Arguments Against Flu Vaccines

In 1796, Edward Jenner administered the world’s first vaccine, it was a smallpox vaccination. This would be the first of millions of vaccinations that have been given, which shows how they are helpful because it has prevented deadly diseases from continually spreading. There have also been negative effects discovered to getting vaccinated. Although this is true, vaccines are necessary and we should continue to use them, because the benefits outweigh the possible damages. Measles is a very contagious respiratory disease, it can be spread by sneezing, coughing, or even breathing in the same air as someone infected. “In the year 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the United States….Vaccines had resulted in measle’s decline.”(The Vaccination …show more content…
“‘Trivalent’ flu vaccines are formulated to protect against three flu viruses, and ‘quadrivalent’ flu vaccines protect against four flu viruses. Flu vaccines do NOT protect against infection and illness caused by other viruses that can also cause flu-like symptoms.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) There are about 29 different known strains of the influenza virus, 18 hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 neuraminidase subtypes: “Hemagglutinin and neuraminidase protrude from the outer surface of the influenza virus and neuraminidase is a constituent of the enveloping membrane that surrounds the viral contents.”(Encyclopedia) This goes to show that when given the flu vaccine, you are not guaranteed to be protected for the specific strain you were infected with. Studies have shown that the vaccination tends to work more effectively when you receive the vaccine for the first time, compared to getting it multiples times. It is as if the influenza virus can become immune to the people that have received multiple doses of the vaccine within their life, decreasing the effectiveness. The flu virus is an example of where vaccines could be seen as unnecessary, because the vaccination that is labeled to prevent influenza, does not truly prevent it as a whole disease, but only certain strains of …show more content…
“Most of these parents have never seen measles, and don’t realize it could be a bad disease so they turn their concerns to unfounded risks. They do not perceive risk of the disease but perceive risk of the vaccine.” (New York Times) The people that have anti-vaccine beliefs do not realize what could happen if they get infected. In my opinion, it is worse to have the potential of getting infected than to just be protected in case people around you get infected. Personally, my family believes in vaccines, so we are always up-to-date on the suggested vaccination schedule that the doctor provides. It is better to have taken preventive measures against diseases, than to not get vaccinated and have no protection against the disease. As discussed above, vaccinations are safe and effective, because they must be critically analyzed and thoroughly tested by professional doctors and scientists, to approve or deny the allowance of certain vaccine uses. Vaccines are required for school enrollment due to the fact, that at school there are hundreds of kids, if not thousands, so diseases and illnesses can easily be spread among people. Lice is an excellent example of how things can spread so quickly, especially among children. If a child shows up to school with lice, then the kids that they play with or are in the same class as the lice-infested child, they have a high chance of coming home