Why Vaccines Should Be Mandatory Essay

Protecting Our Communities: Why Vaccines Should be Mandatory
For parents, hearing their children cry is like a stab to their heart. The restless nights are full of anguish for the parents, and pain for a child with measles. This disease, and many like it, can be completely eradicated simply by taking children to get vaccinated. Throughout history, plagues and diseases have jeopardized civilizations and cultures. Modern medicine now provides protection against these diseases; it is a shame some parents still refuse this life saving aid. Vaccinations should be mandatory because they help keep our children, communities and future generations safe; they also provide the possibility of a world without Human Papillomavirus, whooping cough and other
Measles is a disease that causes the child a lot of pain. It is commonly accompanied by a painful itchy rash and fever. At one point in history measles was a very common disease. Now it is rare for a child to get the measles. The decline in the disease has been attributed to vaccinations and their high success rate. According to ‘Childhood Vaccinations are Important for Public Health”, “by vaccinating we will make sure these 14 diseases will not become everyday events for our children...”. There are quite a few reasons why parents do not vaccinate their children. Some believe that it will cause harm to their children because of rumors. Vaccinations are not as dangerous as people make them seem, but not getting vaccinated is. Frances Childs states that “as the number of children who have not been immunized increases, so, too, does the likelihood of measles spreading”. Immunizations work by injecting a small amount of the virus into the patient (both children and adults). The patient’s immune system then builds up antibodies to fight against the virus, thus building immunity against the diseases much more effectively. Vaccinations have a 90-100 percent chance of success. With this high rate of protection, why not get children
Imagine world where no grandparent has to worry about their grandchildren contracting some horrible disease. Contracting measles not only effects children but it also effects future mothers. Contracting measles while pregnant can lead to the fetus being deformed or worse, it can lead to miscarriages. According to Frances Child, “miscarriage, stillbirth, severe heart defects, and deafness in the unborn child are all linked to measles.” Getting an immunization can prevent this and other catastrophic events. Vaccinations can save not only those who are already born, but those who have yet to open their eyes as