In 1984, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended health care worker to be vaccinated against influenza. According to the ethics principles, health care works are expected to receive the influenza vaccination. This can become an ethical dilemma because it contradicts the human rights to refuse medical care. Also, religious obligation could oppose debate.…
Although vaccinations are something generally done by most people, there are people of certain demographics that choose not to vaccinate or are unable to vaccinate for their own reasons. According to Smith et al.’s (2004) Parents who are more likely to go the anti-vaccination route generally come from white, higher income and education households, typically with four or more children. Verses parents who are often young and minorities, with little to no education and live in lower income households. More times than families who don’t vaccinate or are undervaccinated due to economic hardship, health insurance status or lack of, not because they…
Throughout the United States, infant vaccination continues to be a highly controversial and pressured decision that parents must face upon their child’s birth. In order to maintain complete objectivity, multiple viewpoints must be critically analyzed and explored in an unbiased manner; therefore, I will examine the positives and negatives regarding adolescent vaccinations, provide general viewpoints and solutions to the debate about which infants should receive vaccinations, and supply the data required to support the arguments relevant to each side. The first viewpoint suggests that infant vaccinations should be heavily regulated due to alleged medical ramifications and adverse side effects. Many Americans support this ideology, including parents and various physicians who firmly believe that infant vaccinations induce medical complications instead of preventing them. The second viewpoint is known as selective vaccination, which is a supported by most American parents and various doctors, who affirm that parents deserve the right of authority over their child because the child’s best interest trumps obligatory immunization. The third viewpoint suggests that some U.S. parents and medical professionals advocate mandatory vaccination in order to protect infants from illnesses; thus, ultimately striving for widespread public health.…
People’s choices are now affecting the lives of others. The spread of diseases, has become a problem. The diseases are able to protected with vaccinations. They are coming back into society during small outbreaks. There was an outbreak in 2014 in the state of California. While everyone has a right to make their own choices, your choices can affect the to the lives of others. At this point, they are no longer just individual choices. My 5 year old child has all her vaccinations. But there is no guarantee that they will be effective. As a child, they had me vaccinated for pertussis. I contracted it despite having been vaccinated for it. It is terrifying my child could contract something deadly. All because of the ill-informed choices of others. Vaccinations, like it or not, are not a choice. They should be mandatory to protect the lives of all…
There are also other factors that people are also refusing to receive immunizations: religious and philosophical beliefs, freedom and individualism, misinformation about risk, and over perception of risk. This is the difficult challenge the Department of Health is facing today because everyone has the right and freedom to choose what is best for them and their children while safeguarding everyone’s health and welfare. Many parents opt-out of immunization and on the rise due to religious reasons in majority of the states. Opting-out of immunization leaves with unprotected children and the rest of the society as well. Pregnant girls have to speak to their doctor before receiving vaccines, although some vaccines benefit them. Parent has many different reasons and beliefs for not vaccinating their children and should be…
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…
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,…
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…
The value and ethics of vaccinations is hotly debated, and many parents choose not to vaccinate their children. Older people are at greater risk of contracting diseases. There are many valid reasons to vaccinate. Vaccines aid in preventing disease, saving lives, and keeping the spread of disease at bay.…
When it comes to vaccinations, there are many different opinions on immunizing a child, especially when that child’s parent has a strong like or dislike towards vaccinating. Immunizations have been around for at least a thousand years and as technology advances more, there are new vaccines being designed to help protect our children from contracting contagious and sometimes deadly diseases, such as Bordetella pertussis, polio, and even influenza. For decades, all 50 states have required that parents vaccinate their children against various diseases, including polio and measles, as a prerequisite to enrolling them in public schools (Ciolli, 2008). Enrollment in public school requires up to date vaccinations in order to protect the children and even the adults from contracting and spreading a disease, possibly causing an epidemic. Although all public schools require immunizations, there are still children in the schools whose religion exempts the use of vaccinations. The goal of this paper is to further explain…
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…
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…
Since vaccination decisions not only affect the infant or child, but also the community, these decisions cannot be treated as individual ones. At the point where individual decisions might harm the community, the government and public health professionals should also be involved. At the same time, the procedure of vaccination should be more open, and health professionals should carefully study genetic history and reactions of kids before vaccinating them. The controversy on vaccinations significantly influenced means of delivering scientific conclusions to the…
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…
There are many issues in regards to the controversy on vaccinations. Vaccinations were made to protect people from diseases, that could otherwise cause illness or potential death. There are many arguable topics but the most important is, should an individual have the right to deny needed vaccinations, or should vaccinations be mandated. This topic has been a huge debate in recent years. There are individuals that believe that an adult or child should be up to date on their immunizations, due to avoiding possible illnesses to return. When others argue that it should be their right to deny vaccinations all together, due to believing immunizations are harmful and could hurt them or their children. This paper will examine whether being…