Why Vaccines Should Be Mandatory Research Paper

Why Vaccines Should Be Mandatory
Crystal Hannah
COMM / 215
Ms. Deborah Thompson

Why Vaccines Should Be Mandatory In the last century diseases such as whooping cough, polio, measles, and rubella struck hundreds of thousands of infants, children, and adults in the United States. Thousands died every year from them not to mention the serious damage afflicted to the survivors such as, seizures, brain damage, or blindness. As vaccines were developed and used, rates of these diseases consistently declined and today most of them are nearly gone from our country. If we continue to vaccinate our children we can trust that diseases such polio and meningitis won 't infect, cripple, or kill our future. Vaccinations are one of the best
ways to put an end to the crippling consequences of various diseases ("Vaccines and Immunizations", n.d.).
The Immune System To understand vaccines it is important to understand how the human body works.
When germs enter the body, they attack and grow to create an infection. The immune system then uses white blood cells to fight the infection. T-lymphocytes are a form of white blood cells that attack germs in the body that are causing the infections. The first time the body encounters a new germ it can take a few days for the body to produce the white blood cells needed to fight the infection. After the infection is gone the immune systems creates antibodies and T-lymphocytes to use at a later time if the germs were to return ("Understanding How Vaccines Work",
n.d.).
How Vaccines Work Vaccines can help immunity be imitating an infection, this type of infection does not cause illnesses, but it does cause the body to produce the T-lymphocytes and antibodies. Some people after receiving a vaccine develop a mild temperature, but this is normal and necessary for the body to create immunity. Once the mock infection disappears the body is left with the necessary antibodies and T-lymphocytes to fight infections in the future. Thus speeding up the fight if one were to get exposed to the virus again preventing an illness from taking place ("Understanding How Vaccines Work", n.d.).

What Happens When We Don 't Vaccinate Although vaccines have reduced the rate of people who get infectious diseases, the viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases still exist. Without vaccines, outbreaks of these diseases would return. According to "Vaccine Safety" (1996-2014), here are the effects of vaccinating VS, not vaccinating:
“Prior to vaccination, between 13,000 and 20,000 polio cases of paralytic poliomyelitis were reported each year in the United States.
In 1996, because of a global effort to eliminate the disease through vaccination, there were only 3,500 documented cases of polio in the world. Wild polioviruses have been eliminated in the entire Western Hemisphere."
“Before measles immunizations were available, nearly everyone in the United States got measles. There were about 3-4 million cases each year. An average of 450 measles-associated deaths was reported each year between 1953 and 1963. Widespread use of the vaccine has led to >95 percent reduction in measles."
“Before pertussis immunizations were available, nearly all children developed pertussis. In the United States, prior to pertussis immunizations, between 150,000 and 260,000 cases of pertussis were reported each year with up to 9,000 pertussis-related deaths. If we stopped giving pertussis vaccine in the U.S., we would experience a massive resurgence of disease. A recent study found that, in eight countries where immunization coverage was reduced, incidence rates of pertussis surged to 10-100 times the rates in countries where vaccination rates were
sustained.”
“In 1964-65, before U.S. rubella immunization was used routinely, there was an epidemic of rubella that resulted in an estimated 20,000 infants born with CRS, with 2,100 neonatal deaths and 11,250 miscarriages. Of the 20,000 infants born with CRS, 11,600 were deaf, 3,580 were blind and 1,800 were mentally retarded. If immunity to rubella were to decline, rubella would return, resulting in pregnant women becoming infected and giving birth to infants with CRS. The above information covers five of the ten vaccine-preventable diseases against which children are routinely vaccinated. Stopping vaccination would also cause major increases in diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, varicella and mumps” (para. What Happens When We Don 't Vaccinate? ).
Disease rates are low in the United States today but if we were to stop vaccinating we could soon find ourselves battling an epidemic of diseases we had thought we conquered decades ago.
The Bottom Line Many people believe in naturally acquired immunity from having the disease itself opposed to a vaccine acquired immunity. But naturally acquired infections can cause severe complications and sometimes be deadly. It is impossible to predict how the body will react to a serious infection. Vaccines like diseases can cause side effects, but they are mild in comparison and are rarely life-threatening ("Understanding How Vaccines Work", n.d.). When getting a vaccine one is not just protecting themselves but their children, their children 's children, and our future. If vaccination is made mandatory, then all people in the United States can live comfortably and without fear of catching a life-threatening disease.
References
Vaccines and Immunizations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac- gen/whatifstop.htm
Understanding How Vaccines Work. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac- gen/whatifstop.htm
Vaccine Safety. (1996-2014). Retrieved from http://www.pkids.org/immunizations/vaccines_safe_choice/consequences_not_vaccinatin g.html