaccine (“Basics”). Vaccines have the ability to prevent many cases of these diseases in advanced, but there are people who think vaccines are unnatural and should not be required for their children. It is said that immunity in child vaccines are about 90%-100%, which is an increase over the past few years (“Childhood”). Although many Americans believe that vaccines are unsafe and cause autism in children, vaccinations for children should be mandatory because they can save a child’s life, create herd immunity in a community, and they have been proven safe/cost-effective.

Over the years, there has been much controversy surrounding the subject of childhood vaccinations. With differing opinions, many are in favor about childhood vaccinations being required for children. Children vaccinations have been proven to be an effective means of preventing serious effects, including fatalities, from childhood illnesses yet there is still controversy over whether the risk of side effects from the vaccines outweighs the risk of contracting diseases. The belief behind mandatory vaccinations has been linked to people wanting vaccinations to be required for children because it will prevent the spread of childhood diseases, but there are still questions and concerns around why childhood vaccinations should be required. Questions surrounding this topic are: why should vaccines be required, are there any serious risks involved in vaccinating your child, and should children be turned away from school if they do not have vaccinations? There is also the question of should these vaccinations be mandatory or should this solely be a choice that the parents of the child should make? In order for us to be able to take our stance on the subject, we need to examine the answers to the question.