“In the past sixty-years, vaccines have helped eradicate smallpox and are close to eradicating polio” (11 Facts About Vaccines). According to recent studies, “vaccines prevent more than 2.5 million deaths each year”(11 Facts About Vaccines). With that information being stated, parents need to consider vaccinating their children in order to assure them against life threatening diseases. Vaccines can save children and their parents time and money, they are safe and effective, and in general can spare their lives in the long run.
Having and caring for children can be expensive and does require an extensive amount of time, especially if a child is constantly getting ill from an unknown source. After many visits to the doctor’s office, hospital,
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To ensure that they live a long and prosperous life to adulthood, they need to passionately think about vaccinating their offspring. Immunizing at a young age can spare their lives in the long run from Measles, Polio, Pneumococcal disease, and Rotavirus etc. A mother of a 10 month old boy was lucky when her son contracted the measles from another mother who brought her ill son into the waiting room of a pediatrician 's office. The parents of that 10 month old baby boy said they “spent 3 days in the hospital fearing we might lose our baby boy. He couldn’t eat or drink, so he was on an IV, and for a while he seemed to be wasting away. When he began to be able to drink again we got to take him home”(106 Degrees: A True Story). Due to the doctors catching the measles in time and taking prescriptions, the baby boy ended up recovering successfully. The boy 's mother Megan explained, “people who choose not to vaccinate their children actually make a choice for other children and put them at risk”(“106 Degrees”: A True Story). She also said that, “at 10 months, my son was too young to get the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. But when he was 12 months old, we got him the vaccine - even though he wasn’t susceptible to measles anymore. This way, he won’t suffer from mumps or rubella, or spread them to anyone else”(“106 Degrees”: A True Story). Megan’s son was one of the unlucky toddlers to catch the measles virus. He was not old enough to get the vaccine to protect him against the disease. However, now that the child has had that experience, it made the parents firm believers in vaccination and protecting them against these terrible diseases. Another example of why vaccines saves lives is when a mother (Michele) of two twin boys William and Andrew contracted the Rotavirus and it nearly almost killed them. When the children were ten months old, “they came down with severe
Vaccines are becoming increasingly hazardous for many children and parents are not being informed about the safety of their children. Current reports are linking vaccines to serious life-threatening disorders such as asthma, autism, immune system dysfunction, and mental retardation (Williams). These recent revelations are causing an increasing amount of people to claim religious and medical exemptions from vaccines. From 1999 to 2006, exemptions have more than doubled from 9,722 to 24,919 (Cronin). It is very clear that vaccinations are posing many problems for parents everywhere. Each day researchers are finding out about vaccines and are realizing that there are a lot more risks than benefits. Dr Phillip F. Incao explains: “Today, far more children suffer from allergies and other chronic immune system disorders than from life-threatening infectious disease. It is neither reasonable nor prudent to persist in presuming that the benefits of any vaccination outweigh its risk” (qtd in Spaker). While infectious diseases are becoming uncommon there is no need for any person to get vaccinated.
The fact that parents see’s vaccinations as a choice makes me think why do they see vaccinations as a “bad” thing. Then I realized just maybe some parents don’t know anything about vaccinations and prefer that they don’t put a unknown source in their baby, or maybe they are just given wrong information by other parents that don’t believe that infants should get vaccinated. I believe that every single parent should to a pediatrician/ or family doctor and ask them all the questions the have on vaccinations because at least they will get the right
North American children are now the most vaccinated on earth. Children receive about thirty-three doses of ten vaccinations by the age of five years. Not only do children need a separate vaccine for most diseases (hepatitis B, polio, Hib, and chicken pox are single vaccines; DTaP and MMR are multiple) but they generally need more than one dose of each vaccine. Because of the many vaccines needed, vaccination is an extremely controversial topic in the United States Today. Whatever side of the aisle you may fall with regard to your opinion about vaccination, one thing is for certain: the choice to vaccinate or not is a decision that has the potential to greatly impact the health of you and most importantly, your children for the rest of their lives.
This can be seen in the article Vaccine Controversies by Jane Lemons. “Public health officials say refusing to follow vaccine protocols allows diseases to spread rapidly as happened in December 2014 when a measles outbreak began at Disney Land and spread to seven states.” The measles outbreak from 2014 could have easily been avoided if all children who entered the park were indeed vaccinated. If the majority of children were vaccinated there would have been no possible way for the disease to spread. While it can't be denied, A lot of families do choose to vaccinate their children, there are still some who don't, this is seen in the article Vaccine Controversies by Jane Lemons. Although the vast majority of Americans continue to vaccinate their children, studies have found that as many as 1 in 10 parents are delaying or forgoing some or a; recommended vaccines for their children. Because some parents are delaying or forgoing all vaccinations more children are at risk of going under the influence of a fatal disease that could cut their lives too short. Fatal diseases have the ability to spread at unthinkable rates and vaccinations are used to combat these deadly diseases but if families refuse to vaccinate their children once fatal diseases could return at epidemic
“Childhood vaccines not only have personal benefits, but for entire communities and the future of public health” (Espejo 1). If a child goes without immunization, then he or she is also putting others at risk. Most parents do not consider all of the options and effects that come along with not having their child vaccinated. Many are quick to reject because of the possible side effects and harm it could cause. However, nothing in today’s world is completely harmless. An adult can easily be in a danger at work, while the child is in danger of disease at daycare. That is why it is completely necessary to vaccinate. By doing this, family, friends, and others are being protected as well (Allen 71). “There are also children who cannot get certain vaccines for medical or other reasons, and those who are too young to be vaccinated. These children have no protection if they are exposed to someone who is infected with a communicable disease” (Espejo 4). Commonly, this is not thought
A vaccination is the injection of weak disease-causing agents that help the body develop immunity against specific infectious diseases ("Why Are Childhood Vaccines So Important?"). It is through these vaccinations that children will develop immunity without suffering from the actual diseases that vaccines prevent ("Why Are Childhood Vaccines So Important?"). The field of medicine has come a long way. Vaccines are considered to be one of the public health’s greatest accomplishments to date. With the help of vaccines and public health, the overall goal is to prevent disease and promote health.
