Vaccines: Should parents vaccinate their children - Research Paper Example

?Outline A. Introduction i. Thesis ment: It is imperative for parents to vaccinate their children ii. Background B. Discussion Reasons for i.Vaccines have saved numerous lives since Edward Jenner discovered the vaccine for smallpox. ii. The fact that most of the killer diseases such as smallpox, measles, rabies and polio have been eradicated does not mean that new outbreaks can not occur. iii. Vaccines save money as they prevent diseases, which are expensive to treat and which can result to permanent disability. The US government saves $7 for every $1 spent on vaccination. iv. Vaccines are safe and the Food and Drug Association (FDA) makes sure of this through regular evaluation on the drugs in the market. 2. Rebuttal i. Some parents refuse to vaccinate their children as a result of religious faith, which is protected in the 1st amendment. ii. Freedom of choice is also used as an excuse by critics to discredit mandatory vaccination of children. iii. Health concerns due to side effects associated with vaccinations have also contributed to unfounded fear of vaccines. C. Conclusion The advantages of vaccination outweigh its disadvantages and therefore, all children must be vaccinated. Introduction It is imperative for parents to vaccinate their children. Vaccination can be defined as a procedure in health administration, in which humans, mostly children, are administered with antigenic materials in order to boost their bodies’ ability to resist infections (Stan & Merkel 311). Some of the diseases that are vaccinated against include and not limited to; Diphtheria, Measles, measles, small pox, tetanus and polio among others. Vaccination is conducted through two main ways which include injection and administration through the mouth. Various arguments for and against vaccination have been brought forward but it is difficult to reject the argument that vaccines have done more good than harm. Long before their discovery, diseases such as smallpox and measles used to kill more than 30% of the infected persons but today, it is rare to find such cases especially in Europe and the US, where these infections were highly prevalent during late 18th century. Edward Jenner is herein discussed as the father of vaccination, due to his breakthrough in 1796, when he discovered the vaccine for smallpox (Stan & Merkel 313). Subsequent research by scientists such as Jonas Salk contributed to the eradication of polio and other killer diseases and still, there are critics, who continue to ignore these facts in favor of religious faith and unfounded fear. This paper is a critical evaluation of why parents should ensure that their children are vaccinated as and when they are called to do so. Discussion All parents have a responsibility to ensure that their children are vaccinated against all the major diseases and infections such as polio, chickenpox, tetanus among others, which have been identified as potential health risk factors to the survival of the human race. This is not only because it is the right thing to do but also due to the fact that protection is better than cure. History proves that vaccination has contributed significantly to the eradication of some of the killer diseases, such as small pox, which had a mortality rate of approximately 400000 deaths per year in Europe during late 18th century. Statistics also indicate that more than 500 million people in the same region died from small pox in the 20th century notwithstanding the fact that as late as 1967, the disease was still rampant as more than 15 million people were diagnosed with small pox, out of whom 15 million succumbed to the complications. From these statistics, children accounted for the highest percentage of deaths, as they accounted for approximately 80% of the deaths (Link 21). Vaccination is not a new phenomenon unique to the contemporary society. As early as 17th century, cases of variolation were occurring in countries such as China and India among other Asian societies, as a method of preventing small pox (Link 35). Self inoculation, in this context, involved healthy persons administering themselves with raw samples of infected tissues obtained from a sick person. This subjected the healthy person to a mild infection, with the disease in question, which compelled the body to react by producing antibodies dedicated to eliminating or neutralizing the foreign bodies. By so doing, the immune system got familiarized with the pathogens such that subsequent infections did not have to take long before the body could determine what sort of action to trigger. However, variolation was considered as a dangerous affair due to the fact it had the capacity to expose a person to a full blown small pox infection as there were no control measures in place to guarantee safety. However, in 1796, Edward Jenner, through his research, observed that milk maids had a rather unique resistance to small pox (Stan & Merkel 315). From his observations, Jenner concluded that people, who came into direct contact with cows infected with cowpox, did not suffer from smallpox. To substantiate this, he administered cowpox to one of the children of his laborers after which he injected him with materials infected with smallpox. To his amazement, apart from mild reactions, such as fever, the child did not acquire smallpox and after several subsequent trials with the same results, he was allowed to publish a paper on his findings and even though there were other people before him, who had made similar conclusions, Jenner