The Vaccination Scandal

1020 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The debate over vaccinations

Imagine an outbreak, one of the most infectious viruses that thrives most in adolescents or infants, lets say the measles, happens in your hometown. Presumably, you and your family are all safe, for you have all been immunized. But your neighbor’s child (for now, lets say Tim) has yet to get vaccinated, and his parents refuse. Tim’s parents have strict moral values, which infringe on his ability to get the medication he genuinely needs. They believe vaccinations cause autism, vaccines do more harm than good, and by not immunizing, their kids build up a stronger immunity. Aside from the paranoia and false side effects vaccines cause, they can help to build up your immune system and are a necessary part in a normal, functioning, individual’s life.
Why are vaccinations an important part of modern medicine? because without them, diseases like mumps, measles, chicken pox, rotavirus, meningitis, and many more can spread easily and again become a problem. Without the child becoming exposed to attenuated viruses at an earlier age, their body’s immune system will not know how to defend itself, and symptoms will be a lot more drastic. Vaccinations cause autism in adolescents? it has never been proven scientifically through years of research; Fraudulent data has always been the outcome.
It’s certainly true that vaccinating your child at an early age is very risky, and can cause them to get very sick. But while concerned parents are in fear of their child’s health, it is also true that “all living things are subject to attack from disease causing agents (“Human”). Otherwise put, your child will get sick no matter how protective you are of him or her. The immune system is designed to target, fight, and destroy foreign substances of the bod...

... middle of paper ...

.... from "Reinventing Project

Bioshield." Science 333.6047 (2 Sept. 2011). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 15 May
2014.

Francis, Karl F. "The Vaccination Controversy: Background." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 15 May 2014.

"The Human Immune System and Infectious Disease." Historyofvaccines.org. Web. 19 May 2014.

"International Medical Council on Vaccination." Vaccinationcouncil.org. Web. 19 May 2014.

Melvin, Lindsay. "Vaccinate or Not?" Commercial Appeal 2011 nov 27: M.1. Web. 15 May 2014.

"Salk Announces Polio Vaccine." History.com. Web. 19 May 2014.

"The Vaccination Controversy: Overview." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society.

ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 15 May 2014.

“Vaccines.” Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Global Issues in

Context. Web. 7 May 2014.

Show More
Related

  • The Controversy of Mandatory Childhood Vaccinations

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is a war going on against parents that refuse to vaccinate their children. It is coming from the government that makes and enforces laws requiring parents to vaccinate their children, hostile parents of vaccinated children, and doctors that refuse to see unvaccinated children. They are concerned about the potential health risk unvaccinated children pose to the public. These parents aren’t lunatics but are concerned parents that are trying to make the best choice for their children. In fact, these parents aren’t fighting alone; a number of pediatricians and medical experts are apart of this crusade and have taken the lead. They will tell you there is an agenda, “Vaccine manufacturers, health officials, medical doctors, lead authors of important studies, editors of major medical journals, hospital personnel, and even coroners, cooperate to minimize vaccine failings, exaggerate benefits, and avert any negative publicity that might frighten concerned parents, threaten the vaccine program and lower vaccination rates.” 4

    Read More

  • The Vaccine War

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Frontline episode The Vaccine War, a progressively distressful debate ensues among many scientists and doctors within the public health system and an unnerving alliance of parents, politicians, and celebrities. The topic of debate is the overwhelming pressure parents feel to vaccinate their children and their right to decline such vaccinations. In several American neighborhoods, groups of parents have been exercising their right to refuse vaccinations, which has elevated anxiety on the return of vaccine-preventable diseases such as pertussis and measles. The reason such parents are denying their children various vaccines such as the MMR “triple shot” for measles, mumps, and rubella is because they are convinced that it is linked to autism, a link that has yet to be proven. Many of these parents are focused solely on their children, not taking into account that their decision may put the American populace at risk for disease. Such parents are not thinking about other members of society that vaccines don’t work for, and in certain adolescents the effects deteriorate, thus only when every person is immunized the “heard immunity” is successful.

    Read More

  • The Vaccine War

    942 Words  | 2 Pages

    After watching The Vaccine War, the main concerns of vaccines are public safety, the aftermath of injecting harmful chemicals into ones’ body and the parents that choose not to vaccinate their children. In the beginning of the documentary, a mother, Jennifer Margulis, states she felt like it was not needed for her newborn child to be vaccinated for a sexual transmitted disease. She feels like the ingredients are scary for a young child to take in with an immature immune system. The other issue is a massive outbreak of disease that could have been prevented. The Center of Disease Control is carefully watching the town that Ms. Margulis lives, Ashland, Oregon, because it’s the least vaccinated places in America due to parents opting out of vaccines.

    Read More

  • Vaccines: The Pros And Cons Of Vaccines

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to the CDC, all vaccines carry a risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) in about one per million children. Most vaccine-preventable diseases can cause serious or life-threatening infections in infants and young children. For example, exposure and infection with polio can occur at a very young age and can cause paralysis, so the vaccine should be given to infants as soon as possible. People should be aware of what vaccines are capable of doing other than saving lives, because of the life threatening effects, the harmful ingredients, and vaccines are unnatural. Vaccines are not just a poke into a person’s body.

    Read More

  • Vaccinations: Know the Risks and Failures

    1626 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Vaccinations are causing a major upsurge in childhood diseases, adult maladies, and even deadly ailments such as Gulf War Syndrome and Lou Gehrig’s disease” (Blaylock). Every now and then an individual’s doctor calls telling them about the latest vaccine they should receive. The person immediately schedules a time to come in and get it done. But do they even give a second thought about it? Have they ever thought that maybe they do not need another vaccination? Many people have not taken the time to seriously think about the process of immunization. The truth is, there are many dangers that the average person should be unaware of. Rarely do vaccines actually accomplish what the public has been told. In fact, a lot of vaccines contain harmful substances that have been linked to disorders such as autism. The lack of education and dishonesty from doctors are putting people in danger of health problems without even realizing. Many parents feel obligated for their children to get vaccinated because of school, not knowing they have the alternative option of refusing immunization.

