Vaccines: Should parents vaccinate their children - Research Paper Example

Vaccines: Should parents vaccinate their children?

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. 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.
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....
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 ...Show more