Negative Essay On Vaccines

Kareena Patel
Mrs. Feuerbach
Advanced LA II
05 December 2017
Vaccines: A Life-Changing Medication
“In 1736 I lost one of my sons...by the smallpox...I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.” — Former president of the United States, Benjamin Franklin. Our president had supported vaccines when they were just released, despite the risks involved. With our modern today, our vaccines are even safer and more risk-free than in the 1700s. Vaccines

They believe some vaccines have side effects that are too risky for children, such as the measles vaccines (Maron). In fact, according to Dina Fine Maron, a journalist of medicine and health, “After receiving the first shot of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination, for example, a child has a roughly one in 3,000 chance of developing a fever that leads to a seizure” (Maron). Such a risk could deter parents from taking that chance because the possibility of a seizure is too dangerous to even risk. This risk has persuaded parents to avoid vaccinating their child in hopes of protecting them. Although the opposition may believe the side effects are too dangerous, they are actually quite mild and have a very small probability of occurring. According to Gabrielle Principe, a professor of Psychology at the College of Charleston, “The risk of an infected infant dying of pertussis is about one percent, but the risk of an infant dying from the pertussis vaccine is practically nonexistent” (Principe). In fact, the threat that these diseases pose, are actually very slim. So why do people insist on using the side effects as their main argument against vaccines? Because they don’t have any better reasons. They continue to ignore the scientific evidence to ensure their illogical perspective makes sense. Vaccines evidently are not serious threats when compared to the disease itself. They are portrayed as a dangerous, threatening, and harmful weapons, ones that could be used to mortally wound someone, or worse, kill someone to avoid using them. The reality is vaccines rarely harm anyone and the chance of any real damage is little to none. The side effects are over exaggerated to encourage others to stop vaccination. Consequently, vaccines provide no threat and are safe to