There are many resources to help people understand what vaccines are, how they work, how they can hurt, and how they help. “Immunization currently prevents between 2-3 million deaths every year” (World Health Organization). This is a good point to start off with since it proves the effectiveness of vaccination, whereas if children are not vaccinated there is a higher risk, seen in how many deaths and sickness it prevents. While there are many side effects possible, vaccinations should be required for all children because they help prevent diseases, they help to keep communities safe, and they protect others who aren’t able to get vaccinations.
First people must be able to understand the basics of vaccines. Vaccinations are described as “Vaccines are made from the same germs … that cause disease” (vaccineinformation.org ). Vaccines work by getting into the bloodstream and giving off traces of these diseases. This way the body can build up immunity - without actually getting sick first - and create antibodies to fight off these diseases when in contact with them. These antibodies will remain in the bloodstream for future help and your body will be prepared. A person is better off getting protection right from the beginning, rather than coming into contact with these dangerous, and potentially deadly, diseases later in life when it is too late. It only makes sense to take up the readily available chance to provide the body with extra protection and stability. This extra protection is worth the possible, mostly minor, side effects. Medical technology like this will continue to be studied and over time, with more research, these side effects can be lessened or even fixed entirely. This added line of defense has protected and helped so many people over the years, and should be continued to be used. There are many reasons people already choose to vaccinate. “Parents want to do everything possible to make sure their children are healthy and protected from preventable diseases“ (vaccineinformation.org ). This is an entirely understandable thought process. It only makes sense to want to protect, your family especially, from as much as possible. They really are one of the safest ways to defend the body against illnesses.
Vaccinations, aside from hurting those who don’t get them, can hurt others around them. Someone who isn’t vaccinated can get sick a lot easier and, therefore, can spread it a lot easier. Most people believe that because a disease isn’t common in the US they are automatically protected from it. Too many people don’t know that everyone who takes a trip out of the US creates a bigger chance for everyone. Certain diseases are much more common overseas that aren’t here which makes it much more easy to spread in the US. More often than not, the people who contract these foreign diseases are those who are not vaccinated. These diseases will spread community to community until it leads to an outbreak. If these situations occur, the vaccinated are much safer than others. If more people were getting vaccinated this would happen much less. If someone goes overseas unvaccinated, they face great risks. The odds of them getting something is very high, and once it is brought back to the US it gets dangerous for everyone, not just the unprotected. It can hurt lots of people very quickly. Vaccinations aren’t for the individual, but for the whole. Vaccinations are becoming required for many places; such as schools, jobs, etc. Which means parents should always be getting their children vaccinated. “ Vaccination is one of the most potent ‘weapons’ we have to protect ourselves against the consequences of infections. Diseases cause suffering and in some cases permanent disability or death. Just as we would choose to carry an umbrella in case it rains, or to use sunscreen, most people are immunised against vaccine-preventable diseases” (vaccinestoday.eu ). It is becoming more and more common for vaccinations to be required and future generations are going to need them to succeed in any field. These rules are becoming enforced because it needs to be ensured that all staff or attenders are as safe as they can be. It’s for the good of everybody that they are required.
Though, for the most part, vaccines are positive, there can be quite a few negative side effects. Most aren’t too bad though. Besides the very mild and normal side effects (such as swelling, soreness, or redness) there are a few more serious side effects. Each different type of vaccination has separate side effects. For example looking at Hib vaccinations, the FDA has found that there are a few minor side effects and some more severe ones. “Some minor side effects are - mild rash, swelling and tenderness of the body, fever of over 100 degrees, and secondary blister elsewhere on the body. Severe side effects include: serious eye infections or loss of vision, rash on entire body, Encephalitis (severe brain reaction), which can lead to permanent brain damage, severe infection, or death” (historyofvaccines.org ). Looking at these, not many are too severe, and if they are it isn’t in most cases that these occur. The risk isn’t so great that everyone should be scared off and never try them. There are ways to find out who should be taking what vaccines, in a safe way. “The CDC and FDA established The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System in 1990. The goal of VAERS, according to the CDC, is ‘to detect possible signals of adverse events associated with vaccines’” (historyofvaccines.org). This was designed to determine these things in vaccines : potency (how well it works like it’s supposed to), sterility (it doesn’t have any outside germs), and purity (and what certain ingredients during production were removed). This is a great system to have to prove the safety of vaccinations and if they are good enough for the public to be using.
Some people are unable to get certain vaccinations. “Because of age, health conditions, or other factors, some people should not get certain vaccines or should wait before getting them” (cdc.gov). This is another reason The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System is good. This system also tells who is safe to get what certain vaccines. But, besides this, noting that many people can’t get a lot, it is even more important for the people who are safe to do so actually does.
Even with all of the bad things that are a possibility, the positive outcomes greatly outdo the negative ones. Vaccinations build up the bodies immunity, helps fight off diseases, and protects communities. “Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all strongly support protecting children with recommended vaccinations” (vaccineinformation.org). So many diseases are easily preventable just by getting secured with a vaccine.
Though there is much debate on this, vaccines should be required. There is much more evidence to prove their importance than to prove their danger. Parents who don’t want to vaccinate their children as soon as possible are hurting their children and lessening their chances for success early on. By the time they have the chance to decide for themselves they may have lost many opportunities. So many places are requiring vaccinations and it is almost a necessity for children to always have it. “Even with better hygiene, sanitation and access to safe water, infections still spread. When people are not vaccinated, infectious diseases that have become uncommon can quickly come back to haunt us” (World Health Organization). Myths need to be debunked and everyone should become more educated so that parents will start to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible and offer them the best that is possible.
