Immunizations save lives by preventing specific diseases. Vaccines are created from the virus that is trying to be prevented. Different techniques are used for different viruses; …show more content…
Examples of these diseases are: polio, measles, and mumps. Polio cannot be cured; it attacks the central nervous system and causes paralysis. When a polio outbreak grasped the United States in the 1950’s. Fear was among many, because polio was quickly spreading, and there was no cure or vaccine. Many Americans, young and old, would start out just feeling a little weak for a few days, “but then, a few days later, they would lose all control of their limbs and under a doctor 's care were placed in casts or draped in hot packs of wet wool in order to keep their muscles from going into spasm” (Sokol). Since this disease is extremely contagious, unpreventable, and pernicious to the patient, it is only ethical to receive the vaccine to prevent polio. This is one of many similar diseases. A majority of vaccine-preventable diseases are this way; for example, measles is an exceedingly contagious respiratory infection that causes a rash over most of the body. Measles may not sound horrible, but this disease is off the charts infectious. Measles, “90% of people who haven 't been vaccinated for measles will get it if they are near an infected person” (“Measles”). Lastly, Mumps can cause swelling of the salivary glands and parotid glands (“Mumps”). Such symptoms cause dramatic pain to a child. If children were not vaccinated for mumps, they would have to live with the reality that they will more than …show more content…
Vaccines are not created overnight; they are looked over to the nearest detail to ensure no mistakes are made. This is true because,”Vaccines typically take ten to fifteen years of research” (“Department”). Also, the scientists behind the creation of vaccines are highly trained and are able to be trusted. Although vaccines take a while to develop, they are still put through public tests once they hit the market. Vaccines are put through four primary vaccine safety activities such as: Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) (“Department”). Such systems are established in order to fix any mistakes if there is any once the vaccine is being used by the public. This way the longer a vaccine has been discovered, the more credibility it receives. Vaccines that have been available for years have been fine tuned and any side effects have been addressed and improved. The safety of vaccines is only increasing as time passes and technology advances. Therefore, parents should not be afraid to vaccinate their child. It is beneficial to children of the next generation; for example, before the mumps vaccine in 1967, “more than 200,000 cases occurred each year in the United States. Since then the number of cases has dropped to fewer than 1,000 a year” (“Mumps”). Vaccines are not only safe but reliable as well; they are