Children commonly get vaccinations from birth and all throughout their childhood. This high number of immunizations, which would be about forty or more by age 18, is quite a lot and can be seemingly excessive. Babies can receive up to four to five vaccinations at a time during their well-baby visits at the doctor’s office. Vaccinations are meant to protect against childhood diseases, some of which are highly contagious and can be fatal, but do we really need all forty of them? With the better healthcare and the adoption of healthy lifestyles, it hardly seems necessary that all vaccinations are needed. Schools can be a danger zone for sickness and disease, but if other families are able to maintain a healthy living, there is less risk. Mandating …show more content…
Doctors always assure that side effects are rare and if there are any, they are very minimal, such as soreness, redness, and fever. What we hear in the media of vaccines being linked to autism may have been debunked, but there have been studies of other side effects as well. The chapter on “Neurologic Disorders” in The Institute of Medicine’s Adverse Effects of Vaccines, states that “it is biologically plausible that injection of an inactivated virus, bacterium, or live attenuated virus might induce in the susceptible host an autoimmune response by deregulation of the immune response” (IOM, 48). This means that it is possible that a vaccine can cause a person’s immune system to attack the person’s own cells and tissues, causing demyelinating diseases such as encephalomyelitis or multiple sclerosis. Other side effects and harm vaccines can cause are anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening allergic reaction, and death from “administration of live viral vaccine [that] could cause a systemic infection in the recipient” (IOM, 60, 277). So although most vaccines are “safe”, there is always the risk of side effects that are as harmful or more deadly than the disease
“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.
The extent of adverse reactions to vaccines is crippling. Every year, there are more than 20,000 vaccine adverse reaction reports that are filed with the US government (Merino 17). 13% are classified as serious, including death, lifelong disability or life-threatening illness (“Vaccines ProCon”). Considering that almost all Americans are vaccinated makes these numbers seem less significant. However, it is estimated that less than ten percent of adverse reactions are reported (“National Vaccine…”). This means that over 200,000 people in America are possibly affected in a negative way by vaccines per year.
diseases, many of which are deadly. Some people seem to think vaccine side effects can cause
Yes, there are risks with any medical procedure, and vaccinations are no exception and there is no denying the fact that people have died from vaccinations, however, most of these deaths such as the death of the son of King George III occurred in the late 18th century, a time far removed from our own. For those who cite the disaster at Cutter laboratories which resulted in the inoculation of patients with active poliovirus which resulted in the deaths of ten individuals and the paralysis of “nearly 150” it is important to remember than while this without question is a tragedy which should not be minimalized, this occurred in 1955 when regulations and protocols were nowhere near as strict as they are now. Most people have at one time taken acetaminophen, yet they no longer worry that they would drop dead of cyanide poisoning as was the case for seven people in 1982 (Fletcher, 2009). The notion that the development of Autism or Autism-spectrum disorders are linked to vaccinations such as the measles mumps and rubella, or MMR vaccine resultant from a falsified report by a gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield and colleagues who stated that 8 children developed Autism due to MMR vaccination which caused which caused “intestinal inflammation that led to translocation of usually no permeable peptides to the bloodstream and, subsequently, to
Vaccines can have bad side effects. There are always risks when being vaccinated, but there are risks with anything in life everyday when you wake up and get in a car or get on a bus you are putting your life at risk. If receiving a vaccination has better odds of saving you than harming you, your best bet is to go ahead and get it and take the risk. The diseases we have in Ame...
Just like prescription drugs, vaccines can be a harmful risk. For example, the small pox vaccine that is recommended by government health officials carries a risk for complications like inflammation of the brain which can lead to damage of the brain or even death. People who believe we should have mandatory vaccinations will say that vaccines have saved many lives, and though its true vaccines have also caused many serious and sometimes fatal side effects. There are also many cases where many parents strongly believe that some vaccines may have caused autism in their children. The reason being that many parents noticed shortly after their child was vaccinated they noticed symptoms like loss of language abilities and they were suddenly stopped interacting with people. Also, the vaccines used to treat measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) are linked to many autism cases. Vaccines that contain thimerosal, which is an organic compound that contains mercury, has also been suspected to cause autism in children. Thimerosal has been removed from most vaccines because of its linkage to autism. Scientist believe that MMR vaccines trigger a regressive form of autism, because the measles virus in the vaccine embeds itself in the intestine, causing some kind of reaction in the brain. Mercury, a chemical element, is used in a lot of vaccines can be very dangerous. High levels of
According to The Health Wyze Report, there is an undeniable connection between autism and vaccinations in addition to many others, such as Guillain Barré syndrome, which is permanent paralysis. T Anti-Vaccine Scientific Support Arsenal states, “Andrew Wakefield’s colleague who co-authored the MMR study that linked the MMR vaccine to autism, has been exonerated and his studies have been confirmed (“Vaccines DO Cause Autism-Undeniable Scientific Proof”). Vaccines are supposed to protect people from diseases, but nearly all vaccines lose their effectiveness over time. Sometimes, people become infected by vaccines because of the live viral strands used. They end up getting the exact disease they were seeking protection from. The chances of catching some of these diseases we are vaccinated for are remote and the side effects from the vaccines are so common that it does more damage than good to our bodies. Regardless of whether or not you agree or disagree with vaccines, there are side effects. The CDC lists the mild, moderate, and severe side effects of each vaccine. Although rare, sometimes people have adverse effects. For example, the mild risks from the DTaP vaccine include fever, vomiting, soreness/tenderness/redness/swelling where the shot was given, and swelling of the entire arm or leg where the shot was given. Moderate and uncommon problems include seizure, nonstop crying, and high fever.
