Mandatory Vaccinations Research

Vaccinations are safe and they work. There are many parents who choose for their own reasons to ignore Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to vaccinate and exercise their right to not do so. They run the risk of having their child suffer or even possibly die when they opt-out to having their child vaccinated. Today in the United States, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease are often traced to susceptible children whose parents have claimed an exemption from school or child care immunization regulations (CDC, 2014).

Choosing to vaccinate or not vaccinate children has become a large topic of contention between parents and medical personnel. Rates of non-medical vaccine exemptions for children entering public school continue to increase across the country. This increase has coincided with a resurgence in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, or VPDs (Lynfield, 2014, p.1). There are a variety of reasons why a family might apply for a non-medical exemption and the validity of these exemptions varies from state to state. Regardless of the justifiability of an exemption, growing numbers of non-vaccinated children entering school will increase the prevalence and mortality from VPDs (Lynfield, 2014, p.2).

For years, the topic of mandated vaccinations for children has been a highly debated topic among health professionals, educators, parents, and government officials. Currently, the Center for Disease Control recommends that children between the ages of zero and six years should receive twenty-eight doses of ten different vaccines (ProCon.org, 2014). Although there is no federal law that requires that children get vaccinated, all fifty states require certain vaccinations for children before entering public schools (ProCon.org, 2014). These requirements often vary from state to state. All states in the United States allow for medical exemptions to the mandated vaccinations, while forty-eight allow religious exemptions and nineteen allow philosophical exemptions (ProCon.org, 2014). Mandated vaccination has remained a highly controversial topic as it questions whether a person should be able to make choices about his or her own body or if rules can be imposed that mandate vaccinations for the potential greater good of the public’s overall health.

Helpless and unaware, a young girl had her life ripped away in an instance. Holly, a five year old received her second dose of the MMR vaccine; a school required vaccine for kindergarteners, a week after her fifth birthday. Prior, Holly received the MMR vaccine and others when she 16 months old and reacted to them for seven straight weeks after. Her pediatrician told Holly’s mother it was normal and to continue vaccinating. In addition, her mother claims she was given no information to recognize side effects. Resulting from her second dose of the mandatory MMR vaccine, the little one’s brain subjected to irreversible damage and her body went through convulsions. Doctors told Holly’s parents that Holly’s vegetative state could not be reversed. With only five years of life with their beloved daughter, Holly’s parents had to make the decision to take their daughter off life support (naturalblaze.com). It was confirmed Holly died from acute encephalitis caused by the MMR vaccine.

Whens the last time someone developed Polio? Not in a long time, this is because we have developed vaccines to protect us. “Vaccines work by introducing diluted versions of viruses or bacteria into a person's body via injection” (Mandatory Vaccination). Since the discovery of vaccinations the medical world has changed forever. In today’s world many families have strong beliefs against vaccinations due to various myths and misconceptions. Since the discovery scientist have created vaccines for many illnesses around the world. When traveling abroad or anywhere to be precautious ask a doctor about vaccine protocols. This also would help prevent the spread of outbreaks. Everyone should be vaccinated because with everyone's immunity built up outbreaks

The recent measles outbreak occurring at Disneyland in December 2014 became widespread news and rekindled an ongoing debate of childhood vaccination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the United States government agency responsible for the protection of Americans from health threats, there were 159 measles incidents arising from this occurrence (“Measles” 373). Considering this outbreak, it is not unexpected that the role of vaccination would come to the forefront. The CDC is presently advocating 29 vaccinations for children through the age of six years old (“2016 Recommended Immunizations” 1). However, each state respectively establishes the laws for vaccination and corresponding exemptions. For comparison purposes, in the early 1970’s, only three vaccinations were recommended (The Merck Manual 1462). This growth is a 314% surge in the number of vaccinations encouraged by the CDC. Thus, the subject of vaccinations and exemptions is contentious, divisive, and widely debated. Indeed, some believe that childhood vaccinations should be mandatory in order to protect every individual from preventable diseases (Gostin 1100). Instead, vaccination should be an informed parental choice, not mandated by the federal government, because vaccine safety is questionable, diseases being vaccinated against have fundamentally disappeared, and parents should have the right and freedom to nurture their children.

The diffusion of various diseases has been a conflict to individuals. The moment someone is born, he or she can or might catch a disease. In the past years, it has been a dissension to people, whether the use of vaccine would benefit. Vaccines terminate diseases that tragically ended the lives of many. It seems hereditary principle for parents to get their children into vaccination. But, these vaccinations can prevent diseases such as smallpox, polio, measles, and more. Vaccinations can alleviate illnesses that each individual can get into. It is just mandatory for children to get vaccinated.

