Disadvantages Of Immunizations

The Immunization of Children

Vaccinating children in the United States has recently become a topic of controversy. It is a hot topic nationwide, especially as some states are now pushing towards mandatory immunizations. This means all children will be required to have up-to-date immunizations to attend public school systems without the ability, or parental guardian’s ability, to opt-out for personal or religious reasons. Regardless of which side of the fence someone stands on regarding immunizations, it would be impossible for them to ignore the fact that disease outbreaks are prevalent and they are occurring all around them every day. I will be addressing both the advantages and disadvantages of one particular vaccination, MMR: measles, mumps,

and rubella. I will also be addressing the risks it poses to the children who receive it versus children who do not. Children should receive the MMR vaccine, because it protects, not only them, but those around them from the spread of measles, mumps, and rubella, all of which are currently spreading worldwide.
One of the largest advantages of receiving the MMR vaccine would be aiding in control of three major infectious diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. “Measles is a highly infectious respiratory disease that can result in severe, sometimes permanent, complications including pneumonia, seizures (jerking and staring), brain damage, and death. Symptoms include rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation, and fever.
“Mumps is caused by the mumps virus, which lives and reproduces in the upper respiratory tract. It is spread through mucus or saliva when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Mumps can lead to serious complications such as deafness, meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord covering), painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, and, rarely, death. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, followed by swelling of the salivary glands. The parotid salivary glands (which are located within the cheek, near the jaw line, below the ears) are most frequently affected, giving the cheeks a puffy appearance,” (adolescentvaccination.org).
“Rubella, also known as German measles, is a viral disease spread by contact with an infected person through coughing and sneezing. While rubella is typically mild in children, adults tend to have more complications. The main concern with rubella is infection in pregnant women; if contracted in early pregnancy, it can lead to miscarriage or birth defects, which is another reason why it is important for any female of child-bearing age to be vaccinated. Older children with rubella usually first suffer from low-grade fever, swollen glands in the neck or behind the ears, and upper respiratory infection, before they develop a rash,” (adolescentvaccination.org).
Of the three infectious diseases, measles makes the news most often. “The measles virus is highly contagious and spreads easily by contact with an infected person through coughing and sneezing. In fact, if a person has measles, 9 out of 10 of his close contacts will get it too, unless they are protected,” (adolescentvaccination.org). As the figure below indicates, the lower the local vaccination rate is, the more likely it is for others to be infected.
(“Anti-vaxxers Likely Caused 2015 Measles Outbreak,” vocativ.com).
For every one child contaminated with measles, they will infect at least three others if the local vaccination rate ranges from 75-86%. If the local vaccination rate ranges from 66-81%, a much lower percentage, that one child is likely to infect at least four others. Finally, if the local vaccination rate ranges from 50-71%, a significantly lower number than the first average, then it can be expected that that one child can infect at least five others.
This chart is not taking into account what percentage of children have been vaccinated versus the percentage of unvaccinated children. It is simply stating that, if the overall average of vaccination rates in a single community lowers, it is highly likely to see a rise in a measles outbreak. However, if this community takes early precaution and more children are vaccinated from the infectious disease before a measles outbreak occurs, then it is likely to see much lower numbers of infected persons from the measles virus. This being said, if more children receive the MMR vaccine, even after an outbreak occurs or during a measles epidemic, the numbers of infected persons will not be nearly as high, as opposed to waiting for the outbreak to occur to be immunized.
“In 2014, the United States endured the biggest epidemic since 2000, with 644 cases in 27 states,” (whyfiles.org). “Measles cases in the US are at a 15-year high, due largely to international travel. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2014, there were 23 outbreaks and 644 cases of measles in the United States, the highest number for one year since the disease was eliminated from the country in 2000. More alarmingly, from January 1 to March 1, 2015, 176 people from 17 states and Washington, DC, were reported to have measles. Most of these cases are part of a large, ongoing outbreak linked to an amusement park in California,” (adolescentvaccination.org). That “amusement park” is one of the most well-known and frequently visited amusement parks, not only in the U.S., but world-wide.: Disneyland. In 2014 alone, there were over 16 million visitors to Disneyland, (statista.com).
(“Anti-vaxxers vs. vaccine,” whyfiles.org).
Unvaccinated children are likely to blame for the epidemic that is the Disneyland measles outbreak of 2014.“In most areas affected by the Disneyland outbreak, researchers estimate that measles vaccination rates were between 50 and 86 percent—far below the estimated 95 percent required to protect the general population,” (vocativ.com). “High immunization rates in a community will protect those who cannot be vaccinated, including infants under 12 months of age. These infants are at the highest risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death due to measles,” (aap.org).
As with any medication, there are potential risks and side effects that come along with vaccinations. The most common side effects are mild, such as redness or swelling of the injection site. On the other hand, many vaccine-preventable disease symptoms can be serious, or even deadly. In some cases, the potential side effects from immunizing can be more harmful than the diseases themselves. Many parents are now choosing to opt-out of immunizing altogether in fear that the side effects of the vaccines are more threatening than the diseases themselves. Even though many of these diseases are rare in this country, they still occur around the world and can be brought into the U.S., putting unvaccinated children at risk.
One of the largest debates over childhood immunizations is whether the immunization will do more harm in a child than the actual illness or disease. In rare cases, the MMR vaccine has been reported to cause seizures, brain damage, and autism. Over the years, some have suggested that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism. The CDC stands firm that there's no evidence to support that idea, (healthline.com). “The benefits that the vaccine brings in disease prevention far outweigh any potential risks,” (Renee Alli, M.D. “Children’s Vaccines,” September 11, 2014).
For those who do not receive the MMR vaccine, there are potential risks that can be associated. Failure to receive the vaccine can potentially aid in the spread of the infectious diseases. This means for those who have received the vaccine, as well as those who have not, there will be a reasonable cause for concern that the diseases could continue to spread. Just because someone has received a vaccination, this does not make them immune to the spread of that disease. It just means if they were to contract that disease, the side effects would be much less life-threatening than if they had not received the vaccination at all.
I believe all children should receive the MMR vaccine.

