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Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

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To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

Many parents stress over the choice of deciding whether 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. Myths spread to parents all over the United States 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. 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 catching a very serious life threatening disease. Vaccines improve immunity to a disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-ridden microorganism or a weakened form of a microbe. Vaccines do not guarantee complete protection from a disease, and many people are beginning to question the effectiveness of vaccines. Parents wonder if vaccinations really help in the prevention of illnesses. Although vaccinations can bring adverse effects, it is necessary to provide oneself with the protection against various diseases. This is why schools make it mandatory for children to have their up to date immunizations before entering school. I know there are some cases that gets waived for religious reasons. When children aren’t vaccinated, they are left defenseless against diseases like Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Chicken Pox (that can lead to shingles), Polio, Pertussis (whooping cough), and Rubella just to name the ones we hear about more often. All these diseases have the ability to easily kill, and if it weren’t for the vaccines protecting many children in the United States, the spread of these diseases would travel rapidly. There are a lot of people that do not recommend or get vaccinations for children because they think it is unnecessary to vaccinate for a disease that is no longer around. Because of the many advances in both the medical and technological industry, vaccinations have the potential to protect a child against more diseases than ever before. Diseases that once killed thousands of children have now been eliminated and are close to extinction -mainly because of the efficient use of vaccines. Vaccinations have the ability to save lives, as most vaccines are 90 to 99 percent effective in preventing disease. It is estimated that vaccines save about 2.5 million children from preventable diseases every year, which equals to about 285 children an hour. Vaccinations are also proven to be safe by major medical organizations, and it is very unlikely for any sort of disease or reaction to come from them. Although vaccines may provide discomfort and tenderness, this is minimal compared to the pain of diseases that vaccines prevent. Immunization to diseases protects future generations. Vaccines have reduced and even eliminated many diseases that once disabled and killed those just a few generations ago. Smallpox, for example, once resulted in the death of 29,004 individuals yearly. Because of the smallpox vaccination the disease was eradicated worldwide and children no longer need to be vaccinated against it. If the United States, as a nation, continues widespread vaccination, parents in the future may be able to trust that some of the disease of today will no longer be a danger to their children.

Vaccinations are considered to be the greatest health development of the 20th century. Because of advancements in medicine, vaccinations are becoming a widespread medium in the prevention of disease. They have provided the eradication and immunity to many deadly diseases such as smallpox, polio and rubella. Although there is no law that mandates the vaccination of children, they are necessary to prevent the infliction of disease and harm. By making the decision to vaccinate their children, a parent has the potential to save their lives.

Vaccinations are considered to be the greatest health development of the 20th century. Because of advancements in medicine, vaccinations are becoming a widespread medium in the prevention of disease. They have provided the eradication and immunity to many deadly diseases such as smallpox, polio and rubella. Although there is no law that mandates the vaccination of children, they are necessary to prevent the infliction of disease and harm. By making the decision to vaccinate their children, a parent has the potential to save their lives. I stand firmly in believing that getting my children the recommended vaccinations for their age or what grade they are going into is the right thing. I do not believe the myths, I never have. I also do not feel there is enough evidence to show that autism is linked to vaccines. These vaccines are not only protecting my children but they are protection children around them including family and school. Today’s society with some many people moving to the United States from countries that do not vaccinate is scary, I feel more confident knowing my children are protected so if there were to be an outbreak they would either not be effected at all or only have a small case or whatever was spread.

References

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vacc-timeline.htm www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/index.html "Making Sense out of Vaccination Statistics." Vaccine.com. Sanofi Pasteur, 02 July
2014. Web. 18 July 2014.

"Leaving the Anti-Vaccine Movement - Voices For Vaccines." Voices For Vaccines.
Np. nd. Web. 20 July 2014.

"What Are the Reasons to Vaccinate My Baby?" Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 08 July 2013. Web. 18
July 2014.

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