Should Children Be Vaccinated?
THESIS
One of the greatest public health interventions that has had an impact on fighting diseases is vaccination. According to Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, a vaccine is any suspension containing antigenic molecules derived from a microorganism, given to stimulate an immune response to an infectious disease. The 19th century and the 20th century were known for the great achievements of great vaccine scientists such as Louis Pasteur and Edward Jenner. A substantial amount of vaccines prevent illnesses or death caused by infectious diseases for millions of individuals every year. Without vaccinations, infectious diseases would have taken over the world. Childhood vaccinations are important. Why? “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” quoted by Benjamin Franklin-one of our founding forefathers. It is important that your child receive their scheduled vaccinations or as we most commonly use “get their shots”. Childhood vaccinations do start at birth. A childhood vaccination protects the child from diseases, helps contain disease outbreaks, and is the law.
Vaccinations protect from life threatening disease such as diphtheria, polio, measles, chickenpox, or pneumococcal. Vaccines are necessary even if we think that the chance of our getting one of these diseases is minimal. A couple of years ago a child in California had just started school, he caught diphtheria and he died. Guess What! He was the only child in his class that had not been vaccinated. If children are not vaccinated against polio, it would leave to more susceptible to infection with the polio virus. Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world. From the years 1997-2000, measles were brought here into the United States by international visitors. Those persons that were not immunized were most likely to get measles if they were exposed to the virus. Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease and infants and
CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS 3 young children are at a
One of the greatest public health interventions that has had an impact on fighting diseases is vaccination. According to Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, a vaccine is any suspension containing antigenic molecules derived from a microorganism, given to stimulate an immune response to an infectious disease. The 19th century and the 20th century were known for the great achievements of great vaccine scientists such as Louis Pasteur and Edward Jenner. A substantial amount of vaccines prevent illnesses or death caused by infectious diseases for millions of individuals every year. Without vaccinations, infectious diseases would have taken over the world. Childhood vaccinations are important. Why? “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” quoted by Benjamin Franklin-one of our founding forefathers. It is important that your child receive their scheduled vaccinations or as we most commonly use “get their shots”. Childhood vaccinations do start at birth. A childhood vaccination protects the child from diseases, helps contain disease outbreaks, and is the law.
Vaccinations protect from life threatening disease such as diphtheria, polio, measles, chickenpox, or pneumococcal. Vaccines are necessary even if we think that the chance of our getting one of these diseases is minimal. A couple of years ago a child in California had just started school, he caught diphtheria and he died. Guess What! He was the only child in his class that had not been vaccinated. If children are not vaccinated against polio, it would leave to more susceptible to infection with the polio virus. Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world. From the years 1997-2000, measles were brought here into the United States by international visitors. Those persons that were not immunized were most likely to get measles if they were exposed to the virus. Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease and infants and
CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS 3 young children are at a
References: Butts, Janie B., & Rich, Karen L., Nursing Ethics: Across the Curriculum and Into Practice. (November 2007). Publisher: Jones and Bartlett Conway, J., & Green, T... (2011). Childhood Immunization Policies and the Prevention of Communicable Disease. Pediatric Annals, 40(3), 136-143. Retrieved May 30, 2011, from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source. (Document ID: 2298778631). Desgrees, Annabel Du Lou & Pison, Gilles. The Role of Vaccination in the Reduction of Childhood Mortality in Senegal. Population: An English Selection Vol. 8, (1996), pp. 95-121 Published by: Institut National d 'Études Démographiques. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2949158 Hinman, Alan R., Orenstein, Walter A., Williamson, Don E., & Darrington, Denton. (2002). Childhood immunization: Laws that work. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics: The Public 's Health and the Law in the 21st Century: A..., 30(3), 122-127. Retrieved June 1, 2011, from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source. (Document ID: 269263171). Stratton, Kathleen R., & Howe, Cynthia J. Adverse Events Associated with Childhood Vaccines: Evidence Bearing on Causality. Institute of Medicine Staff. Pages: 480 Publisher: National Academies Press Location: Washington, DC, USA Date Published: 10/1993 vaccine. (2009). In Taber 's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/tcmd/vaccine, May 30, 2011 Vaccine Safety Forum: Summaries of Two Workshops. Author: Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Publisher: National Academies Press Orginal Publication Date: 07/1997 http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/safety/default.htm, Retrieved May 30, 2011 www.CST News.com. Copyright Don Boys, Ph.D., Published March 22, 2006