Vaccination Persuasive Essay

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.

Imagine traveling to the “Happiest Place on Earth”, Disneyland, with your family. While you are there a person that has not been vaccinated is walking around with the measles virus in their system. While that person shows no signs or symptoms of the measles, they are infecting others that haven’t been vaccinated, due to young age or other purposes. Now what turned out to be many people’s family vacations is now a life-threatening situation for some. This type of outbreak actually occurred during December of 2014, where 40 Californians were exposed to the measles at Disneyland and 91 additional cases of the outbreak strain also occurred from the people exposed affecting others (Blumberg et al, 2015). Outbreaks likes this can potentially be

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

A wise Welsh man once said, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” But, can that also be said about immunizations? According to the Medilexicon medical dictionary, “an immunization is the action of making a person or animal immune to infection, typically by inoculation.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides a more technical definition of immunizations by defining them as “the creation of immunity usually against a particular disease, treatment (as by vaccination) of an organism for the purpose of making it immune to a particular pathogen.” Most people feel that immunizations are a very important part of a health care regimen and should be mandatory for the majority of individuals. But over the past several years, questions have

Livia Simon, a six-month-old girl, as well as more than 30 other children too young to be vaccinated, were quarantined in their Oakland, California homes for three weeks following a potential exposure to measles at a local hospital. The exposure was from a child whose parents chose to refuse the common MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) vaccine that would have prevented the incident. “People say it’s a personal choice not to vaccinate but it’s a personal choice with a lot of possibly catastrophic consequences for other people.” Livia’s mom exclaims (“Should”). While this incident did not result in tragedy, it very easily could have. Imagine the fear the parents must have felt for their

Parents need to realize that the risks of not being vaccinated greatly compensate the minimal risks associated with vaccination. Diseases such as measles and mumps are entirely preventable, and if are not prevented can cause permanent disability and death. A little over a decade ago a measles outbreak amongst unvaccinated children in Philadelphia resulted in seven deaths. It is also known that children who become infected with mumps become permanently deaf. What many parents do not realize is that an outbreak can be totally

You and your significant other have just found out that you’re pregnant. You will carry the baby for 9 months and you will protect it with your own body, but what happens after birth? What kind of protection should you provide them with? The question is to vaccinate, or to not vaccinate? First off, let’s start with what a vaccine is. A vaccine is a substance that produces antibodies and provides immunity against one or many diseases. A vaccine is made up and prepared with the disease that causes it, its products, or a synthetic substitute. It’s treated to act like an antigen without producing the disease. So to simplify this, patients are injected

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. Here, the numbers suggest how critical vaccines are for well-being in 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 can help protect the health of others in one’s community. People may argue that the human immune system is strong enough to fight diseases without vaccines or vaccines could have unhealthy side effects. However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Negative outcomes are 4.5 times worse for measles and 5.8 times worse for rubella in a highly vaccinated population.(7) Sugerman and colleagues reported that despite high community vaccination coverage, measles outbreaks could occur among clusters of intentionally under-vaccinated children, at major cost to the population and public health agencies.(8) Treatment of vaccine preventable diseases are significantly more costly than vaccine use, with the expected disability-adjusted life year (DALY) loss for case of disease generally at least 100 times the loss per vaccine dose. (9) In 2011, the US experienced 16 measles outbreaks and 107 confirmed cases with the total economic burden on local and state public health institutions estimated to range between $2.7 million to $5.3 million US dollars.

The first vaccination for smallpox was discovered in 1796 by Edward Jenner; since then there have been arguments over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, and safety of all vaccinations. A vaccination is a killed or weakened organism that is used to create immunity that protects you from a particular disease without causing the suffering from the disease itself. Immunizations have saved more than a billon lives and protected civilians in the United States from life threatening diseases. During the 20th century the life expectancy in the United States has increased largely due to immunizations and also reducing the mortality rate of infectious diseases (Healthy People 2020, 2014, p.1). In today’s society there has been skepticism among parents with vaccinating their children. Although there is no scientific discovery, parents have an idea that injecting a potential harmful substance may be linked to autism, SIDS, or other threatening side effects. Vaccinations are not mandatory in the United States, people have the right to choose, but outbreaks of preventable diseases will occur when numerous parents decide not to vaccinate their children. According to the CDC, vaccine-preventable diseases are still a threat to our society (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016, p.1). Outbreaks of measles, mumps, and whopping cough have been reported since 2001 and continue to infect children in the U.S.

