Premium Essay

Vaccines Should Be Mandatory

In: Social Issues

Submitted By rc1121
Words 1247
Pages 5
Vaccines should be mandatory

The invention of the vaccinations has been one of the greatest health interventions, saving millions of people from infectious diseases (Ehreth, 2002). The vaccine program has had extraordinary success in decreasing the spread of preventable diseases (Zimmerman, 2000). Research shows vaccines are safe, provide a way to protect your child and society, and help avoid wide spread disease. Vaccines are not completely 100% safe, but it is safer than the infectious disease it is preventing (Concerns about vaccine safety, 2009). With any drugs, there are side effects, but serious ones are rare (Concerns about vaccine safety, 2009). Children are given vaccines at an early age when other development issues also come to light, and vaccines are given the blame (Concerns about vaccine safety, 2009). It is a coincidence that those developmental issues have surfaced at the same time. Most developmental issues surface in early childhood. Vaccine side effects are very rare. Before a new vaccine can be administered, vaccines endure many years of testing, making vaccines even safer (Wharton el al, 2001). Making the side effects even rarer. In 1999 most childhood vaccinations were reformulated to not contain Thirmosal as a preservative. Thimosal is 50% mercury containing organic compound most widely used in vaccines. It was used as a preservative in vaccines starting in the 1930’s. It has since been removed from vaccines for children under the age of 6 except from the vaccine of inactivated influenza because of the concern of mercury. Infants seem to lack the ability to remove mercury from their bodies. In turn it was removed just as a precautionary move based on concerns of possible links to Thimosal causing Autism. The use of preservatives in vaccines is to kill the bacteria in the vaccines just in case the vaccine is

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Vaccine Should Be Mandatory

...“Why should I get vaccinated? It is just a waste of time and money. I never got vaccinated before and never will.” That’s what one of my colleagues said when he was asked to get vaccinated during the outbreak of SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, few years ago in Mongolia. Then, I had reasoned him that disease comes all of a sudden and it is more serious than he thinks. As reported on CDC, Centers for Disease Control, 40 percent of all American parents were refusing one or more vaccines for their children (Willrich 3). So it is clearly one of the most significant public health issues today. There are lots of people who hold the belief against vaccination because of several reasons. Even though there is a public notion that vaccine has bad effects on human body, I strongly believe that vaccinating is the most crucial and effective way to keep people healthy by preventing future diseases and it also helps people to avoid spreading out the infectious diseases. Therefore, vaccination should be mandatory. First of all, I believe that the precaution of future disease should be imposed. People need to get vaccinated to improve their immune system to avoid future diseases and they need to be responsible for their safety. According to Michael Willrich, an internationally recognized historian, the contagious disease called smallpox spread out across the country at the turn of the 20th century. It is one of the deadliest diseases in human history that killed twenty five to thirty...

Words: 1094 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Cost Personal

..."Introduction to Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory? : At Issue." Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory? Ed. Roman (Espejo.) Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven, 2014. N. pag. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 Feb. 2016. This site provide basic information about how the religion has his own reasons to don't take the mandatory vaccinations,they try to make it non mandatory.It may be relevant because it has to do with the subject and from this point of view are against.The article speaks clearly that vaccines should not be mandatory especially for religious people and they have their way of seeing the world and see vaccines as unnecessary,this supports the research in the sense that it is against the mandatory vaccines.In fact if there are other sources that support this conclusion nonreligious but other items exactly where they think that vaccines should not be mandatory.Of course, a person can rely on this article and be of great help also be easy to understand because the reading level is not as high, if you ask me would say that is normal average. (Klein, Kristin, and Sherry Luedtke.) "HPV Vaccinations Should Be Given to All Adolescent Girls." Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory? Ed. Roman Espejo. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven, 2014. At Issue. Rpt. of "Human Papillomavirus Vaccination: A Case for Mandatory Immunization?" Www.ppag.org. N.p.: n.p., 2008. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Feb. 2016. This source provides specific information about whether the vaccine should...

