Should the United States Make All Vaccines Mandatory?
Since vaccines were invented 1924, vaccinations have prevented 103 million cases of polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis A, diphtheria, and pertussis (Welch, 2014, ¶10).
Polio went from deadly to non-existent when the vaccine for it was developed in 1955 (Welch, 2014, ¶11). Rubella went from 48,000 people a year and kill about 17, and now just infecting 17 with no fatalities. Prior to 1965, thousands of infants were born with Congenital Rubella Syndrome which caused birth defects such as hearing and vision loss, heart problems, congenital cataracts, liver and spleen damage, and mental disabilities because their mothers were infected with the rubella virus. In 2006, there was only one
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The Center for Disease Control estimates that 732,000 American children have been saved from death and about 322 million from vaccine-preventable diseases. The US Department of Health and Human Services states that vaccines are among the most effective healthcare innovations ever created (Vaccines ProCon, 2018). Vaccines are also much easier and cheaper to manufacture than it is to treat infectious diseases. There are 48 antigens give in 34 injections from birth to age six to prevent children from contracting these diseases (Welch, 2014). The usual state-mandated vaccines for children entering public school are for mumps, measles, rubella, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and varicella (chickenpox). All 50 states require children entering public school to be vaccinated; however all allow medical exemptions with 47 offering religious exemptions (except for California, Mississippi, and West Virginia), and 19 for philosophical reasons (Vaccines ProCon, …show more content…
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash, and can lead to pneumonia, hospitalization, or death. The infection can leave permanent damage to the brain and lungs. There is no antiviral medication for measles so it is easier to prevent it than to treat it. In 2016, the US had 70 confirmed cases of measles, mostly in unvaccinated people, and there were 73 confirmed cases of measles in unvaccinated children in Minnesota June 2017 alone (Howard, 2017, ¶2-3). Kristen Ehresmann, the director of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Division at the State Department of Health said, “Many of the cases could have been prevented if people had gotten vaccinated” (Ehresmann,2017, ¶4). At least 8,250 people were exposed to the measles, mostly in schools, daycares, and healthcare facilities. There were a total of 21 hospitalizations (Howard, 2017, ¶6). A situation where vaccines did stop an outbreak was in 2005 when an 18-month-old Amish girl contracted polio and spread the disease to four other children who were too young to be vaccinated, but because the community had their vaccines, the herd immunity prevented a massive outbreak (Vaccine ProCon, 2018,
The use of vaccinations have helped to eradicate small pox, measles and polio. Although recently vaccinations have become controversy once again it is important to keep updated on vaccinations, because one person could lead to a new outbreak of old diseases that have been irrelevant for hundreds of years. Vaccines are a great preventative measure to ensure that epidemics of the past don’t come back and haunt us in the future. If everyone remains vaccinated old diseases and new ones have less of a chance of becoming a wide spread epidemic which would cause chaos in the
Should vaccines be required in the United States for children to attend school? Vaccinations should be mandatory for all children of the United Sates who wish to attend school. Today American parents refuse to vaccinate their children due to a wide variety of unfounded fears. Firstly, adverse reactions to vaccines are extremely rare. Secondly, vaccines create immunity for the community and for future generations to come. Lastly, vaccines save children and their parents’ time and money. In conclusion, vaccinations are extremely critical to the control and eradication of deadly infectious
Mandatory vaccination continues to be a contentious subject in the United States, even though extensive evidence proves inoculation prevents certain diseases. According to A. Plotkin & L. Plotkin (2011), the evolution of the first vaccine commenced in the 1700’s when a physician named Edwards Jenner discovered that cowpox protected individuals from one of the deadliest diseases termed smallpox. The precise virus Jenner used is unclear; however, it was espoused in the extermination of smallpox worldwide. The researchers further explained, the unearthing of the subsequent vaccine known as chicken cholera occurred approximately 80 years later by Louise Pasteur. Ever since, copious vaccines such as rabies, yellow fever, varicella, pneumococcal, mumps and recently HPV have been introduced.
Vaccines have had an undeniably positive impact on society, and are considered to be one of the most effective ways of protecting oneself and others from harmful diseases. Due to vaccinations, smallpox has been officially eradicated since 1980 and polio has been reduced to scarce singular incidents (Bt.cdc.gov, 2007; Immunise.health.gov.au, 2015). Similarly measles has been eliminated within Australia since 2014, however the
From the birth to the age of eighteen children receive approximately thirty immunizations not counting the annual flu shot starting after six months of age. These vaccines protect against sixteen diseases that can be fatal to not only babies, but to adults as well. The diseases that can be vaccinated against are varicella also known as chicken pox, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, haemophilus influezae type B, Hepatitis A and B, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal meningitis, pneumococcal pneumonia, polio, and roto virus. Some of the many symptoms of these diseases are fever, diarrhea, muscle aches, nausea and vomiting, headaches, and breathing difficulties. Vaccines prevent the spread of these deadly diseases and should be given to all children that can receive them. There are many doubts about the effectiveness and adverse reactions to the immunizations, but in my opinion the benefits out-weight the risks.