The MMR vaccine protects, not only those who receive it from the spread of mumps, measles, and rubella, but those around them as well who may not be able to receive vaccinations for certain health reasons. As with any disease, I believe it is one’s duty to protect those around them by controlling the spread of the disease by taking appropriate precautions. If this means receiving a vaccination, even if it is thought to pose risks to those who receive it, by all means I believe they should still receive it. In many cases, the risks of not being protected are much more life-altering than the potential side

effects.
I do not necessarily believe that vaccinations need to be mandatory or that the government should have any say in a parent’s decision to vaccinate or opt-out. It is a parent’s right to make choices for their child until the child becomes an adult and can legally speak for themselves. I do think, however, that parents need to take other people, (children and adults alike,) into consideration when they choose not to immunize their child. By not immunizing their child, they are putting others’ health at risk, especially the young, the pregnant, and the elderly who are more likely to have weak immune systems.
Bibliography
Alli, Renee M.D.

“Measles, mumps, and rubella.” Children’s Vaccines. 11 September 2014.

www.webmd.com. 1 October 2015.

“American academy of pediatrics urges parents to vaccinate children to protect against measles.”

American Academy of Pediatrics.23 January 2015. www.aap.org. 3 October 2015.

“Anti-vaxxers vs. vaccine.” The Why Files: The Science Behind the News. 19 February 2015.

www.whyfiles.org. 3 October 2015.

“Attendance at the Disneyland theme park (Anaheim, California) from 2009-2014 (in millions).”

2015. www.statista.com. 3 October 2015.

Krisch, Joshua A. “Anti-vaxxers likely caused the 2015 measles outbreak.” 17 March 2015.

www.vocativ.com. 3 October 2015.

Krucik, George M.D. “What are the measles?” www.healthline.com. 2 October 2015.

“Measles, mumps, and rubella.” National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Vaccine-

Preventable Diseases and Infections. www.adolescentvaccination.org. 3 October

2015.