Mandatory Vaccination Paper

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.

Children should be required to have certain vaccinations in order to help prevent them from contracting life threatening diseases. In the past, thousands of children were paralyzed by polio or killed by diphtheria, but now, thanks to vaccinations, these diseases are no longer a major threat in the United States (“The Success of Vaccines.”) Although many diseases have become less of a threat, there are still those that are still those that pose a danger to people in today’s world. One of these diseases is measles. Measles is a viral disease that kills hundreds of people a

Despite significant progress in the fight against preventable disease, millions still die needlessly each year. According to UNICEF, originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, a vaccine preventable disease is responsible for 2 million fatal infections worldwide each year. About 75% of these deaths occur in children under five years of age. (N) In more vivid terms, UNICEF notes that vaccine-preventable diseases kill a child every 20 seconds. (D) Due to high rates of childhood vaccination, the United States has experienced a dramatic reduction in such deaths. A comparison of the years 1950 and 2010 clearly illustrates the benefits of vaccinations. During this 60-year period, deaths from diphtheria reduced from 410 to 0, tetanus from 336 to 3, pertussis from 1,118 to 26, and polio from 1,904 to 0. Measles deaths dropped from 468 in 1950 to 0 in 2008, the last year a United States death rate was recorded. It’s not surprising that vaccinations have been touted as one of the top ten health achievements of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Vaccines have been used to prevent diseases for centuries, and have saved countless lives of children and adults. The smallpox vaccine was invented as early as 1796, and since then the use of vaccines has continued to protect us from countless life threatening diseases such as polio, measles, and pertussis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) assures that vaccines are extensively tested by scientist to make sure they are effective and safe, and must receive the approval of the Food and Drug Administration before being used. “Perhaps the greatest success story in public health is the reduction of infectious diseases due to the use of vaccines” (CDC, 2010). Routine immunization has eliminated smallpox from the globe and

In America, the popular belief is that people have complete control over their lives and make their own decisions. But yet, when laws are put into place requiring parents to give their children vaccinations, parents nationwide ignore the fact that they can no longer choose what they think is best for their children. Laws requiring vaccines causes parents to immunize their children with no choice in the matter. Instead of government laws mandating vaccinations for every child, parents should have the choice whether they want to immunize their children. Vaccinations should not be mandatory, as forced vaccines go against religious or personal beliefs, are potentially harmful to young children, and have biased rules and regulations.

Prevention is better than finding a cure. This statement relates to the controversy surrounding the effectiveness and safety of childhood immunization. Every year many children and babies get sick and die from illnesses that could have been prevented with vaccinations such as; the Flu, Meningitis and Whooping Cough. The biggest argument here is whether or not there should be laws established declaring mandatory vaccinations for all children. Vaccinations should be mandatory because the benefits outweigh the potential risks. In the United States some states have actually enacted laws that require proof of specific vaccinations before allowing a child to go to school. Some states also allow exemptions. These exemptions could be due to

In the past century, vaccinations have progressed to the point where some vaccine-preventable diseases have been eradicated. After the development of vaccines in 1776 by Edward Jenner, vaccines began to help to prevent outbreaks of deadly diseases and control the number of deaths. Ever since the creation of the varicella vaccine in 1995, the number of children who have fallen victim to the disease and died has also decreased. Even people who are unable to be vaccinated have been protected to some extent. There is now a debate of whether or not they should be mandatory for all people who are medically able to receive the vaccinations. Many feel they should not be required by law to vaccinate children and themselves if it violates their beliefs,

It is perceived to be a social standard in society to uphold high beliefs in vaccinations. Medical professionals as well as historic scientific research support the progression of immunization and its historical triumph against infection and disease. For example, English physician Edward Jenner pioneered the smallpox vaccine, which opened the doors for more ventures into the world of vaccinations. Due to the advancement in technology of the 21st century, we are able to address more diseases and create new components for vaccines to help find innovative ways to distribute them and test effectiveness. The progress in science has always been the driving force for the development and improvement of an effective vaccine. With the second golden age

A vaccination is when an inactive version of a disease is introduced into the body, so that the body can become immune to the disease. Vaccines have assisted in the eradication/rapid decline of diseases such as smallpox, diphtheria and polio, but there is still wide-spread apprehension about the possible side effects of vaccinations, which can prove fatal. There is debate about whether vaccines infringe upon personal and religious choices, and if it is right for the government to force parents to vaccinate their children.

