Vaccines And Its Effects On Society

Vaccination protects the spread of diseases around us. Getting vaccinated doesn’t only mean helping yourself, it means helping other people around you too. “The U.S. has seen 118 cases as of mid-May, compared with the 56 cases a year from 2001-2008” (Ropeik). This is important because it’s saying that the rate of vaccination is decreasing, which disease will be increasing. We shouldn’t let this continue because diseases would be spreading faster than ever. We should be alarmed and need to take action for our future and get vaccinated now. Getting vaccinated means protecting ourselves and our community. That’s the reason why vaccine were there in the first place, to

“Why should I get vaccinated? It is just a waste of time and money. I never got vaccinated before and never will.” That’s what one of my colleagues said when he was asked to get vaccinated during the outbreak of SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, few years ago in Mongolia. Then, I had reasoned him that disease comes all of a sudden and it is more serious than he thinks. As reported on CDC, Centers for Disease Control, 40 percent of all American parents were refusing one or more vaccines for their children (Willrich 3). So it is clearly one of the most significant public health issues today. There are lots of people who hold the belief against vaccination because of several reasons. Even though there is a public notion that vaccine

Diseases and illnesses are studied constantly by doctors and scientists trying to find a cure for them. Plague and disease once ravaged our world killing thousands, with no hope or cure to prevent them from occurring. Today, however, is different. Technology is more advanced than ever, and people are living longer than ever before. Life expectancy in the United States has gone up by more than 30 years in the last decades. It isn’t by luck that many diseases now cease to exist, but through extensive studies, and research. The medical field is at the height of its studies with more people being cured of diseases than ever before. Most of this is to the credit of doctors and scientists developing vaccinations that help the body create antibodies, which help fight away diseases, and give the body immunity. I believe that forced vaccinations in children should be mandatory as they have the potential to prevent life threatening diseases, and save countless lives. Though many are against forced vaccinations and say they can cause mental illnesses or brain damage, this has not been proven. The rewards far out way the slight risk, if risk at all of the vaccination having side effects. The individuals who are not vaccinated are left vulnerable to illness, and can potentially infect those around them as well. Leaving scare of an epidemic, and wide spread of a virus. Forced vaccinations in the United States have been beneficial by preventing young children from contracting certain

Children with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia have to get treatment then after they have been cleared they have to get two-three years of maintenance therapy (Holsinger,2012). During this time they will have a compromised immune system. They can still get vaccines but because of the therapy they are receiving the vaccines are not as effective (Holsinger, 2012). If they were to contract a disease like measles it would be much worse for them because of their immune system. If other people vaccinate it stop the outbreaks and lets the people who cannot be vaccinated be a little less concerned about infectious diseases. Also some people are allergic to the ingredients in the vaccines they cannot get them. It is very rare to be allergic but it does happen (Shapiro, 2015) . Some people are allergic to they but only get a small reaction that is not life threatening they could still be vaccinated. Newborn babies are too young for some vaccinations and they can get sick from people who are not vaccinated. (Pemberton, 2015). There is herd immunity which if about 95% of the population is vaccinated it prevents an outbreak since the people are vaccinated they get the disease but their immune system fights it off and then it can no longer spread to other people (Pemberton, 2015). Some people choose not to vaccinate because of allergies but a lot of people who choose not to vaccinate are doing it because

Since the early 1800’s vaccinations have been significant factors in eliminating many contagious diseases and, for the most part, have been an accepted part of preventative medicine in our nation. Veritably eradicating often fatal diseases such as smallpox, polio, and cholera, vaccinations have been vital in contributing to a healthier and more disease free world.

Having it be mandatory for children to get vaccinations is critical for the health and safety of themselves and others around them. Vaccines protect the herd. Herd immunity is where only a percentage of people get vaccinated to protect them and others around them. When a population gets vaccinated for any contagious disease, it is

For many years, there has been a controversy about whether or not vaccinations should be mandated for everyone. In the United States, many diseases such as polio, diphtheria, measles, and whooping cough used to be extremely common, until vaccinations came around and started preventing these diseases. The main point for vaccines is to prepare a person’s immune system for any possible attack of a disease that comes in the future; a person’s body will be prepared to fight off the disease with the vaccine (“Basics”). Vaccines have the ability to prevent many cases of these diseases in advanced, but there are people who think vaccines are unnatural and should not be required for their children. It is said that immunity in child vaccines are about 90%-100%, which is an increase over the past few years (“Childhood”). Although many Americans believe that vaccines are unsafe and cause autism in children, vaccinations for children should be mandatory because they can save a child’s life, create herd immunity in a community, and they have been proven safe/cost-effective.