Words: 618 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Literature Review Influenza

...Mandatory Influenza Vaccinations Review Shumetria Cleveland English 321 Mandatory Influenza Vaccinations Review Introduction Influenza is a highly, contagious virus that affects the respiratory system. It is transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets by an infected person coughing or sneezing. Influenza is much more serious than the common cold and is preventable. Good hand washing, covering your cough, and good health habits will prevent the spread of influenza and other respiratory diseases. It is onset by chills, fatigue, high fever, cough, sore throat, and body aches are some sign or symptoms of influenza often referred to as the flu. The incubation period is one to four days. Each year, influenza causes a significant increase in illness and death. In the elderly, children, patients with chronic illness and immune compromised disease. Once in a while the influenza changes to a severe disease. In the early 1900 there was a pandemic that killed approximately 20,000,000 people. Scientist later discovered the bacterial that causes the virus by testing the blood. Today physicians are able to keep the bacterial infections under control with antibiotics. In 2009 the swine flu epidemic caused illness, stole lives and flashed a light on health care workers to get mandatory influenza vaccinations. Some institutions, for the first time, implemented policies for mandatory influenza vaccines for health care workers due to the escalation of the swine flu...

Words: 2189 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Mandatory Vaccinations

...Mandatory Vaccinations As each year passes, and a new one quickly approaches, our world gets more advanced in every way. Our technology becomes faster, smarter, and quicker and with that, our medical strides become bigger and better. Currently, with the help of technology and years of prior research, our medical resources have flourished and with it, the debate over mandatory vaccinations and how they may or may not affect our children. We've been so caught up in the action of being able to choose for ourselves what course we take for our children when it comes to vaccinations, that we have made secondary the consequences of what this choice actually entails. Vaccinations help to protect and prevent the innocent young and the surrounding vulnerable community members from infection, while helping to significantly reduce the risk of outbreaks to people who may be exposed to these potentially deadly illnesses and therefore should be mandatory. Vaccinations should be mandatory because they help keep our school age children safe. Currently, the requirement for entering all public schools is that your child must be vaccinated first. This is a requirement within all fifty states, as marked by the Center for Disease Control. If your child doesn't get vaccinated, they can't start their first day of school. The Food and Drug Administration regulates and licenses all of the vaccines required for children to ensure both "safety and effectiveness." Given our history before vaccines, outbreaks...

Words: 975 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Mandatory Flu Vaccine

...Immunization is a very controversial topic including the issue of mandatory flu vaccination for front-line health care workers. Health care workers are the front-line workers to whom patients are first exposed to during the initial encounter to medical system. Influenza is commonly referred to as the seasonal flu which strikes 5% to 15% of the world’s population with approximately 3 to 5 million severe cases of illness which leads to 250000 to 500000 deaths annually (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014). In addition, hospital acquired influenza has a 16% mortality rate which increases to 60% in high-risk population groups (Cortes-Penfield, 2014). Specifically in Canada, the average rate of influenza infection is 10% to 20% of the population...

Words: 2448 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Vaccines

...by viruses; a non-living infection that attacks the immune system and other living cells. Children are much more vulnerable to disease because of their weak immune systems. They’re weak because they haven’t lived life long enough to build immunities for such infections. So how would children protect themselves? Simple, vaccinations. However, in medicine, there are always risks. So, parents argue that vaccinations shouldn’t be mandatory for children. For many years, immunizations have continued to keep the spread of disease low. They have lowered the amount of deaths and saved lives. On the other hand, what if it was against families’ religion or they say their child is a “tough one” and they can handle the severe symptoms of disease? Those are the arguments made by people who believe that vaccines shouldn’t be mandatory for children. Are those arguments strong enough to counter all the children’s lives that have been saved by intelligent medicine? Unless America wants to unleash the beast of infectious killers, vaccinations for children should be mandatory to keep it from spreading and eventually killing. Bacteria and viruses can take hold of its victims a few different ways. It can infect through the respiratory system causing chest pain and coughing. One of the most fatal ways for children to be infected is through Meningitis. Meningitis is an infection in the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. During the infection, people will have headaches,...