Vaccination, also known as immunization, is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen (Vaccination). Vaccines are made from dead or weakened particles of viruses or bacteria. After they are injected, the dead or weakened pathogen produces antibodies, which provides immunity against a specific disease (Vaccination). Vaccinations differ from other medications as they are given to a healthy person, usually children, which is why people tend to have a lot of concern about vaccine safety and detest the idea of vaccination. According to the History of Vaccines, the first vaccine was introduced by Edward Jenner against smallpox in 1796 (All

Vaccinations have been actively used for over 200 years now and have been effective for over 200 years as well. Western medicine’s introduction to the practice is said to have occurred within the eighteenth century, when a traveling British aristocrat, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, reported her observations of Turkish children being injected with pus from smallpox victims. Although this practice seemed quite harsh, most of these children would contract only a mild version of the illness. In return, these recipients would retain a lifelong immunity to this terrible disease (World of Microbiology & Immunology). Similarly, in the United States, a Puritan clergyman by the name of Cotton Mather learned about inoculation from his African slave, Onesimus. Onesimus claimed that he was inoculated with smallpox pus and never caught the tragic disease (Williams). This type of medicinal treatment was initially rejected by most Western practitioners. They felt it was a dangerous and barbarous practice, but vaccination gained a tremendous amount of support at the turn of the nineteenth century when English physician Edward Jenner created a new smallpox vaccine derived from the relatively mild cowpox virus (Riedel). There’s no doubt that history has shown the positive outcomes of immunization and continued to show them as technology and medicine progressed.

“Vaccines will prevent about 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations, and 732,000 deaths among U.S. children born over the last 20 years, according to a recent report by the University of Washington in Seattle” (“Safeguarding”). The numbers suggest how critical vaccines are for the general well-being of society. Thus, the federal government needs to take a powerful stance to require vaccines for all children as vaccines are safe and effective, a preventive measure against diseases and promotes herd immunity and stability. People may argue that the human immune system is strong enough to fight diseases without vaccines and could harm health. However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggest that diseases are

The scientific discovery of vaccines happened hundreds of years ago. In the 1700’s, the most prevalent disease that was killing people was

Throughout history, as the population grew, there have been outbreaks of disease causing many deaths because there were no cures and the diseases were infectious and spread rapidly. We begin our history of vaccines and immunization in the United States with the story of Edward Jenner, a country doctor living in Berkeley who in 1796 performed the first modern vaccination for smallpox, saving his community and many more to come.(why italics) Although the first known vaccines for smallpox are believed to have been used in China in the year 1000 AD, proving that this disease has been in existence for hundreds of years, it is interesting to note that smallpox is now considered eradicated. The last case in the United States was in 1948 and the last case in the world was in Somalia in 1977. Since vaccinations have become more available there have been fewer incidences of disease outbreaks in communities and childhood mortality rates have dropped considerably.(ProCon.org,2015)

A vaccine is defined as a weakened form of a disease-causing virus (Whitney et al., 354). Vaccination is one of the greatest breakthroughs in medicine. For several years, vaccines have helped in curbing down the burden of infectious diseases. In fact, if there is one competitor in providing human health it must be vaccinations. However, there is an uproarious anti-vaccine lobby in the modern world in spite of the success that the vaccination programs have shown in eliminating fearsome diseases. The practice of immunization dates back to the 17th-century China (Plotkin 1287). The first attempt was to prevent Smallpox by smearing a skin tear with Cowpox. Edward Jenner is considered the founder of vaccinology because he founded Smallpox vaccine. Since then, several scientists such as Louis Pasteur (the father of immunology), and Alexander Glenny have developed the concept of immunization further. The discovery of vaccines has successfully eliminated diseases such as Polio and Smallpox (Plotkin 1287). Recently, nations have unanimously agreed to compulsory immunization programs to prevent people from certain diseases. Nevertheless, several scholars have argued in support and against the use of vaccines. Those in support claim the vaccines are very helpful in disease control whereas those in opposition say the vaccines have severe side effects. From a personal perspective, vaccinations a good thing since they help in preventing disease and removing a heavy economic burden from