If you had the option to save a child from a life-threatening disease, could you imagine choosing not to do so? Every year thousands of parents choose not to vaccinate their children from diseases like polio, whooping cough, and other life-threatening diseases. One simple decision to not vaccinate a child runs the risk of potentially infecting other children that are too young to receive the vaccination yet. It is because of this potential danger that I am in favor of the mandation of childhood vaccines. Does it really seem right that one parent’s decision can put a whole community of children at risk? Vaccinations save children 's’ lives, protect large groups of children through herd immunity and can eradicate diseases such as …show more content…
If every US citizen is required to have health insurance then mandating vaccines for children should not be a problem. If vaccinations for children are mandated then the production of vaccines would need to increase which could potentially lower the cost of vaccines. With the assistance of taxpayers money and the insurance companies, vaccines would be affordable for all. Vaccines save lives, lives of babies, lives of children, lives of adults and lives of the elderly.
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When a parent chooses to have their child vaccinated they are not only protecting their child from illness but also every child that they will come in contact with through herd immunity. Herd immunity (or community immunity) means that when a "critical portion" of a population is vaccinated against a contagious disease it is unlikely that an outbreak of the disease will occur (ProCon.org). Herd immunity protects a community from getting a contagious disease through vaccination the majority of the public. By vaccinating the public, the disease is much less likely to spread and, therefore, protects the children who have not received the vaccination yet. How would you feel if your child was responsible for contracting and spreading a contagious disease just because you chose not to vaccinate your child? As a consequence of one child not being vaccinated, dozens of other children can suffer because they are not protected by the herd immunity.
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Herd
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.
Opel and Diekema (2012) say that the incidence of a disease or to develop a serious condition from the disease is not usually high enough to warrant a mandate for vaccination even though there is a general understanding that the risks of a disease outweighs the risks of the vaccine. I think that because there is a potential for harm to other children that no matter how high the incidence it should not be up to personal choice due to the harm principle. Opel and Diekema (2012) are still on the offence about mandating vaccines because they believe that it disrespects parental autonomy and their ability to make a decision for their child. However, the vaccine is there to protect
Not getting vaccinations could have many consequences. Not getting a vaccine can make someone very vulnerable to getting sick, causing social implications like exclusion and isolation from others in order to not risk others getting sick as well. Unvaccinated children can require treatment that is not quite the same as normal, medical staff may be less commonplace, and less experienced, with the systems required to fittingly treat a child who is
According to the CDC (2014) vaccinations are one of the best ways to put an end to the serious effects of certain diseases, some that can be deadly. Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are not just gambling with their child’s life, they are also gambling with the lives of others. It is always better to prevent a disease than to have to treat it after it occurs. People with weakened immune systems are not as strong such as pregnant women, newborns, cancer patients, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive people, transplant recipients, and the elderly are also affected by the choice not to vaccinate.
The idea of preventing diseases by injecting a little bit of the disease itself has been around for over 1,000 years, saving humanity from being wiped out by a simple, common cold. The idea of a vaccination seems perfect, but over the years, some parents believe in the idea of “anti-vaccines”, opting out the only potential protection among their children. The comfort and needs of a child is always on the mind of a parent, but when it comes to sticking a needle into the child that could potentially make them “sick” or “uncomfortable”, red lights start flashing and unethical health decisions are made.
“Opting out of vaccinations puts public health at risk and could lead to a resurgence of dangerous diseases” (USA Today 1). If parents decide to not vaccinate their children it may pose a risk to the public as well as their child. It is still debated that a parent should or should not have the right to decide whether their child is vaccinated. Parents should not have the decision to vaccinate their child or not because by not being vaccinated death is likely, the disease is easily transmitted to a child who is not of age to be vaccinated, and it is necessary to keep the public healthy.