The overwhelming effectiveness of vaccinations has caused many individuals to focus more on the negative side of vaccines, ignoring the positive aspects, despite massive amounts of evidence supporting the safety of vaccines and their benefits. Vaccines represent one of the most important aspects of pediatric preventive care. However, several parents have increasingly questioned the safety of vaccines, as a result vaccination rates have fallen to dramatically lower levels in recent years (McClure, 2017). These objections may lead to unacceptably high numbers of exemptions, which can compromise the greater population leaving communities susceptible to outbreaks in vaccine-preventable diseases (Balding, 2006). In many communities, vaccination rates, particularly for children, have dropped below thresholds necessary to maintain herd immunity (Ropeik, 2013). What does society do when people take risks that put the lives of others in danger? Make laws and regulations that protect the common good for us all.

Do you or anyone you know have children? If so, are they vaccinated? When you have a child your first big decision about your child’s health is whether you should vaccinate them or not. Educate yourself. Do not make a decision regarding your child’s health not knowing what you are doing. When you get a vaccination, you are getting the disease that you are getting vaccinated for injected into your body, it is just dead. This way if you ever contract the virus your body has been exposed to it and knows how to fight it off. “Through vaccination, children can develop immunity without suffering from the actual diseases that vaccines prevent (Vaccines and Immunizations).” There are several reasons why getting your child vaccinated is the best choice. The number one reason being, a simple set of vaccinations could save your child’s life. People will argue and say that getting your children vaccinated is the worst thing you could do for them. Some vaccines can cause side effects, but so can taking an aspirin. These side effects are very minor and can be anything from a headache to dizziness. Some children do not feel the side effects at all. It varies from person to person. Do not take the risk of your child getting sick and get your child vaccinated.

Vaccinations have been and still are a point of contention, causing a lot of parents to debate whether children should be immunized or not. Diseases that have been eradicated for decades are now resurfacing in direct relation to parents opting out of inoculating their children. By making this choice, parents are putting children that are not their own at risk of infection. This choice, whether due to religious beliefs or inaccurate information that a vaccine could cause a seizure, autism, or death is actually creating preventable deaths. Basic research would indicate that infants get infected from other children who haven’t received vaccines causing hospitalization. Vaccinations against deadly disease save 2 to 3 million lives every year. Studies have shown, time and again, that the benefits of immunizing children far outweigh the risk of not immunizing them.

Vaccines prevent diseases that cause a number of problems and overall improve society. It is for this reason that vaccines would, prove beneficial if made mandatory. However, some have argued that vaccines induce a potential danger towards their subjects. That said danger being adverse side effects such as learning disabilities along with life-threatening diseases. Vaccines are crucial to the advancement of human society in its progression of medical science by increasing the health of individuals, communities, and future communities.

It’s that time of the year where children from all ages get vaccinated to attend school or daycares. Like always there are a few parents that don’t let their kids have the shots they need to attend a school or daycare. Should those kids be able to attend schools or daycares even without being vaccinated? Would they be a threat to the other kids that did receive their vaccines? These are questions that many responsible parents today ask themselves. A parent who does not let their kids receive their shots are not only risking other kids from contracting the disease but they are also playing with the life of their own kids. Not getting your child vaccinated means that he or she will have stronger and more lethal symptoms of diseases that are not as common today. An example would be chicken pox. Chicken pox was very lethal back around the 1700s and there was no cure for it. Since chicken pox was highly contagious, it was easily contracted. When scientist came up with a vaccine, it saved many lives by people building up an immunization towards the disease. Today it’s very rare to hear about cases dealing with this disease because people are already immune to the disease. This is why vaccinations should mandatory because it reduces the risk of disease, it will protect future generations, and it saves parents time and money.