Compulsory Vaccinations : Should It Be Mandatory Out Of Vaccinations?

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.

Childhood vaccinations have not been a topic of controversy until recent times. Due to the recent outbreaks of diseases that were thought to be eliminated, people are now investigating vaccinations. State representatives and Congressional people have even gotten on the bandwagon to emphasize the importance of vaccinations. Many states already require children to be vaccinated before entering school, but states allow religious, medical, or personal exemptions. Getting rid of these exemptions would be beneficial to not only parents and children, but also to members of society. Having children vaccinated at a young age when the immune system can respond correctly to vaccines will benefit the future health of children. Children are more at danger at a younger age to catch infectious diseases. Vaccines are a safe way to prevent the child from getting sick. “Proponents say that vaccination is safe and one of the greatest health developments of the 20th century”

There is much debate regarding the necessity and safety of childhood vaccinations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a series of vaccinations that include 26 doses of various vaccinations before age 6. Each state regulates and enforces the requirements for childhood vaccinations in the United State. Some parents believe that vaccinations can be harmful and want the right to choose to raise their child without immunizations.

In a court case, Jacobson vs. Massachusetts in 1905, the Board of Health required all of their residents to acquire the smallpox vaccine. Jacobson

Jenner. His experiments were extremely primal, however, and from that point on the vaccine production rate and quality rose exponentially. In 1809 the first United States law requiring vaccinations for smallpox was written after frequent outbreaks created great health and economic consequences.(Omer, 2011, 169-182). Before vaccines for children were created children died by the thousands from disease like in the 1920’s when diphtheria used to take on average 10,000 lives of children every year. The first vaccine as we have come to know them today emerged in 1914 with the first pertussis or whooping cough vaccine. This was followed by several Supreme Court decisions cementing a states right to create vaccination and school immunization laws regarding unvaccinated children and their ability to attend public and private schools. These decisions included the Jacobson v. Massachusetts decision of 1905 and a 1922 decision on a San Antonio, Texas case about a girl excluded from both public and private schools due to her lack of vaccination. Social call for change in the 1970’s called for the exclusion of unvaccinated children from schools to create quick improvement and controlled outbreak of a measles virus running rampant in the country. Thus after much legislative and social change on the subject of unvaccinated children’s exposure to

The measles outbreaks, has prompted legislators all over the country to reevaluate current vaccine legislation in efforts to protect the interest of the public. Currently in the U.S. all states have laws that mandate that all children be vaccinated prior to entry in a public school setting, daycare, and private school. Most of these states allow vaccine exemptions on the premise of religious or philosophical reasons. The Centers for Disease Control has recommended vaccine schedules in place for all children and adults, according to their age.

Vaccines offer improved immunity to certain diseases. Edward Jenner is credited with developing the first successful vaccine--for smallpox--in the 1790s. By the twentieth century, several successful vaccines were introduced, including those for diphtheria, measles, mumps and rubella. In order to provide the best protection against diseases, it is recommended that infants and children receive vaccinations as soon as their immune systems are sufficiently developed. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention advises parents to follow a strict vaccination schedule, and all 50 states require certain vaccinations for children entering public school. While states will grant vaccination exemptions for medical or religious reasons, some parents

From 1994 to 2014 it was estimated that 732,000 American children were rescued from death by one small act (Vaccines). 322 Million cases of illnesses were prevented, because of a decision made by parents of small children. According to a United Nations Foundation partner organization, vaccines protect 2.5 million children from preventable diseases every year (Vaccines).

On June 30, 2015 Governor from California signed one of the strictest law regarding school children vaccination. This law will go in effect on July 01, 2016. This law will eliminate personal and religious belief exemption to vaccination. The governor goes on to say that there is clear science that vaccines protect children against infections and disease (Diders, Koseff, and White, 2015 & Andre et al., 2008). The positives of this law is that if all children are vaccinated, it will prevent the disease from spreading and turning the disease into an epidemic. There are some children that are immunocompromised or too young that cannot handle the complications that can occur from specific diseases (Importance of Vaccines, 2016). There are some states

Immunizations are the powerhouses leading preventative health. Immunizations have prevented diseases, eradicated some, and have saved many lives. In less than 10 years, some viruses have become completely extinct, or close to it. These diseases include smallpox, Hib, polio, measles, and diphtheria, just to name a few. State legislators have acted upon immunizations, and have made laws regarding them: “In all 50 states, the requirements cover diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, and rubella vaccines; 47 states require vaccination for mumps, 44 for pertussis, and 41 for hepatitis B. 49 states require a second dose of measles vaccine, 21 require varicella vaccine, and only 6 require hepatitis A vaccine. All 50 states require the Hib vaccine for

There are no federal laws in place to regulate vaccines for children, but every state has requirements for children being enrolled into the public school system. Some parents believe that vaccines are more harmful than beneficial, they feel forced into having their kids immunized just to attend school. They believe that adverse reactions from vaccines can lead to serious conditions, such as autism. However, extensive studies were conducted and no link was made between vaccines and autism. Vaccines have saved millions of children’s of lives opposed to the number of vaccine induced adverse reactions, only 48 of the states allow religious exceptions from vaccinations while 19 have philosophical exemption’s.

Recently, however, a contrary trend has arisen. Reports of risks associated with vaccines have led a growing number of people to decline inoculations, both for themselves and on behalf of their children. These changing attitudes may have

Furthermore, many schools in certain states are changing their rules, but some need a little more work. “ As of March 2008, all states permitted medical exemptions from school immunization requirements, 48 states allowed

Currently it is mandatory to get vaccinated to attend public schools in the United States. However more states are creating laws to allow parents to opt out of getting them for their children, either for religious or philosophical views. Presently only two states force

The requirements of vaccinations for children entering a new school has been around for countless years. These requirements protect the young as well as the old from diseases that can be spread between family members as well as strangers we may come in contact with. The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that “most childhood vaccines are 90%-99% effective in preventing disease." Also, 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. With these statistics, childhood vaccinations has proven that they saved lives throughout the years vaccinations progressed.