Vaccination Argumentative Essay

Imagine a girl named Sarah is tiredly sitting in class waiting for the school day to end. Suddenly, one of her classmates, Gregory, who cannot stop coughing asks to go to the nurse. The teacher excuses Gregory and after a few moments he returns with a pass, stating that he is not feeling well and is going home. A few days later, more students become sick. By the end of the week, everyone is sick, including Sarah. The whole scenario could have been prevented if Gregory was vaccinated. Many people who are sick and have infect others have not been vaccinated. Vaccinations are extremely beneficial because vaccinations prevent disease, protect the unvaccinated population and strength societies.
Vaccines have managed to keep the human body healthy
and stable. Millions of lives have been saved because this medicine is available. For example, vaccines have been able to stop smallpox, which saves approximately five million lives annually. The spread of fatal diseases have dropped dramatically since vaccines were created. According to Congressman Charlie Dent, “life-threatening diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles” have been reduced (Dent). Vaccines have also declined the spread of infectious diseases such as, “chickenpox, shingles, influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease” (Dent). In the United States, many lives could be saved if people just received vaccinations. Dent has stated that, “an estimated 43,000 adults and 300 children die annually from vaccine-preventable diseases” (Dent). If everyone just accepted the medicine, countless people would not end up sick or dead. It has also been discovered that ever year one out of five children dies from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines, such as pneumonia. While many people believe that vaccines can be deadly, it is not true. There is no reliable evidence to prove that vaccines cause life-threatening diseases. In the last twenty years, vaccines have averted the death of 732,000 children and more than 21 million people from going to hospitals. Vaccines are important because they maintain public health, prevent the spread of diseases, and save lives.
Although many people are suspicious of how vaccines are created, it has been proven that the ingredients in the amounts used are safe.
For example, various vaccines contain aluminum salts as an adjuvant; a substance that alters the body’s immune response. As stated by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, “Aluminum adjuvant containing vaccines have a demonstrated safety profile of over six decades” (Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research). People expose themselves to aluminum everyday by drinking water and eating food. As long as the amount is correct, people can safely use vaccines that contain aluminum salts. In addition to aluminum salts, vaccines may also contain small amounts of antibiotics to prevent the spreading of bacteria during manufacturing. Many parents are concerned with their children taking these vaccines because they believe that some of the antibiotics are harmful. However, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research has reassuringly explained that, “antibiotics most likely to cause severe allergic reactions are not used in vaccine production, and therefore are not contained in vaccines” (Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research). Hence, many children who are allergic to certain antibiotics will not be in danger. Formaldehyde may also be used in vaccines because it used in the production of certain vaccines. It is used to stop viruses and “detoxify bacterial toxins…” (Center of Biologics Evaluation and Research). Some formaldehyde
could be found on vaccines but the amount is too small to be harmful. People will not be exposed to danger when vaccinated. The ingredients in vaccines are safe for the human body and it is unlikely that antibiotics causing severe allergic reactions will be used in the making of vaccinations.
Vaccines provide economic benefits for societies.
The treatment cost for diseases can be incredibly expensive. The cost would drop dramatically if people were vaccinated. In 2010, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that they would spend $10 billion to make vaccines accessible to children in poor countries. In seventy-two of the world’s poorest countries, this organization would increase the amount of six vaccines from 2011 to 2020. The increased rates of vaccinations for ten years were predicted to save, “6.4 million lives and avert 426 million cases of illness, $6.2 billion in treatment costs, and $145 billion in productivity losses” (Stack, Ozawa, etc). The Bill and Melinda Foundation helped the economy in these countries. In South and East Asia, “pneumonia vaccines averted almost 70 percent ($2.3 billion) of all treatment costs” (Stack, Ozawa, etc). So much money has been saved because vaccines are available. In conclusion to the study, 6.4 million lives were saved and 426 million cases of illness were avoided. Furthermore, 63,000 children were saved from being disabled from meningitis. The overall treatment savings was $145 billion, which is 96 percent of the total cost of illnesses. Vaccines are responsible for improving the economy in these
countries.
Although vaccines are very beneficial, some people may claim that vaccines are dangerous because the effects can be harmful. The problems caused by vaccines can be mild or serious. For example, some of the mild side effects for adenovirus vaccines include, “headaches, upper respiratory tract infection, and diarrhea” (U.S. Department of Health and Services). These problems have been reported within 2 weeks of vaccination. Some of the serious side effects include, “blood in the urine or stool, pneumonia, inflammation of the stomach or intestines” (U.S Department of Health and Services). These problems have been reported within 6 months of vaccination and occurs to one out of hundred people. The adenovirus vaccine is one of the many vaccines that could lead to mild or serious problems. However, it is extremely unlikely that vaccines will lead to serious complication or death. Most of the side effects that occur are small, sure as a sore arm, and vanish within in a few days. Therefore, people should receive vaccines because the benefits outweigh the risks.