continues to be viewed as the father of immunization and a life saver. By 1979, smallpox had become a rare infection as a result of approximately 20 years of vibrant immunization campaigns throughout the world (Link 49). However, the fact that the world is now safe from smallpox does not mean that threats have been eliminated in totality. Poor countries, where funds to facilitate immunization are limited, still experience cases of smallpox infections. The US is a rich country and as such, majority of citizens have access to vaccines and therefore, it might be rare to experience such health concerns. On the other hand, this has motivated parents to approach immunizations with a negative attitude. Instead of looking backwards and understanding where the country and the world in general, is coming from, they have decided to concentrate their attention on the negative effects of having their children immunized. They have failed to understand that vaccines are drugs and it is highly rare to find a drug that does not have side effects. It is important for parents to understand that vaccinating their children protects them from death and disabilities, which may arise whenever there is an unanticipated epidemic. Health conditions such as poliomyelitis are known to cause physical disability both in children and adults. In 1952, for example, the US suffered such an outbreak, whereby more than 50000 people were infected with the polio causing virus. Out of these, it is estimated that approximately 3000 people lost their lives whereas more than 20000 suffered physical disabilities such that they could not perform minor tasks such as walking, working or even bathing. Similar cases had been reported in the country before, for example in 1841, 1843, and 1893 although these were of lesser magnitude compared to the 1952 outbreak. One of the recognizable victims of polio infection is President Roosevelt, who ended up being confined in a wheel chair and who should serve as an example to those who are opposed to vaccination (Allen 22). However, in 1955, scientific research conducted by Jonas Salk led to the discovery of polio vaccine, which significantly led to the reduction of polio cases; from approximately 45000 before the discovery, to a mere 900 in early 1960s (Sherman 47). With this knowledge, it may be difficult to understand why a person would campaign for the endangerment of innocent children, who have no capacity to make informed decisions regarding their health. Majority of those opposed to vaccination are only doing it as a result of fear and misinformation, which has been highly attributed to the accessibility of the internet. The internet is a rich source of information but it may also be true to say that not all information contained on different websites is credible. Some of the materials on these websites are based on hearsay, while others have been biased towards promoting a certain agenda such as inciting people to shun immunization. Parents should therefore be able to determine what is right and what is wrong by acquiring information from reputable sources such as responsible government ministries or health practitioners, who have no vested interests and who have access to statistics and data, which is accurate. Indeed, parents should note that vaccines are important as statistics indicate that more than 3 million deaths are prevented on yearly basis whereas more than 700000 children worldwide are protected from disability through different vaccines (Sherman 44). There is no guarantee for any parent that his or her child will not become a victim of these statistics owing to the fact that no one knows when or where an epidemic will occur. Human beings have a tendency of insuring property from unknown catastrophes such as hurricanes, accidents, earthquakes, theft among others but when it comes to personal health, they become reluctant to take precautionary measures against the unknown. This attitude needs to change and this can only be achieved if every person takes time to reflect on the numerous uncertainties, which characterize their future. For example, a parent may not be in a position to predict whether his child will at one time come into contact with a rabid dog, which may bite and infect the child with rabies. Rabies is a dangerous infection, which has the capacity to cause brain malfunctioning and subsequent death. Rabies is not a common disease in the US especially due to the fact that the government has a policy, which makes it mandatory for pet owners to ensure that the pets are vaccinated but the threat still remains in American rural areas where enforcement of government policies may be a bit challenging. However, protection is always better than cure especially due to the fact that there are other uncontrolled agents such as bats, which can transmit rabies to humans through bites and scratches. In countries such as India, rabies is common as a result of numerous dogs, which roam aimlessly without their owners. Majority of victims worldwide are said to be children below 15 years, probably due to their lack of strength to defend themselves from rabid carriers and therefore, it is only fair for this population to be vaccinated. It is estimated that more than 3 million people worldwide are vaccinated against rabies whereas more than 40000 die every year (Sherman 51). The government’s main role is to protect its citizens from any harm, not to cause harm or to endanger the lives of its citizens, through administration of drugs, which have not been subjected to intensive scrutiny before being released