It is estimated that vaccinations have prevented more than 100 million cases of serious diseases (Gostin, 2015). Presently, all 50 states mandate that children age 5 and older be vaccinated prior to enrolling in school, however many states have exemptions to those laws. These include exemptions for medical contraindications, religious exemptions and in 20 states there are exemptions for personal philosophical reasons (Gostin, 2015).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claim that immunizations are one of the most successful interventions in public health history (2015). The CDC is qualified to make this statement as research shows the vaccinations have eradicated smallpox and nearly eliminated the polio virus, in addition to diminishing the occurrences of preventable infectious diseases such as measles, diphtheria and whooping cough (2015). However, despite the statistics and research, in 2015, only 71.6% of the children between 19 and 35 months received the combined 7 vaccine series (CDC, 2015). This decline in vaccination rate can have devastating effects not only on the individual child, but also on the community, as a whole. Consequently,
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.
“Better safe than sorry” is a well known saying could apply to almost everything in life. However when it comes to being safe from diseases and sickness, people are putting themselves at risk to be “sorry” by choosing not to vaccinate. Requiring mandatory vaccinations for children would be a great way to make sure that everyone is “safe” rather than being “sorry.” Many vaccinations are already required in order for children entering many public schools, and they are considered very effective. A vaccination is a microorganism or toxins that have been weakened in order to help prevent disease. When given a vaccination, doctors inject some of the germs of the disease into the person. A person’s immune system tries to fight off
In the U.S., vaccines have reduced or eliminated many infectious diseases that once routinely killed or harmed many
Vaccinations are used to protect against infectious diseases. Vaccination have help death rate for disease to decline, Donald G. McNeil stated that, ‘’According to a large historical study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in November 2007, death rates for 13 diseases that can be prevented by childhood vaccinations were at all-time lows in the United States. The study looked at hospital and death records going back to 1900 and estimated death rates before various vaccines were invented,’’ (McNeil, 2008).Death rate has been declining due to vaccination protecting against thirteen diseases. Ever since vaccination has been brought, the more death rates for disease have been declining. Through the use of vaccine it have eradicated smallpox and eliminated the polio virus. The article Disease Eradication states that, “When a disease stops circulating in a region, it’s considered eliminated in that region. Polio, for example, was eliminated in the United States by 1979 after widespread vaccination efforts. If a particular disease is eliminated worldwide, it’s considered eradicated. To date, only one infectious disease that affects humans has been eradicated. In 1980, after decades of efforts by the World Health Organization, the World Health Assembly endorsed statement declaring smallpox eradicated,” (Disease Eradication). Polio is an example of disease that has been eliminated, while smallpox is an example of a disease that was eradicated. Through the use of vaccination disease are either being eliminated or
I think that vaccines should not be required and required. There are some people that think they should be required. I will be giving you evidence to why they shouldn’t be required. It will consists of the risk and concerns of requiring vaccines.
Now, many once-forgotten diseases are reappearing. TIME Magazine reported that “In 2014, the U.S. experienced a major outbreak of measles that totaled 383 cases and was primarily spreading among an unvaccinated Amish community in Ohio.” (Measles Outbreak) The number of cases of these diseases is going up when it can be easily prevented. Worldwide, “Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.” (World Health
Despite significant progress in the fight against preventable disease, millions still die needlessly each year. According to UNICEF, originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, a vaccine preventable disease is responsible for 2 million fatal infections worldwide each year. About 75% of these deaths occur in children under five years of age. (N) In more vivid terms, UNICEF notes that vaccine-preventable diseases kill a child every 20 seconds. (D) Due to high rates of childhood vaccination, the United States has experienced a dramatic reduction in such deaths. A comparison of the years 1950 and 2010 clearly illustrates the benefits of vaccinations. During this 60-year period, deaths from diphtheria reduced from 410 to 0, tetanus from 336 to 3, pertussis from 1,118 to 26, and polio from 1,904 to 0. Measles deaths dropped from 468 in 1950 to 0 in 2008, the last year a United States death rate was recorded. It’s not surprising that vaccinations have been touted as one of the top ten health achievements of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In the past 100 years vaccines have helped increase the lifespan by 30 years. Before vaccines become popular, polio affected tens of thousands of children a year. The most common killer of teenagers throughout the 1920's was Diphtheria, today Diphtheria is considered extremely rare in the United States. Without vaccines there would be between 20,000 to 25,000 cases of Hib a year. Despite the clear advantages of vaccines, there are many parents who don’t allow their children to be vaccinated.