Federal Vaccines In Hawaii

In Hawaii a bill was proposed that would speed up the adoption of federal vaccination guidelines by the state Health Department; however, after opposition to the bill began to surface it was immediately rejected by Sen. Rosalyn Baker. Those who support the bill say it will allow the Health Department to address health issues that arises. The opposition to the bill uses the argument that vaccines have detrimental side effects and that “people should have the right to make their own health decisions” (Riker). Local resident Renee Kawelo opposed the bill and vaccines because she believes that they will make her children sick. The most notable side effect that people think vaccines causes is autism, “which scientific research has debunked” (Riker),
Many diseases such as polio and the measles which were nearly eradicated in the U.S. are starting to return because of parents who do not vaccinate their children. Riker’s writing brings to light many of the issues when it comes to the topic of vaccines. In the case of Kawelo who thinks “vaccines could make [her children] sick” (Riker) she is merely uneducated about just how many lives they have saved. The argument that vaccines cause autism is based on a scientific study that was proven to be faked. Yet people will still quote this study as evidence to support the argument for anti-vaccines. Hawaii is just one example where these anti-vaccines are causing more harm than they realize. The diseases that vaccines have been created to combat are hundreds of times worst than whatever side effects people think they cause. By not getting a vaccination they not only put themselves at risk but everyone around them as well. The reason the vaccines work so well is due to herd immunity: where everyone is immune to the virus. Recently this was shown in Disneyland when a measles outbreak closed the park of nearly a week. The reason that this outbreak happened was due to the fact of parents’ refused to get their children vaccinated. If one single person does not get vaccinated the entire herd immunity is broken. Going from the uneducated side to the religious side of the argument is not much different. This side still involves parents who refuse to look at scientific evidence when it comes to the life of their child. Some parents believe that God will cure their child of any illness that afflicts them and that vaccines are just going against his will. While there is nothing wrong with being religious, there is everything wrong by making a child suffer and possibly die when they could have been treated and given a true chance at life. The parents in the Hawaii