When children who have been vaccinated do contract a disease, despite being vaccinated against it, they usually have milder symptoms with less serious complications than an un-vaccinated child that gets the same disease. It is true that some children who receive vaccinations may still become ill when exposed to other disease-ridden children. Research shows that 70-90% of the entire population must be vaccinated to attain “herd immunity”, “the resistance of a group to attack by a disease to which a large proportion of the members are immune.” (Farlex, 2012) When herd immunity is accomplished the spread of the disease can be averted throughout. If all parents were to take proper responsibilities and keep their children’s immunizations up-to-date, herd immunity would be achieved against all 16 of the major life threatening diseases.

This is why the World Health Organization, as well as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend an extremely effective schedule of routine immunizations for children (“Recommended Routine Immunization”; “2018 Recommended Immunizations”). If parents follow this schedule, their child will gain a lasting immunity against fourteen of the most common and damaging infectious diseases over the course of four to six years (“Recommended Routine Immunization”; “2018 Recommended Immunizations”). By immunizing the youth, society is concurrently building herd immunity. Herd immunity is the concept that when the majority of the population is properly vaccinated, a bacteria or virus will not be able to spread and will eventually die off, which protects everyone, including those who cannot receive immunizations for health reasons (Laliberte). Illustrating this idea, vaccination that built herd immunity has allowed for a 99% decrease of polio cases in the United States over the past thirty years; and the measles vaccine alone prevented an estimated 20.4 million deaths worldwide since 2010 (Oliver; “Measles Fact Sheet.”). These numbers undeniably prove the efficacy of

Across the United States, state policies determine which vaccination a child will need in order to attend school. Each state will also have different ways in which a parent can obtain exception from the vaccine requirements. The issue at hand is that as the exception climbs, so do the outbreak of vaccine preventable diseases which threaten children health. Parents need to understand that vaccinating or not, can have a tremendous effect of public health.

Each year, about 2.1 million people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. Many children may not receive their necessary first year vaccinations because of lack of availability, religious beliefs, and safety concerns (Healy, Rench, and Baker 540). Although all 50 States in the United States require children to be vaccinated to certain diseases before entering school, the states also have exemptions for these vaccinations (Lu 870). The conflicting party states that children’s immune systems can fight against the majority of infections naturally and vaccines will cause children to have side effects. The announcement has directed individuals to the assumption that immunizations are not

Over the past few decades, immunizations have saved more than a billion lives and prevented countless illnesses and disabilities in the United States. Vaccine-preventable diseases are still a threat today. These diseases can be passed on to those who are not protected by vaccines, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths every year (Common, 2015). But there is still a small number of people who continue to fight mandatory immunizations, and refuse to abide by the immunization schedule. It has been shown that refusing to follow vaccine protocols can result in disease outbreaks such as the December 2014 measles outbreak that began at Disneyland (Koch, 2000). Even though in

Despite vaccinations being credited for the control and elimination of several childhood diseases, there are still many critics who raise concerns about the necessity of vaccination. In a national study of parents performed in 2000, 19% indicated they had “concerns about vaccines” whereas in a subsequent survey performed in 2009 this number had risen to 50%. There has also been a rise in non-medical vaccine exemptions that has occurred over the last several years. In a 2010 national survey of physicians, 89% of respondents reported at least one vaccine refusal by a parent each month (Dempsey & Gowda, 2013). Opposers argue that making school vaccination mandatory is against their right to make personal medical decisions. They feel that the government has no place to force parents to vaccinate their children if the parents decide it is not in their child’s best interest. Many parents are disagreeable about the multiple vaccinations received at one time, which results in possible pain and discomfort for the child. Another argument against vaccination is the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Critics are concerned about the unknown risks vaccines pose to children. Some parents noted their child acquiring a “high fever” or beginning to “act different” after the administration of a vaccine. There is a belief that there is a connection between the measles vaccination and autism. Another theory is that the influenza

The choice to vaccinate is becoming a topic of high controversy, many are pondering on where vaccines originated, the true benefits of vaccinations, the risks that are withheld, and whether or not there are links to those who have gotten exemptions from getting vaccinated is affecting others around them. Many upcoming families are coming in contact with the choice to vaccinate. Children are being denied their rights of education, because they have not gotten the required vaccines to enter public school.

In addition to parents who are willing to vaccinate their children on their own terms, laws requiring immunization for school have contributed to the success of the United States immunization program (SITE FROM FACTORS WEBSITE). All states require students enrolling into school to have certain vaccinations in order to do so. Although these requirements are set in place, there are exemptions for those who have medical and religious beliefs that don’t allow them to participate in such. Due to the requirements made by the government, small pox has since been eradicated and polio should soon follow. The incidence of vaccine- preventable diseases has been reduced by 98% to 99% in the United States.