Vaccinations have been a controversial topic over the years because the benefits are inevitably invisible. People who do not receive the disease are unaware of the good that comes out of the vaccination as well as the risks. There are multiple killer diseases out in the world that could and do harm unsuspecting victims and need to be prevented; therefore, vaccinations are the solution. A vaccination is the injection of a killed or weakened organism that produces immunity in the body against that organism (vaccine.gov). Research shows that vaccinations have decreased the percentages of diseases such as Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, more than 90 percent (Immunize for Good). Even though some parents are worried about the slight risks and the money
According to “Vaccines,” an article from the Macnillan Social Sciences Library;” 1.8% of children are not receiving vaccines because their parents have refused to immunize them.” While these parents are not vaccinating their children they are putting other children at a greater risk of infection and sickness from being around their child. “Vaccines,” (Those who choose not to vaccinate are relying on those around them to be vaccinated to lessen their risk of exposure and may spread to those who cannot be vaccinated due to compromised health.) These parents are putting the community at risk, when they become sick and they go around other people that sickness will spread and it could cause an outbreak to all the un immunized people.
Vaccines are a big part of the modern world. They help our immune system in the same way someone runs a training course; preparing for something they may encounter in the future. Vaccines have many benefits that can help in the long run, that is why I stand in firm affirmation that vaccines should be required for children.
(Jane C Finlay, Noni E MacDonald, 2001). Working with Vaccine -hesitant parents. Canadian Paediatric Society. Retrieved May 3, 2013, from http://www.cps.ca
Each year, about 2.1 million people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. Many children may not receive their necessary first year vaccinations because of lack of availability, religious beliefs, and safety concerns (Healy, Rench, and Baker 540). The dictionary definition of a vaccine is a biological preparation that improves the immunity to a certain disease (Healy, Rench, and Baker 540). Although all 50 States in the United States require children to be vaccinated to certain diseases before entering school, the states also have exemptions for these vaccinations (Lu 870). Parents often choose not to get their children immunized, and it has proven harmful to the health of the global population. It is important for parents to have their children vaccinated against diseases such as measles, mumps, and polio because it is important to promote the welfare of the human race (Parkins 439).
Imagine world where no grandparent has to worry about their grandchildren contracting some horrible disease. Contracting measles not only effects children but it also effects future mothers. Contracting measles while pregnant can lead to the fetus being deformed or worse, it can lead to miscarriages. According to Frances Child, “miscarriage, stillbirth, severe heart defects, and deafness in the unborn child are all linked to measles.” Getting an immunization can prevent this and other catastrophic events. Vaccinations can save not only those who are already born, but those who have yet to open their eyes as
“Childhood vaccines are one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. Indeed, parents whose children are vaccinated no longer have to worry about their child's death or disability from whooping cough, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis, or a host of other infections.” (Ezekiel J. Emanuel, 1). Vaccines helped humanity for many years in eliminating illnesses that disfigured, disabled and a lot of times took lives away. Children who do not get vaccinated not only risk themselves by being an easy target for diseases they also, harm everyone around them. In the end, today's children are the fuel of the future. Every parent should think carefully before taking any chance that may harm the coming generation.
Those who choose not to vaccinate their children are endangering the health of those unable to be vaccinated themselves, such as infants, pregnant people, and the immunocompromised, by jeopardizing community immunity. According to vaccine.gov, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, community immunity or “herd immunity” occurs when “a critical portion of the community is immunized against a contagious disease, most members of the community are protected against that disease because there is little opportunity for an outbreak” (Community Immunity). An infographic featured in an NPR article entitled “How Vaccine Fears Fueled the Resurgence of Preventable Diseases” illustrated the rise in measles cases in Western Europe and of pertussis (whooping cough) cases in the U.S (Doucleff). In the first eight months of 2014, there were eighteen measles outbreaks, and six hundred cases of measles. This is incredibly dangerous because outbreaks give these diseases the opportunity to evolve and become resistant to vaccines, putting even vaccinated children at risk (Harmon). Parents making the decision not to vaccinate are doing so out of a place that all parents share: a desire to keep their children healthy. However, these anti-vaxxers are basing their decision not on
Despite the important and positive benefits of vaccinations, some people believe that vaccinating their children can cause serious health problems. Psychological, social, and cultural factors can also play a role in the parents’ decision in whether or not they wish to vaccinate their child (M. Ruijs., 2012). I feel that is it personal responsibility of all parents to vaccinate their children. Despite any pain or discomfort that a child may experience from the given injections, vaccinations are in the best interest of the child. It is very important to vaccinate children as it will protect them against many serious and potentially fatal diseases. Vaccinations are fast acting, harmless to the recipient, and extremely effective.