Words: 1997 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Should Vaccination Be Given to Children

...Should a child be vaccinated? Should a child be vaccinated? Paul Kim Period 8 There is nothing worse than seeing an adolescent life being taken away from a dangerous disease. It is really painful knowing that person will never get to live to see their full potential and experience life. Diseases cause many deaths every year, it is inevitable. Bacteria are contained in every disease and one way it is absorbed is by being inhaled by the people, which will infect the body as a whole. It is really simple in that bacteria will continue to live freely and happily while the host will have to suffer the effects of it. Some diseases are caused by viruses. A virus is basically a non-living infection that attacks the immune system and tries infecting other living cells. Children are much more vulnerable to diseases compared to adults because of the fact that their immune systems is still developing. Children are weak because they haven’t lived life long enough to gain immunity to diseases. So how could children protect themselves from diseases one may ask? Taking vaccination early will not only protect you from diseases, but greatly improve your immune system to counter all the other diseases. The invention of medical immunizations has not only been used to heal from the disease, but also to keep the spread of disease low. Having immunizations available have greatly lowered the amount of deaths in the world. Vaccination should continue to stay mandatory because it keeps diseases...

Words: 1196 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Health Law Paper

...The U.S. Government on Mandatory Vaccination What are vaccines? Vaccines contain a mixture of sugars, proteins, and certain chemicals that all serve a purpose in neutralizing the severely weakened or dead virus within. They are substances that are typically injected subcutaneously under the skin to trigger a bodily response. This response activates the creation of antibodies against the foreign compounds, which then leads to immunization from the desired disease. Although the modern story of vaccination began with Edward Jenner’s approach of introducing already infected material to a healthy subject to protect against smallpox, the idea dates as far back as 1000 B.C. in China. Before agreeing to the label of vaccination, it was generally termed inoculation. It was Jenner’s 1796 research that became the base for which smallpox ultimately became eradicated in the United States. Today we strive to advance our understanding of vaccinations to build a future free from diseases such as HIV, malaria, dengue, and RSV. Today, the government and its schools hold considerable responsibility in the control of preventable diseases. The initial mandatory vaccination laws were passed by Massachusetts in the early 1850’s. The vaccine law transpired because of the new mandatory school attendance law. It was passed in order to keep the growing number of school students safe from disease, and to halt the advancement of smallpox. Vaccines were never collectively respected though. The...

Words: 1829 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Policy Analysis- Mandatory Vaccines

...TO: President Barack Obama FROM: Sally Choi RE: Vaccine Mandates Regulation DATE: April 22nd , 2015 Problem Statement: What actions or measures can President Barack Obama take in order to balance the need to protect the public’s health in addressing concerns of citizens who may object to mandatory immunization requirements? Background: In the United States, virtually every state has enacted legislation in which they mandate some level of compulsory vaccinations for its citizens. In order for a child to attend public schools, they must receive all required vaccinations. Throughout history, many have disagreed and opposed vaccinations for various reasons. Many of the citizens do not believe that vaccines mandates to be constitutional. Also, many do not believe the state legislatures have the power to require everyone to receive certain vaccinations and view the authority as a violation of their constitutional rights. Recently, there has been an increase in people who are against to vaccinations as a possible factor to Autism in children. Also, religious beliefs play a role in opposing vaccinations for themselves and their children. These have built anger and opposition to the states mandates of some vaccinations. In 1813, United States Vaccine Agency was established. “The U.S. Congress authorized and James Madison signed ‘An Act to Encourage Vaccination,’ establishing a National Vaccine Agency” (History of Vaccines RSS). This Act was the first push by the United States...

Words: 2388 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Why Vaccinations Should Be Mandatory

...In the middle of the 20th century when vaccines were introduced to the general public life expectancy substantially rose and so did the general health of the citizens. So why would we not have vaccinations be a mandatory thing if all it can cause is better quality of life for everyone? Not only do vaccines provide a better quality of life for us but they keep our loved ones, families,friends,and even our neighbors safe as well. Currently in third world countries there are mass epidemics of diseases. Why? Most of these countries don’t have vaccines available like we do in the united states yet, some of our community members aren’t using them and contracting many disease that could potentially harm themselves and our youth that can’t be vaccinated yet. Vaccinations should be mandatory because it puts the community in jeopardy, not only that but helps the government and also the hard working taxpayers save money , but more importantly it protects future generations from coming in contact with horrendous diseases . Not being vaccinated will result...

