Why Vaccinations Should Be Mandatory

Vaccinations Should Be Mandatory
Everest College
Erin Kelly-Lopez

Did you ever think that vaccinating your child could do more harm than good? The debate of whether or not vaccinations should be federally mandated by the government and required by all children in school is controversial. The lack of education and correct information provided by the government is to blame. Also, there has been a lot of controversy on whether or not children should be immunized before entering a public school. The Center for Disease and Control Prevention should be responsible for providing factual information and educating people on the effectiveness of vaccinations in children. In addition, the government should step in and create a law that states
that every child should be vaccinated before going to school. Many people believe vaccinations should be a requirement for all children attending school because less children will become sick and spread germs to others.
Although no mandatory federal vaccination laws exist, all 50 states require vaccinations for children entering public schools. However, all 50 states issue medical exemptions, 48 states permit religious exemptions, and 19 states allow philosophical exemptions (CDC, 2011). The American Academy of Pediatrics states that most childhood vaccines are 90%-99% effective in preventing disease and vaccines save 2.5 million children from preventable diseases every year. In addition, the CDC estimated that 732,00 children were saved from death between 1994 and 2014 due to vaccination (CDC, 2012). This is a perfect example of why the government should create a mandatory law on vaccinating all children at birth. Even though people have rights, they should not have the right to put other people’s life at risk by spreading diseases. There would be a lot less sick and dying people if they got a vaccination that could have prevented the disease. Also, the number of people in the hospital because of a preventable disease would decrease
dramatically. Making vaccinations mandatory will also protect future generations. If mothers were required to have all their vaccinations current, their unborn children will be protected from viruses that could potentially cause birth defects. In addition, vaccinated communities will help eradicate diseases for future generations. In 1969, a global rubella outbreak caused the death of 11,000 babies, and birth defects in 20,000 babies in the United States (CDC, 2012). The rubella vaccination would have decreased the chance of passing the virus to their newborn child along with other birth defects, such as heart problems, hearing and vision loss, and mental disabilities associated with the disease (CDC, 2012). If people were educated on the facts and seriousness of getting vaccinations, there would be less of a risk for children in contracting diseases. Perfect example of why the government should be involved with making vaccinations mandatory for everybody. Providing protection against life-threatening diseases for children is crucial is maintaining their safety and health. The health of our children and future generations should be the priority when deciding to mandate vaccinations in all children. The government needs to step in and become more involved in keeping our children safe and kept away from contagious viruses. Maintaining a healthy and disease free environment regulated by the government should be enforced immediately. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention should take measures in educating people on vaccinations and making sure they understand the seriousness of getting vaccinated every year. The rate of children becoming infected with diseases is increasing every year and getting worse. Vaccinations should be mandatory.
References
The Center of Disease and Control Prevention (July 21,2011) School Vaccinations and Requirements. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov
CDC (March 14, 2012). Reported Cases and Deaths from Vaccine Preventable Diseases. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov