Vaccinating Children Argumentative Essay

INTRODUCTION Vaccinating children is beneficial because it helps their immune system to become stronger and allow them to be insusceptible to harmful diseases. When children are young, their immune systems are weak and aren’t able to fight off illnesses the way that adults can. Vaccines contain weakened versions of viruses, which cause no or relatively mild symptoms of the virus, that help the immune system to create antibodies. Antibodies help the immune system to protect the child against the virus in the future. There is an ongoing debate in the United States about whether or not vaccines are safe. Many people believe that there is a link between autism and the vaccination of children; however, studies have shown there is no direct relationship.
When a parent chooses not to vaccinate their child, they are not only putting their child in danger, but also the children around them. The child may come into contact with others who are vulnerable to contracting life-threatening diseases, such as young infants or cancer patients. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention compares vaccination to “bailing out a boat with a slow leak.” When the water is bailed and the boat is dry, one may stop bailing water out. However, the leak doesn’t stop, and before long, the boat will be full of water again. The diseases are much like the leak. Unless the diseases are completely eliminated, immunization is necessary to keep people from being infected, and undoing the work that immunizations have done over the years. Vaccinations can save time and money in the long run. A child who is not vaccinated can develop severe disabilities, which take a financial toll due to medical bills. However, much of this could be prevented with a vaccination. Many vaccinations are covered by insurance, and there are even programs to assist low-income families in getting vaccines for their