Vaccines: Safe? Orna Izakson explains the risks and benefits of being vaccinated in an article of Your Health. She answers questions that some parents have today regarding vaccines being safe and what health problems they may cause in children. Can vaccines cause autism? What adverse side effects come with vaccines that contain thimerosal? Before reading this article I agreed with the parents and scientists that questioned the safety of vaccinating children. With all the questions and concerns that parents seem to have about vaccines, I have found that there are many articles that can either help ease their mind about vaccinating or give them the opportunity to elect not to vaccinate their children all together.…
Vaccines have managed to effectively curb the spread of a number of deadly infectious The fight against vaccines has become controversial however arguments against mass immunization should be evaluated so that a good understanding of this controversy can be had. There are three main arguments against the mass immunization of children and babies. Firstly, It is argued that vaccinations can have harmful side effects on children. Secondly, it is argued that laws requiring mandatory vaccinations infringe upon an individual’s liberty and freedom of choice; and finally, mass immunizations a law, violates religious freedom. According to Omer et al (2009) approximately 69% of parents are more concerned that vaccines could cause harm to the health of their young children than they are with the other issues. The CDC does, in fact, publish that vaccines may have side effects for example a reaction to the varicella vaccine can range from a rash to a severe infection (CDC, 2010). No specific evidence exist, however, to support the claim that vaccines predispose children to other disease such as type 1…
Vaccines are an essential part of preventative care throughout life. Their purpose is to protect people and prevent them from catching diseases that can be dangerous and even life threatening . Before vaccines were created, almost everyone in the U.S. contracted the measles and a about couple hundred would die yearly from it. Today, it’s rare for a doctor to see someone infected with measles. The development of vaccines is a long and complex process that takes about 10-15 years. Vaccines protect people and those who cannot get vaccinated due to either being too young or allergic, there are a few people who voluntarily opt out from having their children getting vaccinated. People of the anti-vaccine movement refuse to have their children vaccinated because of their personal beliefs, and in return can be threatening for those who are unable to be vaccinated due to age, health and pregnancy. Even though there has been evidence that autism is not linked to vaccines, many people still refuse to have their children vaccinated. While some children are being protected by others that are vaccinated, it is only weakening the immunity herd as vaccinations decline. Immunity herd is when a large portion of the community is immunized against contagious disease in which there is a less chance of an outbreak. For those who cannot get…
Many parents think there is no longer a risk of their child contracting the disease or even becoming exposed to them at all. The refusal of a few to vaccine may not have much of an impact on society, however, the refusal of many to not vaccinate in a community can have disastrous consequences. If the immunization level of a population drops too low,…
Imagine living with smallpox, rabies, polio, and other fatal diseases running rampant. Imagine the fear instilled in daily life because of those diseases and that there are no cures or prevention methods. Fortunately, we live in a time with vaccinations. Vaccines save millions of lives each year, have eradicated smallpox disease, and substantially lessened the chance of contracting other diseases. Vaccines are considered to be one of the greatest medical achievements. However, whether to vaccinate or not is a steadily growing debate, as there are no US federal laws mandating vaccination, certain vaccines are required for public school with a few exemptions, parents ultimately have the choice whether to vaccinate or not. Although, vaccinations…
First what is a vaccine? “vaccine-A substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease. It’s products, or a synthetic substitute. treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease”(dictionary.com). As you know parents aren't vaccinating their children and it’s becoming a major problem or is it.…
I am impacted by this debate in many ways, but the main one being that my parents happen to be on opposite side when it comes to this topic. Before writing this essay I was for vaccines. Mainly because I believe that it is best to make sure you are ensuring you are taking the best care of yourself, and I think that vaccines help with that. My opinion is still relatively the same. Although I have read about some of the side effects and other arguments from those whom are against vaccines, I still believe that they are worth the potential risks. I think that they have caused a lot more good than harm and that's important to…
Parents and guardians have a duty and responsibility to determine how they want their child to live. While Americans have the freedom to carry out ideas they deem acceptable, they also have the responsibility to care for their society. Research through trustworthy medical practitioners can help inform and clarify any misconceptions individuals may have about vaccines. Childhood vaccines are extremely important and necessary to protect the population for…
