The government has a duty to protect the citizen of a population. Government cannot sit idly and watch people suffer and not do anything because a few citizens are against vaccination. Government has to protect mankind. This might seem paternalistic by the government but it is for the good of a society. For example, when seats belts were mandated to protect every individual in a society (McLeod, 2014). The long-term effect of polio is reported that 1 in 200 cases result in irreversible paralysis (McLeod, 2014). While 1 or 2 in 200 cases of whooping cough result in infants’ death (McLeod, 2014). With these numbers the government has the right to express their paternalistic view. The government also has to find a balance between parent’s autonomy and the right to protect the population. When parents and government realize that they have the same goals to protect children then a dialogue can open up on how to get more parents to vaccinate there children. People cannot disregard the goals of another if they are to act morally (Loewey & Loewey, 2000, p.35). Consequentialist Theory Does the end justify the means using the consequentiality theory? Does parents choosing not to vaccinate instead leaving it up to chance for their child to suffer from an infectious disease and put the population at risk? I know parents do not want to do no harm to the population or their child but that is exactly what they are doing by not vaccinating their kids. I am sure parents with
Whether or not to vaccinate yourself/ your child has become a very important question to ask yourself. With recent news of vaccinations having a possible link to autism and many other negative side effects, it has become increasingly more important to weigh the risks and the rewards of vaccinations. While this may be a risk, the risk of zero vaccinations worldwide would have an exponentially larger and more negative effect on the majority of the world. Vacinations are the key to achieving longevity in life not only for one person but for the whole of the human species. This leads one to ask “if everyone is vaccinated, what is the difference if I decide not to vaccinate due to inherit risks?”
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.
Recently an anti-vaccination movement has sparked a worldwide discussion about both the safety of vaccines and the responsibility of people to vaccinate. Recent outbreaks of preventable diseases have caused both fear and anger from people on both sides of the issue. These same outbreaks have also served to cause significant political tension between those against vaccines, who do not want their right to choose compromised, and many proponents of vaccines, who are calling for mandatory vaccinations.
Vaccination is widely considered one of the greatest medical achievements of modern civilization (Harvard Law School, 2007). Childhood deaths from infectious diseases were commonplace less than a generation ago; however they’re now increasingly rare due to vaccines. In order to be effective at eliminating communicable diseases, vaccines must be administrated to a sufficient level of people in the community. However, there has been plenty of controversy over the morality, ethics, effectiveness and safety of immunization. It has been argued in the past whether laws should be introduced that render some vaccines obligatory for all children (Singer, 2009). These objections may lead to an unacceptably high number of exemptions, which can compromise vaccination programs and leave the population susceptible to outbreaks. Parents argue that it is they who should have the ultimate decision-making right on whether or not to vaccinate their children. Whereas nurses and health care officials oppose that view on the grounds that by making vaccination rates in children incomplete, we expose all children to contracting the vaccine-preventable diseases. The most recent Australian Childhood Immunization Register coverage report illustrates that 92.1% of children aged 12 to 15 months have been fully immunized in Australia (ACIR, 2014). A survey was conducted for the Mansfield community to analyze and identify the factors which prevents them from vaccinating their children.The
Poliomyelitis was a highly infectious disease that spread through many Americans in the early 20th century. As a matter of fact, over 3,000 Americans died of the disease each year. Families were overwhelmingly desperate for doctors to find a cure. When one suffered from polio, they generally experienced painful symptoms which included not only fatigue and muscle weakness, but even death. Therefore, when the polio vaccine was introduced by scientist Jonas Salk in 1953, it greatly contributed to Americans in numerous positive ways. Environmentally, the vaccine saved countless young American lives affected by the disease thus decreasing American mortality rates. Socially, the polio vaccine convenienced families who were either directly afflicted
It is very important for healthcare providers to be educated on the safety concern of vaccination. Proper protocols must be taken through evidence-based research on the issue of vaccination and the risk factors that can allow stakeholders better implementation on laws that can be beneficial to parents. The stakeholder’s in the healthcare field such as patients, healthcare providers, insurance companies, organizations, and those who enforce policy main concern are the safety of these patients. The decisions most of these stakeholders make can either benefit patients or affect them. For example, the consequences parents have if their child is not vaccinated. The mandatory law of children who are not vaccinated cannot enrolled in school is unfair to parents. I believe parents should not be penalized or forced for their child to be vaccinated. If all stakeholders can reunite through evidence based research on the topic of vaccinations risk concern it can cause a positive impact on parents and alternative ways children can prevent the side
Ever since the invention of the first smallpox vaccine more than two centuries ago, there has been plenty of controversy over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, and safety of vaccination and immunization. It has recently been argued whether laws should be introduced that render some or all vaccines obligatory for all children (Singer). Parents, health care specialists, nurses, teachers and children all have an important stake in this issue. Parents argue that it is they who should have the ultimate decision-making right on whether or not to vaccinate their children. Nurses and health care officials oppose that view on the grounds that by making vaccination rates in children incomplete, we expose all children to contracting the vaccine-preventable diseases. If this is a risk some parents are willing to take, but others face unwillingly, there is obviously a propitious platform for debate. It is in fact irresponsible and a violation of good citizen when parents oppose vaccinating their children. It is important to unify certain rules related to vaccination and not make it the prerogative of a particular public or private school to decide whether or not to accept an unvaccinated child. It would only be right to end all debate by passing a binding country-wide law to make certain vaccines (against
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
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.