to the public. The US government, for example, has institutions, which verify the integrity of vaccines before they can be approved as safe for human use. The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) is mandated with the powers to approve or reject a vaccine in accordance with its legal powers. However, before a drug or vaccine reaches this point, numerous lab tests are conducted whereby its effectiveness and repercussions are studied through computer simulation after which hosts, such as monkeys, mice among others are administered with the drug so as to observe their reaction. The last step involves human trials whereby willing human beings volunteer to have the vaccines tested on them. This means that whenever a drug is allowed into the market, high chances are that it has passed through these procedures and therefore, there should be no reason for anyone to doubt their efficiency. More comforting is the fact that even after the drug has been released into the market, the FDA continues to monitor its effects so as to ensure that quality and safety are guaranteed at all times (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). Parents should vaccinate their children as doing so saves them and the government a lot of money, which can be utilized in funding other developmental projects such as research. According to reports, the US government saves approximately $53 billion in the lifetime of children born in a single year through vaccination. The polio vaccination discovered in 1955 is estimated to have saved the government more than $180 million, which could have been spent on treating persons who may have acquired the disease. In general, statistics indicate that for every $1 spent on vaccination, the US government saves approximately $7 (Sears 18). This is a considerably huge amount considering the fact that one of the major roles of the government is to provide quality healthcare for all and thus it must continue to offer treatment, even to those who fail to undergo vaccination. These figures do not account for the amount of losses, which could have been incurred as a result of deaths, which would have denied the country a significant workforce necessary for promoting economic growth. It may be ironic to find that the same people, who continue to advocate for the halting of vaccination, are the same people who would question the government’s ability to control and protect its citizens from disasters and disease outbreaks. Whooping cough, for example, has remained a major health issue in Colorado and this has been attributed to the reluctance by parents to have their children vaccinated against the infection as a result of unfounded fear of possible side effects (Allen 92). These people need to know that it is better to manage side effects than to control a widespread infection. Whooping cough is transmittable from one person to the other through air and therefore, school going children, no matter how healthy they are, are at a high risk of contamination due to overcrowding in limited classroom spaces. The government needs to stand its ground with regard to the policy of compelling parents to vaccinate their children before they commence on preschool education. Such children are the most vulnerable to disease outbreaks and in a country such as the US, where immigration is high, it would be careless for any parent to allow his or her child to remain vulnerable to communicable diseases, which can be prevented through vaccination. This is due to the fact that not all immigrants undergo vaccination, probably due to the lack of funds or policies, in their countries of origin, to facilitate mandatory vaccination. Cancer has continued to remain a major cause of death globally, with more than 10000 women being diagnosed with cervical cancer on yearly basis and more than 3000 dying as a result of this terminal illness (ProCon.org 2012). One of the major causes of this cancer is human papilloma virus (HPV), which has other health implications on the infected person. Statistics indicate that more than 70% of American women suffer HPV infections, which are common in sexually active women, by the time they attain the age of 50. In 2000, more than 6 million people between the age of 15 and 44 acquired the virus thus making it a notable health concern, which must be dealt with by all viable means possible (Sears 55). Women are the backbone of any given society and their protection enhances the sustainability and wellbeing of future generations. Luckily, there are different ways such as use of condoms, which can be utilized to protect women from HPV. However, just as it has become difficult to protect them from viral infections such as HIV/AIDS, condoms cannot be depended on to eradicate HPV from the society, more so because they are subject to accidental breakage and misuse by irresponsible men, who may want to force their women to engage in unprotected sex irrespective of their promiscuous behaviors. However, the severity of HPV is highly controllable if all parents accept to vaccinate their girl children at an early age i.e. before they become sexually active, probably at 11 years of age. Majority of women in the US have been vaccinated with either of the two available vaccines; Gardasil and Cervarix, but the fact that a significant number has not done so means that the risk is still high. Some parents feel that it is unethical to begin talking of their children engaging in sexual activities at such a tender age but the reality is that there are few parents, who learn of their children’s sexual