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…
This article discusses the controversy of vaccines in American society. From the source of the ideas that caused the issues to the discredit of the person who “poisoned the well”, this article was very thorough. Ms. Lemmons has experience as a freelance writer on well documented topics and has provided her work to several well known publishers. This article was intended for the educated person exploring the rumors of vaccinations benefit being outweighed by the risk. The author is very neutral in her writing. I appreciate her stance and use of fact to support her claims. Stating only the fact that can be documented…
Herd immunity protects people with “many medical conditions, especially those which compromise the immune system” because “in a population of vaccinated people, infectious but preventable diseases have trouble spreading even to the immunocompromised” (“The Anti-Vaccine Movement”). While herd immunity is of critical importance to those with weakened immune systems, many Anti-Vax parents fail to realize that the health of their children is also dependent on herd immunity. A recent study estimates that “if current vaccination rates were to dip to just 98 percent of where they are now, one child in seven would be vulnerable to measles” (“Anti-Vaxxers Are Destroying”). With the estimated rate of measles increasing that significantly, there comes a point where one wonders how far Anti-Vax parents will go before they begin to see the trail of destruction they are leaving. Recently, in America, “whooping cough… hit its highest rate of infection in 50 years,” and “over 100,000 illnesses and over 1,000 deaths” were “associated with the anti-vaccine movement” (“The Anti-Vaccine Movement”). When more and more parents stop vaccinating, they endanger not only the health of their child but also the health of those who cannot be…
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…
Vaccines are responsible for minimizing the risk of many deadly diseases and even eradicating some completely. People today are privileged enough to live during a time where the fear of dying from a disease like measles or smallpox is negligible. Even so vaccines are not without dissenters. There is a segment of humanity that believes there is a credible association between vaccines and rising autism rates. The following articles will show that there are varying ideas on the best way to disprove vaccination opponents, yet no solid solution has been reached on how to convince vaccination opponents that their fears are unfounded.…
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…
I am writing to you because I have three important reasons that why you should always be vaccinated. One reasons is having a vaccination is being safe from all diseases. Also Vaccinations will help keep you healthy. Also vaccinations are important to your overall health as diet and exercise. In the rest of the letter I will explain to you each of my reasons.…
However, today our party is here to make our stance as antibodies and fight off the bugs of our opponents. Vaccinations are vital in the safety of our children and of our nation. The myth of the opponent claiming “As long as other children are getting vaccinated, mine don't need to be” is false. Skipping a vaccination puts our society at harmful risk. Scientists assert that the principle of herd immunity, or in simpler terms, a high proportion of a community vaccinated, is crucial in preventing outbreaks of fatal diseases.…
Every day, people come in contact with diseases. Opening a door, shaking hands, kissing, purchasing and consuming food, all require touch and involve the exchange of bacteria. Prior to inoculating people with a weakened version of diseases, the mortality rate was much higher, especially among infants. Vaccines are administered to protect the masses from diseases and outbreaks that can spread through these exchanges, such as bubonic plague. Despite staggering evidence in favor of inoculation, vaccines are a highly controversial subject- especially the vaccination of young children.…
Despite overwhelming evidence supporting the safety and benefits of vaccines, fear of vaccinations has proven resistant to information leading to a rise in refusals among parents in developed countries (Dipietro). In modern society with the rapid pace of vaccine development along with new technology, the history and importance of vaccines seem forgotten, leading people to underestimate the severity of infectious diseases. “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” George Santayana. The growing resistance to vaccinations is a well-known occurrence, due to the positive effects vaccinations have had worldwide. Studying history is necessary to continue to evolve and avoid repeating the mistakes of our past. “History never repeats itself, but man always does,” Voltaire. Modern society (Millennials) do not understand the threat of infectious disease because they lack the life experience to know the devastation they can bring. Several parents have increasingly questioned the safety of vaccines, as a result vaccination rates have fallen to dramatically…
I believe that everyone should be up to date on vaccinations. One reason I believe everyone should be vaccinated is because others do not get sick. Another reason is that the person who is not vaccinated doesn’t get sick and having to go to the hospital. One more reason why people should be vaccinated is because they should be able to go to school and not be kicked out because they don’t have their vaccines.…
Despite the current fascination with the anti-vaccination movement, it might come as a surprise that American children actually receive more vaccinations than ever before. Only less than 0.5 percent of children receive no vaccinations at all. In Vaccine Nation, Conis argued that the widespread belief of vaccination is an important part of study on which to be educated. Conis turned her focus to the spread of vaccines in the postwar era when new vaccines targeted the more “milder” diseases of a child’s early years, including measles, mumps, and whooping cough. More recently, vaccines have been developed and promoted to protect against diseases that largely affect adults. Conis proclaimed, “Health officials were blunt in justifying the widespread…
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…
The first vaccine was created in 1796, by 1969 mandatory immunization laws were in place in twelve states, and by 2014 50 states had their own regulatory requirements for school age children. Until recently parents understood that children were to receive vaccinations in order to attend public school and simply abided by this requirement, but this is no longer the case. Due to research, studies, and key opinion leaders speaking out against vaccines, parents are now faced with the difficult decision of whether to vaccinate their child or not. There is data supporting the eradication of , however many of these diseases have made an unfortunate comeback due to the decrease in vaccinations. It is possible that other factors such as increased…
The chances of your child getting a case of measles or chickenpox or whooping cough might be quite low today. But vaccinations are not just for protecting ourselves, and are not just for today. They also protect the people around us like some of whom may be unable to get certain vaccines, or might have failed to respond to a vaccine, or might be susceptible for other reasons. Vaccines also protect our children’s children and their children by keeping diseases that we have almost defeated from making a comeback. It is important to continue immunizing, even if cases of diseases are rare. If one or two cases of disease are introduced into a community where most people are not vaccinated, outbreaks will occur. In 2013, for example, several measles…