Mandatory Vaccinations: Protecting Herd Immunity

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A tremendous controversial topic at this point in time would be whether or not vaccinations should be mandatory. Many parents are conflicted on whether or not giving their child vaccinations is truly protecting them or if it could possibly cause harm. Another side would be the parents urging others to get vaccinations for their children who depend on the herd immunity. As children go throughout public school where students have certain vaccinations required to attend, parents are outraged at the fact of a vaccination being mandatory. I will argue that vaccinations should stay mandatory to those under the age of 18 years old (unless medical reasons are present) to protect the herd immunity and keep certain diseases in the past. The following quote from The New England Journal of Medicine really brings some incredible points to the table. “Young children are often at increased risk for illness and death related to infectious diseases, and vaccine delays may leave them vulnerable at …show more content…

Diseases that we have heard about in history could be coming back to haunt us. Huge news magazines such as TIME Magazine has addressed the issue.
Measles has made a comeback, at least in New York City, where as many as 19 cases have been confirmed. New York City isn’t an anomaly, though. Diseases that are and have been avoidable in the U.S. thanks to vaccines, are resurfacing all across the country. Measles, for instance, was considered wiped out in 2000, but there have been several outbreaks in the past few years. The emergence of these diseases — especially measles — is alarming, and mostly due to parents in the U.S. not vaccinating their kids. (Sifferlin)
People are truly concerned with these diseases coming back and I fully agree. If we don’t take action soon and protecting children who can’t make the decision for themselves, we are at risk of not only endangering their lives but anyone of whom they are

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