G124/ENC1101 Section 09 English Composition - 2013 Summer Quarter
September 9,2012 Katrema Beasley
Mandatory or Voluntary Vaccinations
The first smallpox vaccine was discovered a few centuries ago and since that time there has been controversy of voluntary or mandatory vaccinations this is something every parent must face when having a child. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, parents making this decision must weigh the risks, the cost, and the long term effects for the child later in life.
Mandatory vaccines have saved many lives over the years. From smallpox to influenza, vaccinations have prevented thousands of people from getting sick and possibly dying. (Schuchat, 2011) Countries where vaccination programs are mandatory there are very few cases of preventable diseases. “To date, smallpox is the only vaccine-preventable disease ever to have been globally eradicated,” (Furgang, 2011.) The fight against infectious diseases starts at an early age. Children begin their series of immunizations at the age of 2 months and receive them until they enter into high school. Hospitals are not flooded with …show more content…
It has helped eradicate smallpox around the word. Mandatory vaccinations impose on personal and religious beliefs. This is what the First Amendment protects. Voluntary vaccinations safe guards children with known allergic reactions. Voluntary vaccinations are allowing certain diseases to resurface and spread to locations once thought to have no known cases. You have many pros and cons for mandatory and voluntary vaccinations. When weighing in on whether to vaccinate or not. You have to consider the risk to a child whether it would be better off to have the vaccinations or to take the chance of the child becoming deathly ill, The cost could be totally devastating to a family not to mention the long term effects on a child and the