Vaccinations are a substance given to patients that provides acquired immunity to a specific disease. They contain either a live weakened part of the virus or an inactive form created from a dead version of the viruses, causing the body to produce antibodies that will attack the virus if the body later comes into contact with the disease. Thus, a person can reduce the severity of the disease or eliminate the contraction of the disease completely. However, vaccinations have become a controversial topic and parts of the population refuse vaccinations for various reasons. The result is a reduction in vaccinations, causing epidemics of deadly and high communicable diseases once gone due to vaccinations. Although some proven dangers to immunization exist, the benefits to the vast majority of people outweigh the rare risks.

Immunizations were created to keep children and adults healthy and safe. Edward Jenner administered the world’s first vaccination known as the smallpox vaccine, which had killed millions of people over the centuries (). Jenner administered the vaccine on an eight year old boy who he exposed to the fluid of a cowpox blisters, the boy developed a blister which eventually went away. Jenner then exposed the boy to the smallpox disease and the boy did not get sick, this led to the smallpox vaccine and the drastic decline in the smallpox disease. Fast-forward three centuries later and the small pox diseases is eradicated do to people receiving the vaccine. Immunizations are extremely important to the world’s overall health. Babies and children are most vulnerable to disease because they are son young and their organs and bodies are growing at a rapid rate. It is important for children to be immunized against vaccine preventable diseases such as: rubella, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough), and a host of other diseases. High vaccination coverage has significantly reduced vaccine-preventable disease morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially among children (Baggs et. al., 2011). While some people focus on the cons of vaccinations, there are many pros to children receiving vaccinations.

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.

Vaccinations help keep the risk of illness down in many ways. For example, when children attend school, they are required to have certain shots before entering. If every child is vaccinated properly, the rate of sick children will decrease. Many people travel a lot. Research shows that we shouldn’t be vaccinated against diseases that aren’t in our country. However, they are wrong because if people are traveling with their children to another country, they are more than likely to bring a disease back home. If we are already vaccinated prior to the incident, it will help reduce the chances of other children becoming ill. If we can help keep our children safe, we should do so by any means necessary.

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 paper examines the controversy surrounding the public health issue of vaccinations in children. Following a careful review of the literature surrounding this issue, the possible reasons for and implications of having a large percentage of the population who remains unvaccinated are discussed. Possible interventions and purposed interventions for resolution of this problem are discussed and conclusions are drawn based on what it learned from the literature.

In these days of modern medicine, most children are vaccinated early in life for diseases such as rubella, measles, and tetanus. Vaccines have been perfected to shield and protect our body from seriously life threatening diseases that could have the potential to wipe out large populations. Most of America and a lot of western countries see vaccines as beneficial and a common necessity for their children and themselves. However, this view has not always been accepted. In fact, vaccines were only first widely considered to be helpful for diseases when a man named Louis Pasteur began experimenting with rabies. We will start our journey of microbiological history with the discovery of anthrax and move forward through the creation of Pasteur’s rabies vaccine.

“Proponents argue that vaccination is safe and one of the greatest health developments of the 20th century. They point out that illnesses, including rubella, diphtheria, and whooping cough, which once killed thousands of infants annually are now prevented by vaccination” (“Vaccines”). Many deaths occur simply because children, along with adults, do not get the required shots needed. Medical treatments are not given to do a person any harm, but to keep a person and environment safe. Kids being vaccinated will give them less of a possibility to obtain a disease that could lead to death. Benefits outweigh any possibility of risking accumulating a disease. When people say that vaccinations are harmful, does not necessarily mean to develop a deadly disease, simply means some small risks. “Vaccines are not entirely harmless, but the small risks are outweighed by the benefits of a disease prevention” (Offit). Indeed flu shots must be tested in order to be able to give anyone the shot. Receiving vaccinations is only meant to help people prevent many illnesses and deaths. Although some small risks could be accumulated, those small risks are very small possibilities of anything happening to anyone. Getting immunized is not a one-time thing; people must follow up on required dates to receive them.