engagement before it actually happens (Knox 2011). However, it may be necessary to examine some of the reasons which motivate parents to refrain from vaccinating their children, even with them having proper understanding of the health benefits accrued from vaccination. To begin with, critics argue that making it compulsory for parents to vaccinate their children before they enroll in preschools is an infringement on their freedom to choose medication (Sherman 83). In this context, critics want the government to allow parents to decide on whether they want their children vaccinated or not and this is an argument, which may act as a hindrance to the achievement of herd immunity. Facilitating parents with an option, in this regard, will amount to risking the lives of innocent children in addition to the fact that it will make it difficult to eradicate communicable diseases such as whooping cough, HPV and measles among others. It is also argued that a compulsory vaccination policy is an infringement on the freedom of religion. Some of the religions and cults believe in the faith that diseases occur naturally as a result of God’s will and therefore, no human being have the authority to challenge God’s plans (ProCon.org 2012). Such people believe that if a person was meant to die as a result of smallpox or measles, then he should be left to die. Despite this argument being reasonable, based on the fact that it is founded on the 1st amendment, which protects citizens’ freedom of religion, there is no way that preventable death can be justified. However, since the US is a democratic country, which respects fundamental rights and freedoms, there is not much that can be done other than to exempt these people from mandatory vaccination. On the other hand, the government can reason with them through vibrant campaigns so as to inform them on the benefits of having their children vaccinated. Critics also argue that vaccinations are dangerous as they have the ability to cause health complications such as allergies, cancer, arthritis, and schizophrenia among others. However true this might be, statistics indicate that such complications are outweighed by the advantages of vaccination (Allen 103). Furthermore, frequent research on the adverse effects of vaccinations continues to be conducted and therefore, parents should calm down and heed the advice from qualified health practitioners as they know best with regard to the consequences of failing to vaccinate their children. It is ironic that citizens have forgotten the long struggle that researchers have been engaged in before coming up with vaccinations, which have produced tremendous results such as eradication of polio and smallpox. Looking at some of the arguments brought forward by the opponents, it is easy to conclude that they are based on the fact that vaccinations are administered on people who are healthy and since the prevalence rate of diseases vaccinated against is minimal, they feel that they have reached a comfort zone where they are free of infections. This should not be the case as no one can predict on when the next disease outbreak would be. Conclusion Parents should vaccinate their children against diseases and infections. Vaccinations are important as they save lives and money. Smallpox vaccination, for example, has saved millions of lives whereas polio vaccination has saved the US government more than $180 million since its discovery in 1955. In total, it is estimated that the government saves approximately $7 for every $1 spent on vaccination. Parents have no reason to doubt the efficacy of vaccinations to prevent diseases. In Colorado, for example, the refusal of parents to vaccinate their children has resulted to high prevalence rates of whooping cough. The same case happened in 2005 in Indiana, whereby a measles outbreak was reported due to such irresponsibility by parents. Freedom of religion is important and it is protected in the constitution but it should not be a reason for parents to neglect their children’s health. God created man and gave him the ability to determine what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, he should not be used as an excuse to further beliefs that have limited or no health benefits at all to the humans. Despite the fact that every person has an inalienable right to choose medication, it is also their responsibility to ensure that they do not subject others to dangers associated with communicable diseases. The government utilizes tax payers’ money to facilitate treatment and therefore, it is unethical for any person to expose him or herself to vulnerability and expect other citizens to contribute their hard earned money towards their health maintenance. Works Cited Allen, Arthur. Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver. W. W. Norton & Company, 2008. Print Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. History of Vaccine Safety. 8 July 2010. 4 April 2012 Knox, Richard. HPV Vaccine: The Science behind the Controversy. 19 September 2011. NPR. 4 April 2012 Link, Kurt. The Vaccine Controversy: The History, Use, and Safety of Vaccinations. Praeger, 2005. Print ProCon.org. Should Any Vaccines be required For Children? 13 March 2012. ProCon.org. 4 April 2012 Sears, Robert. The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child. Brown and Company, 2007. Print Sherman, Jill. The Vaccination Debate. Abdo Publishing Company, 2010. Print Stan, Alexandra and Merkel, Howard. “The History of Vaccines and Immunization: Familiar Patterns, New Challenges.” Health Affairs 33.6 (2008): 300-319 Read More