    Read More

  • The Harmful Effects of Vaccines

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Vaccinations: Health Savior or Hidden Threat?

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    The controversy concerning parents vaccinating their children has been a debate for many years. A vaccination is an injection of a weakened or killed organism that produces immunity in the body against that organism. In further detail: when germs such as bacteria or viruses, invade the body, they attack and multiply. This is then called an infection (an infection is what produces illness). When the immune system realizes, it then must fight back the infection with antibodies that the human body produces against the foreign substance. Once the infection is fought off, the body is left with a supply of cells that help recognize and fight off that specific disease in the future. Vaccinations

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Vaccines

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    Parents should make sure that their children are vaccinated to ensure that they do not develop any preventable illnesses. Children do not want to deal with being sick, and parents do not like to handle a child who are experiencing physical illnesses. You can save money through vaccinations. They do not cause harm to your child, especially not in any form of brain damage. They allow us to live longer by developing an immunity to certain diseases. Vaccines are an essential aspect to our lives that you must get for your children; they allow us to live a long, happy, and healthy

    Read More

  • Vaccination Argumentative Essay

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    Vaccinations prevent deadly diseases from spreading but if parents neglect to immunize their child they are at a greater risk of contracting a fatal disease and spreading it to other people. Other parents who neglect vaccinations do so in fear that their child will fall ill or develop autism because of important diseases but there is an extensive amount of safety and care that goes into vaccines before they are released to the public ensuring they are safe for use. Another problem that could occur due to parents refusing vaccination is fatal diseases of the past could rise again causing mass death and illness of others. Immunization has affected the world in many different ways, it has protected new youth and has saved the lives of many generations. Without vaccination, the world population would drop significantly. Immunization has affected the world by protecting the world's youth and the population as a whole. Without these crucial vaccinations, the world would not be the same and as healthy as it is now. Mumps, Measles, Whooping Cough, Smallpox, Polio and, Diphtheria are all diseases that were once death sentences are now combated by vaccinations that are saving lives of everyone around the

    Read More

  • Understanding the Crucial Importance of Vaccines

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    The correlation exists because some children developed signs of autism shortly after being vaccinated. However, the only real relationship between the two is the timing of early childhood vaccinations and the first appearance of symptoms of autism (“Top 20 Questions”). Unfortunately, because of this many parents choose not to get their children vaccinated. This leads to many children facing serious illnesses and possibly infecting others, because parents believe the illness is less of a risk compared to ASD even though there is no proof. A 2013 CDC study added to the research showing that vaccines do not cause autism spectrum disorder. The study looked at the number of antigens from vaccines during the first two years of life. The results showed that the total amount of antigen from vaccines received was the same between children with ASD and those that did not have ASD (Knopf). This shows that although it is not a proven fact that vaccines cause autism it is very unlikely. Therefore, parents should ensure that their children are vaccinated because they have nothing to fear. Vaccines are only beneficial to the child's

    Read More

  • The Benefits Of Vaccination

    1281 Words  | 3 Pages

    Vaccines are a controversial topic. While there are many benefits to getting vaccinated, there are also some concerns. The benefits include immunization against many deadly diseases, debilitating diseases, and other simply annoying diseases. The concerns include everything from fears about vaccines causing autism, feeling they aren’t necessary for what they cost, and contracting the disease from the vaccines. While certain concerns may be valid, others are much less so, and will be examined and explained why I would choose to vaccinate my child.

    Read More

  • The Vaccine War Argumentative Analysis

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    Those fears are what motivate parents not to vaccinate their children. Many parents hear stories of children who go in for vaccinations and soon after develop autism or other neurologic disabilities, and decide that vaccines should not be given to children. Government agencies and medical research centers have gone through study after study in an attempt to disprove the theory that vaccines cause autism, and so far,

    Read More

  • Difference Between Vaccine And Vaccination

    2306 Words  | 5 Pages

    This means children receive more than one vaccination for every time they arrive at the pediatrics office. Many parents question if too many vaccinations overwhelm a child’s immune system. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no evidence suggests that the recommended childhood vaccinations can “overload” the immune system. In contrast, when infants are born, they are exposed to bacteria and viruses. Eating food introduces new bacteria to the digestive system. Most microorganisms cause no problems. Many found in the digestive system produce life- sustaining nutrients, which are essential for good health. When infants play with toys, they are also introducing new bacteria and viruses to their body. According to Brody, when a child puts things in their mouth, they are allowing their immune system to explore the environment. Not only does this allow for practice of the immune responses, but it plays a crucial role in teaching the mature immune system response to what is best ignored. Infant immune systems easily handle weakened or killed vaccine antigens (immunization). Therefore, vaccinations are little compared to what children face every

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Vaccinations

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    Vaccines against diphtheria, polio, pertussis, measles, mumps and rubella, and more recent additions of hepatitis B and chicken pox, have given humans powerful immune guards to ward off unwelcome sickness. And thanks to state laws that require vaccinations for kids enrolling in kindergarten, the U.S. presently enjoys the highest immunization rate ever at 77%. Yet bubbling beneath these national numbers is the question about vaccine safety. Driven by claims that vaccinations can be associated with autism, increasing number of parents are raising questions about whether vaccines are in fact harmful to children, instead of helpful (Park, 2008).

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Anti Vaccination

    1215 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

More about The Vaccination Scandal

Open Document