Deciding whether to vaccinate your child against these diseases could be a difficult decision for some people to make. For some people it’s not even a question whether or not to have their child vaccinated, they feel they are protecting their child from disease and its consequences, and the temporary discomfort that the child (and sometimes the parent!) experiences will quickly be forgotten. They also feel that it is in the best interest of the population as a whole, and simply follow their doctor’s recommendations, to have their child immunized. Others however, believe that there are serious side-effects from these vaccines and they are not willing to expose their child to that risk. Perhaps they know a child who has had an adverse reaction to a vaccination and are afraid that the same will happen to their child. They may also feel that because some diseases have been nearly eradicated, the threat of their child contracting these diseases is minor, so why risk the side effects? Some opponents to these immunizations believe that…
One of the controversial/hot topics or issues nowadays in health care in the US and the world as a whole is vaccination. The main purpose of vaccines is to control and prevent communicable diseases. The target is to vaccinate about 99 percent of the population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “about 1.5 million children under age 5 years continue to die annually from diseases that are preventable via the administration of vaccines, making up approximately 20 percent of overall childhood mortality” (Maternal and Child Health, n.d). The WHO continues to argue with evidence that vaccination can prevent death from pneumonia and diarrhea which are the leading cost of death among children under five years old. Although vaccination…
The anti-vaccination movement is a product of unreliable sources and ambiguous scientific evidence. Michelle A. Recame, (2012) elaborates on this stating, “In a recent survey where parents were asked to indicate the sources from which they obtain their information, 82% off all respondents noted the media as one of their sources.” Parents have based the safety of their child’s life off controversial or persuasive information resulting in the decrease of immunizations leaving children unprotected against contagions. If a child was locked out of the house in a rainstorm, we would consider that neglect, but why are vaccines any different? Vaccinations should be mandatory to protect the lives of children whose parents are…
Immunization is still controversial as of today. There are so many questions and scenarios why parents are delaying or skipping vaccinations for their children. According to Gardner, the top 8 reasons are: the severe allergic reaction to a previous vaccine (i.e. allergic reaction that almost never happen but can happen such as hives, difficulty breathing, or low blood pressure and common side effects), egg allergy (e.g. flu shots and measles virus), high fever, asthma or lung conditions (i.e. might cause asthma flare), high-dose steroids (e.g. corticosteroid medication), immunodeficiency or chemotherapy, HIV-positive, and someone at home is sick. Parents are concerns about the safety of the vaccines because it causes side effects (e.g. soreness, redness, swelling in the area of the shot or low grade…
People are current taking action against vaccinations and joining the anti-vaccination movement. Although research proves anti-immunization increases disease rates, parents stand firm in their believe that their children should not be vaccinated. This paper briefly discusses the reasoning behind their notion and the substantial fact about vaccinations. It then provides facts behind their judgment and consequences of…
Some people believe that not immunizing their children is better for them. They believe that the vaccination will harm their children more than the actual disease will. Since most of the disease we vaccinate against are rare, parents don't believe there is a chance of their child contracting the disease. Considering that these diseases are rare, parents have never seen the side effects of most of the diseases. They believe that there are chemicals in the vaccines that can cause their child to develop other conditions such as Autism.…
A lot of parents stress over the choice of deciding wither or not to vaccinate their children. The reason why deciding to vaccinate children is so difficult is due to the wide range of myths and side effects that are connected with vaccinations. Examples of myths spread to parents all over the United States is that the diseases don’t even exist anymore, rumors of vaccinations weakening a child’s immune system, and the risk of a child becoming autistic due to thimerisol in vaccinations causing autism. Side effects also scare parents out of getting their children vaccinated like brain damage, seizures, or allergic reactions. But then parents are pulled back to the thought of the possibility of their child or children catching a very serious life threatening disease. Any of these terrible things occurring in a child’s life makes it very easy for a parent to steer clear of the whole situation, and in ending result, not get their child vaccinated.…