The Pros And Cons Of Vaccination

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.

Vaccinations have gone through opposition and critics, but for the most part legislation has been slow, but treated vaccination fairly. To this day vaccination still faces many of the challenges that it faced in the early nineteenth century. The reasons have gone from personal freedom issues and just the overall effectiveness of mass immunization. The courts in the nineteenth century typically supported the enactment of mandatory vaccination programs. Most importantly for the future of mandatory vaccination policy, one important Supreme Court decision in the early part of the twentieth century acknowledged the power of state governments to mandate vaccination.

In the past, Americans did not have much say in their own health care. In today’s time, with the advent of new health-care bills and peaked interest in personal well being, Americans are now anxious to determine for themselves what they need to maintain their own and their loved ones’ health. However, there are still government-regulated requirements for people of all ages in regards to keeping the general public healthy. Vaccinations have always been a topic of contention in regards to younger children, but have been a staple of health for older adults. In fact, college requirements for vaccinations are mandatory, and failure to get the proper vaccines before college starts could result in holds on college students’ accounts or delays in

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.

There is no doubt that vaccination has been one of the greatest successes of public health programs in the 20th century. Vaccinations have eradicated naturally occurring smallpox, and have substantially reduced morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases that previously ravaged the population, such as polio and measles. Despite the successes, there has been a history of “anti-vaccinationists” in the U.S., who among other challenges, argued compulsory vaccination was an infringement upon personal liberty and their right to choice (1, 2). In fact, it took a Supreme Court decision to ultimately assert whether a state mandating vaccination infringed upon the U.S. Constitution.

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.

Public health is controversial in many cases because it requires balancing individual freedom and the greater good of society. Vaccinations can eliminate communicable diseases, but can be difficult to impose vaccinations upon individuals because of their sense of liberty. In this debate, there are those that support mandatory vaccinations to promote the health and wellbeing of the entire population and those that oppose mandatory vaccinations to protect themselves from any potential side effects. This controversy must be handled delicately by public health workers.

"In the United States, the childhood immunization schedule recommends that children receive approximately 15 vaccinations by 19 months of age, and it specifies ages for administration of each vaccination dose" (Luman, Barker, McCauley, & Drews-Botsch, 2005, p. 1367). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a vaccine is "a product that produces immunity therefore protecting the body from the disease" (Vaccines and Immunizations, 2015). Currently, there are many individuals advocating for and opposing the effects of the administration of vaccinations and immunizations in the United States. There are both legal and ethical issues surrounding the controversy, which include both deliberate and exogenous reasons not to vaccinate, and the mandatory nature that is required by many schooling districts and places of employment. Within this paper, I will discuss some legal implications surrounding vaccination, ethical debates that are current in the topic, as well as my point of view regarding immunizations and vaccinations.

Anti-vaccination movements are hurting children and the people surrounding them. On the contrast, there is a pro-vaccination movement to advocate for those who cannot protect themselves. However, this movement is diminishing due to skewed facts in the media. This only comes back to haunt the parents who do not vaccinate their child, and the people who cannot be protected against it. Using vaccinations can irradiate diseases that have evolved over the years, saving millions of lives, and giving peace to lives lost from the disease (Jacobs, Charlotte DeCroes).

Twenty-seven states have exemptions from vaccinations for either religious or personal reasons (citation needed). The issue of respecting people’s rights is a fundamental issue. But it is also a major ethical issue, pitting the wishes of individuals against the needs of the community. Immunization by vaccine saves enumerable of lives (is there a way to cite this?). Due to the protective benefits of vaccines, it is essential that as many people as possible receive vaccinations. There should be as few obstacles as possible to such a program in order to save as many lives as possible. Many argue that the government should not be able to force an individual to be stuck with a needle. Additionally, many explain that it is their personal choice,

Vaccinations first surfaced during the turn of the 19th century. It is currently a law that all school aged children receive a specific list of vaccinations in order to attend a school system of any kind. While the requirements in America are general consistent from state to state, they do vary slightly across one another. Although it is required, there is a list of exemptions that would allow parents to send their children to school without receiving the required immunizations. An example of the exceptions are, medical reasons that would mean the child is not stable enough to receive these vaccinations, or a family that has specific religious beliefs and cannot vaccinate. Those children that are not protected rely on us with able children

Since the development of vaccinations, there has been an underlying question; should vaccinations be mandatory? People know of cruel tests conducted to “save lives” while in the process of developing the vaccination. “Unfortunately, the first attempts at creating a polio vaccine were disastrous and rather primitive…(Tolsma 4)” People also know of the tribulations that saved so many others. However, people can’t help but wonder will it be safe for them or their children? People can’t help but feel that they shouldn’t have to get vaccinated because they believe mandatory vaccinations take away their amendment rights. Therefore, the question of mandatory vaccinations has been on many minds. Mandating vaccinations although saves many lives,

Ethical concerns regarding pediatric vaccinations span several viewpoints including clinicians, policymakers and parents. A parent’s concern is to protect their children. Parents want to know more about how vaccines work - the risks and side effects, vaccine ingredients, and vaccine safety - before deciding to vaccinate a child. The responsibility of the medical professional is to protect the public while preserving the rights of the patient. The ethical issues concerning childhood immunization in the United States affect policy development and clinical practice. The question of whether to vaccinate or not is a hotly debated question. The proponents of vaccinations hold that without them horrible diseases would once again plague society and are required for the public good while opponents say vaccinations are personal and should therefore be decided individually. The ethical considerations of vaccinations provide complicated views.

People always have their own values and beliefs about social issues that arise in our society. Some of these issues have been a problem for several centuries and we haven’t been properly informed to know what causes certain epidemics. One of the problems is the question whether people should vaccinate or not. Opposition of vaccinations have existed since the 1800s, it has only been these past few years that I have started to hear about the increasing negative feedback about vaccinations. The terms pro-vaccination and anti-vaccination were introduced to me recently through the medias discussion about the two. The reason people are for or against vaccinations is based on many different unanswered questions such as, religion, research, personal incident, and other values people have about the subject. I will be discussing the benefits of vaccinations versus not taking vaccinations and bringing both of the ideas together by responding to a YouTube debate.

Should children be vaccinated? This is a question that has been a hot topic for some time now. All children should be vaccinated. We often ask “Why should we have our children vaccinated”? There are pros and cons to vaccinations. Vaccinations will reduce the risk of illness, provide a safer environment, and keep the parents from worry as much. In some cases, people think they cause more harm than anything.