In recent years, the correlation between vaccines and autism has become the subject of much debate. On one side, there are the anti-vaccinators, or anti-vaccers. On the other, there’s pretty much everyone else. Despite the fact that the anti-vaccination movement has little base in scientific fact, their campaign to end early infanthood vaccinations rages on. While doctors and scientists try desperately to make parents look at the research studies, vaccination rates continue to fall. But, even in these dark times, there is still hope that scientific fact will prevail and defeat the anti-vaccination fear mongers who have caused many children to fall ill and even die because their parents did not properly vaccinate them. This is one of the most saddening scientific failures of the twenty-first century. A failure to educate the public properly has resulted in child, even infant, fatalities. The anti-vaccination movement was started based on falsified data and continues only because of a lack of knowledge and proper education of the general public.
Those who actively pursue denying the rights of others while trying to further their cause lead to a hatred against their movement. Vaccines, while an important aspect in maintaining proper health they should not be absolutely mandatory. The choice of vaccination should be left to the parents, as it is their right to nurture and care for their kids as they see fit(Anthony). Furthermore, a governmental mandate on vaccination causes many issues, it denies rights to the parents, it denies right to the grown adults and it taxes those who don’t comply. This strategy is not a very American approach, it is a strict mandate, and order then to conform. This goes against the American concepts of individualism(Anthony), this concept is Communist. There are also many circumstances that mandatory vaccination neglects, this includes the civil liberties granted to all citizens by the first amendment, and the equal protection granted by the 13 amendment(US Constitution). There are many reasons why the idea of mandatory
How would you feel if your child was to catch a deadly disease at school from another student that had not been vaccinated. For many years, vaccinations have been forced unto babies and smaller children to help prevent a future epidemic such as the ones from many centuries ago. Later within the years after vaccinations seem to have been proven effective and slightly popular, they became mandatory for a student to be vaccinated before being able to enroll into a school. Most parents went along with the new rule ,but there were still many parents that strongly disagreed and felt that it violated their liberty to make decisions for their child 's lives. I personally believe that vaccinations should be forced among students for reason such as: combat deadly diseases, suppress
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. There have been many issues surrounding vaccinations all around the world.
Not only are we not allowing our body to build an immunity on it’s own, but we are also traumatizing our children by making them receive shots on a routine basis. There are many reasons that vaccinations should not be mandatory, but the most important are the number of vaccinations, ineffectiveness, and side effects. The number of vaccinations a child receives, in the first six years of his/her life, has increased dramatically. According to “Vaccine Controversies” by Kathy Koch, “Today, an American child receives up to 39 doses of 12 different vaccines, most given during the first two years of life. And, unlike in previous decades, today’s youngsters are given multiple inoculations on the same day” (643).
The Anti-Vax Issue According to World Book Advanced Encyclopedia, immunization is defined as the process of protecting the body against disease by means of vaccines or serums (Hinman). While medical science backs up the efficiency and necessity of vaccines, within the past decade, a rise in parents disbelieving the medical community and neglecting to immunize their children has occurred. This “fear of vaccines” is nothing new, but with the ever-increasing safety of vaccines, the benefits of inoculation far outweigh the risks. Parents who refuse to vaccinate, or anti-vaxxers, put more than their children’s lives on the line, but also risk the safety of the whole community. Because vaccines are essential to protecting individuals and communities
Recently the number of parents who are intentionally delaying their children’s general vaccinations is increasing. The controversy that is causing the number of delayed vaccinations to go up is based on the fact that there are negative articles connecting them to autism and other similar diseases. When parents are researching vaccinations and they read those negative articles, those articles make them believe that vaccines cause autism. Vaccines are important because they protect humans from preventable diseases and getting them could save human lives. Vaccines are important throughout life no matter what some research suggests. Parents are now more likely to intentionally delay vaccines because of negative press, even though vaccines
For innumerable centuries, unrelenting strains of disease have ravaged society. From the polio epidemic in the twentieth century to the measles cases in the latter half of the century, such an adverse component of nature has taken the lives of many. In 1796, Edward Jenner discovered that exposure to cowpox could foster immunity against smallpox; through injecting the cowpox into another person’s arm, he founded the revolutionary concept known as a vaccination. While many attribute the eradication of various diseases to vaccines, many United States citizens are progressively beginning to oppose them. Many deludedly thought that Measles had been completely terminated throughout the United States; however, many children have been patronized by