Vaccinations have been widely discussed and debated about whether or not people should vaccinate their children. “Childhood vaccines offer protection from serious or potentially fatal diseases” (The Mayo Clinic, 2014)”. Vaccinations prevent diseases that can affect a child with symptoms of a cold or in some cases, the disease can be much more serious and can cause disability and death. The problem is that parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children against them. With choosing against vaccinating a child becoming a common occurrence, diseases that have been eradicated from the United States, are now starting to show back up in society. If there are no strict requirements on vaccinations, then diseases that have been dormant for decades from the U.S. will become into an epidemic. There are many reasons why parents state that they choose not to vaccinate their children. Some include religion, philosophical, and the possible connection to autism. These reasons have been proven to not be strong enough against the threat of the serious disease that vaccinations protect against. There are new regulations going into place, making it an educational and training process to the parents if they choose to not vaccinate their children. In addition to this, there are laws and regulations regarding who is liable in these situations. A child could possibly sue their parents or a third party could sue because they or someone in their family was affected from an infected
Mandatory vaccinations should be required for all citizens in the U.S. Having mandatory vaccinations will allow for well protected future generations that are susceptible to less health issues. With everyone being vaccinated there will be less occurrences of these diseases and sicknesses allowing future generations a more healthy life with fewer visits to the doctor’s office and hospital. Another reason to have mandatory vaccinations is that these vaccines are safe and approved by trusted medical organizations that give citizens advice on most other health issues. Because the vaccines are safe and trusted by professionals, there should be little resistance to having them be mandatory. Adverse reactions to vaccinations is a rare occurrence meaning there is minimal risk in implementing mandatory vaccinations. Also when children are given vaccines at a young age they will not have to pay to have them treated down the road. So with the possibility of healthier future generations, vaccines that are approved by medical professionals, minimal risk, and saving people money there is little reason to be against mandatory vaccination. With mandatory vaccinations, the lifestyle of citizens will be improved by having less doctor visits and healthier bodies.
Some may argue that vaccines are unsafe and unnatural, but vaccinations are vital in keeping our country a safe and healthy place to live. Although all parents are worried about the safety and well-being of their children, parents need to vaccinate their children, for their children’s and our country’s safety. If vaccinations become mandatory it could save lives. Mandatory vaccinations will save the lives of the people who are medically ineligible to receive all vaccines and protect our future generations from having to fight off deadly diseases. All citizens of the United States need to come together for the greater good of our country and vaccinate all eligible
Mothers who are vaccinated are protecting their unborn children from viruses that could cause birth defects. Protecting future generations is vital in order to try and exterminate disease. The dangers of not vaccinating include exposing the individual child to disease, and also exposing other vulnerable people who may have compromised immune systems or not are eligible for vaccination. By receiving a vaccination you are limiting a future outbreak. Disease has been a problem for as long as mankind has been around. By making vaccinations mandatory for schools in every state we as a whole will be much healthier and less likely to get sick. 93% of children between the ages of 19-35 months have gotten the vaccine for Polio and the causes for that disease have decreased by 99%. In today’s world our medicine and science is getting much better. One of the first vaccines created was for smallpox. A man named Edward Jenner discovered that by taking the right amount of the live virus cowpox (vaccinia) and injecting it into his patients they did not catch smallpox. Like most things, the right dosage of a vaccine can prevent people from getting sick. The fact that vaccines have nearly gotten rid of some deadly diseases is a reason why getting vaccinated is important. With better education and information, people who choose not to vaccinate their children can be encouraged to consider vaccination, which will benefit both their families and society as a whole.
Vaccines have decreased the mortality and suffering caused by infectious diseases. People who refuse to vaccinate take advantage of the large majority of people who do vaccinate, free-riding off of their immunity. As more people refuse vaccination, herd immunity starts to fail and this puts everyone at risk.” A great amount of people in the world who accept refusal of vaccinations as a right. Believing vaccinations pose danger and seem unsafe, some parents choose not to vaccinate their children. They do not realize if their children do not get vaccinated they may acquire an infectious disease that may not only make them sick, but could potentially kill them; also, it could infect other family members or other people in the community, and consequently produce an outbreak of the
Vaccinations should be mandatory for children because the benefits outweigh the side effects, they decrease the likely hood of a disease outbreak, and saves children 's lives. However, it is possible that this type of law could set a president for the government to start making other medical decisions for its citizens.
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.
One of the risks of choosing to not vaccinate your child is that it doesn’t just affect their health; it potentially affects the health of those around them. For example, say your child does contract a disease such as measles and is in daycare or at the hospital being treated for it. In that time your child could potentially spread the disease to other children that are either unprotected because they aren’t old enough to receive the vaccine yet, or have compromised immune systems due to something such as cancer or someone suffering from kidney failure and they are unable to receive any live vaccines, or children who have received the vaccine and still have a low immunity against the disease. Choosing to vaccinate your child will protect people around your child, and that’s the ultimate goal with vaccines is to protect the health of the general public.
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.