Words: 966 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Vaccinations: Modern History

...in history” (Sagan 15). Of all the advances in medicine throughout history, nothing is more beneficial and effective in the mission to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, than the vaccine. Diseases previously common to man, such as smallpox, polio, and whooping cough, are now prevented by this miracle of medicine, resulting in countless of human lives being saved. Despite controversial and considerable opposition from numerous anti-vaccine movements, vaccines are widely accepted to be...

Words: 688 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Should Vaccination Be Mandatory

...Mandatory Vaccinations Since the dawn of time human beings have been plagued with copious diseases. Through a plethora of years scientists have been working hard to discover cures for these detrimental diseases. Whether or not a person decides to receive vaccines is up to them. Looking back at the effects of these diseases poses the question; should vaccination be mandatory? When people are not vaccinated, they cause a great threat to the health of the public, therefore, vaccines should be made mandatory. A vaccine is a substance that makes your body produce antibodies and gives a person immunity against one or more illnesses. They are generally made with a biological pathogen from the illness. It acts as an antigen which is a relatively harmless part of the pathogen and allows the body to produce more antibodies to fight the disease. Vaccines work as a mock infection. When the powerless virus enters your body, it produces more antibodies. When it easily destroys the virus your body is left with the surplus of the disease specific antibodies that prohibit the virus from causing any harm (U.S. Department of...

Words: 510 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Mandatory Immunisation In Australia Essay

...Should mandatory immunisation be held across Australia, despite religion? Introduction Immunisation has been arguably the most significant public health intervention and was voted as one of the four most beneficial medical developments of the past 150 years (AusGov DoH, 2015). (Shmaefsky, B, 2016) states that “vaccines are drugs used to increase the body’s ability to combat disease organisms”. Immunisation is just one medical strategy for decreasing the chances of widespread, infectious diseases (Advameg, Inc, 2016). It is stated that vaccinations save an estimated 3 million lives throughout the world per year, making it one of the most cost-efficient health interventions ever created. There are 18 different vaccines that are a part of the Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule, including Chickenpox, Hepatitis B, HPV and Influenza. Vaccinations are given since birth, all the way to the age of 70-79 (Cirrus Media, 2015). Biological Background The first vaccine created was by a man named Edward Jenner in 1796. This vaccine protected people from smallpox. Jenner noticed that cattle handlers who had previously been...

Words: 637 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Clinical Situations In Nursing Care

...Clinical Situations Position Paper Kelli B. Teems University of West Georgia Professional Nursing Concepts (Nurs 4102) Professor J. Wilder, MSN, NP-C April 7, 2015 Part 4 – Immunity and Health Policy Vaccination has been known to provide immunity to a variety of illnesses, including influenza. To minimize influenza-related deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that vulnerable people and health care workers (HCW) be vaccinated against influenza annually (van den Dool, Bont, Hak, Heijne & Wallinga, 2008). A topic of debate between HCWs and healthcare facilities is the discussion over whether annual influenza shots should be mandatory. Multiple studies have been completed to determine if the benefits are substantial enough...

Words: 731 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Vaccinations

...1: Should vaccinations be compulsory? Vaccinations should not be compulsory. Parents should be able to decide whatever they choose is best for their children, as long as they are not being abused. The government should not be involved in parenting decisions. Vaccines are not always effective and can lose potency over time. There are legitimate reasons for parents to not vaccinate. Question 2: Should unvaccinated people be blamed for the outbreak at Disneyland? Unvaccinated people should not be to blame for the outbreak at Disneyland. The outbreak at Disneyland could have easily been spread by someone that had the vaccine 35 years prior and had the virus in their system, but wasn’t showing symptoms. There have been studies showing that vaccines lose their effectiveness over time. Also, people can develop autoimmune diseases that can make the vaccine less potent. Question 3: How relevant are gender and age in terms of vaccinations? Could there be an argument concerning discrimination (particularly as it deals with HPV vaccinations)? Gender and age are irrelevant in terms of vaccinations. There is not an argument concerning discrimination. Vaccines should have nothing to do with age, gender, or any discriminatory issue. The only thing that should be the point is letting responsible adults decide what they believe is best for their family, not what others believe. Question 4: What about mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers? Vaccinations should not be mandatory for...

Words: 332 - Pages: 2