Public health is a main issue that a government is concerned about. It has established a variety of policies associated with public safety in order to promote the welfare of the entire population, protect people from being infected by diseases, and provide access to safety and health care for people. For several decades, all 50 states had required parents to immunize their children against various diseases as a requirement before entering public schools (Kitch E, et al), and the courts had already found that the mandatory vaccination statues for schoolkids are constitutional. As a result, the government has struggled finding a balance between protection of the public’s health and individual rights to mandatory vaccination laws since the policies became intrusive in our lives.
Should those opposed to immunization conform for the safety as a nation? I will discuss the controversial debate of those who are for and against immunization, the extent of the issue of those affected, and supported evidence in strengthening my position for immunization. By proving the negative accusations immunizations has received creating a pandemic, as opposing parents fear their child is at risk refusing immunization and putting other children in danger. Exposing unvaccinated children in public schools increases the chances of spreading an outbreak. According to a 2015 article found on Why I Choose.org by the California Immunization Coalition states an unvaccinated person infected can become a threat to others (Why I Choose, 2015). This increases the chance of being exposed to life threatening diseases, by those who refuse immunization. The government should enforce any federal or state funding programs such as: public schools, charter schools, preschools, summer programs etc. to receive the necessary immunizations to prevent an out break and create stability of a safe environment.
Vaccines prevent more than 2.5 million deaths each year (Global health, 2014). The big question, is it ethical for the government to mandate vaccinations for infants and children to be vaccinated? Many people are pro vaccination because they feel that their children will be impacted by non-vaccinated children they may come in contact with, and that the non-vaccinated child would impact their family, friends and the area population. The government does not go into the nursery area of a hospital and force immunizations on all the babies born there, nor do they require the pediatricians to give an immunization series to children when they come in for their wellness checkups. The government leaves the option out to the parents. However, the
Vaccinations are a great success to public health. However, this is a case that deals with self-sufficiency in contrast to a whole population. I will be approaching this case by using John Mill’s theory. As a doctor, your main concern is the health of a child. When a child comes in extremely ill and the parents do not agree to vaccinating the child then you are kind of stuck in the middle because you would hate seeing the child suffer. In order to save a child’s life and other children around them parents should listen to doctors and have them vaccinated. If they refused, I would politely have them go to another doctor because it is something I would lose sleep over knowing that I can save a child, as well as many others, but the parents are not cooperating. As a doctor, we have special obligations to help people in need and protect the helpless ones who cannot protect themselves against a disease. Healthy people protect themselves by getting vaccinated, this is condoned by Mill’s theory. So doctors are authorized to interfere with an individual’s freedom and self-determination because they will prevent harm to other people.
Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS) affects polio survivors several years after infection. Current prevalence and cause is unknown but researchers estimate that 25-40% of survivors experience PPS. Theories for causes include fatigue of overworked nerve cells and brain damage caused by polio. Common symptoms are progressive muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and fatigue (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke). Diagnosis relies on clinical information as there are no lab tests for PPS and symptoms vary. There are no effective pharmaceutical treatments that can stop deterioration or reverse deterioration caused by PPS. Non-fatiguing exercises may improve muscle strength and reduce tiredness (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Polio was deemed one of the most dreaded diseases in the twentieth century. This crippling diseases was mainly impacting children between the ages of six months to five years. Some theorist believe that it was more common for a infant that was passed the age of six months to develop poliomyelitis because