Vaccinations
By Claire Christensen
The Issue Concerning the Anti-Vaccination and Pro-Vaccination Sides
Vaccinations provide protection from harmful diseases. The first vaccine was developed in the 1790s and over the last two hundred years or so the amount of vaccines available has multiplied. Parents are allowed to have their child be exempted from vaccines for religious or medical reasons, but an increasing number of parents now want to be exempted for safety reasons they see should be put into consideration. An opposing group of people also argue that getting your child vaccinated is a civil obligation. Both sides believe strongly in their argument.
The Need for Vaccines
The Consequences of the Anti-Vaccination Movement
Vaccinations are a very important factor in a child's health, yet many parents choose to skip over them. This is dangerous and risky, and should not be allowed. Without vaccinating children, they are very vulnerable, especially at such an early age, and are susceptible to dangerous diseases that could be life threatening. Some parents decide to change their vaccination schedule, thinking that the vaccines could damage their child's immune system, but the reality is they're putting their child's health at serious risk.
Parents supporting the anti-vaccination movement have become a leading issue in the United States. Parents not letting their child get the necessary vaccines puts not only their child in danger, but also others around you who either cannot afford or aren't provided vaccines. By preventing diseases as a community, we possess herd immunity, and are able to keep exterminated diseases at bay, but with a new spread of anti-vaccination supporters, the herd immunity is at risk. This is the cause of the measles outbreak in both New York and Disneyland. Measles, a deadly disease, is prevented by a vaccine, but once the movement dragged the vaccination, the disease was able to come out of hiding and spread quickly.
The large amount of support for the anti-vaccination movement is primarily fueled by false information. Such information is that vaccines cause autism, brain damage, death, and other major health issues. Yes, vaccines can cause brain damage or death, but cases as such are so extremely rare that it's estimated to be less than one in a million. Parents become paranoid and scared, though, and reject vaccines. They sometimes also seem to support the idea of "natural parenting methods" and look at vaccines as unnatural and harmful.
The anti-vaccination movement causes serious and sometimes fatal dangers that children are susceptible to, and therefore parents should not be able to opt out of vaccinating their kids. Vaccinations protect the well-being and safety of children and parents should not be allowed to take a child's health away as a result of their ignorance.