Protesting child vaccination is an absurd action to partake in, but surprisingly, many parents do. Throughout the twentieth century, there have been several groups of people, the antivaxxers being one, who think vaccinations should not be mandatory for children because they are ineffective and harmful. The parents made up these ideas from biased research and rumors spread from other parents. These accusations have been scientifically disproven and a recent article from HealthyChildren.org states “Most childhood vaccines are 90% to 99% effective in preventing disease.” Vaccines are a leading cause for near eradication of many diseases that were once a leading cause of death in children. Every child should be required to be vaccinated because
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The adolescent immune system is continuously developing, and if a child is not vaccinated and is exposed to a disease, the child’s immune system may not be strong enough to fight off the germ resulting in hospitalization or death. A simple vaccine could eliminate the chance of a child contracting such heinous diseases. According to Dr. Corinne McLeod, a family physician, “...diseases, including polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and pertussis, were common causes of childhood disfigurement, disability, and death before the age of vaccinations.” This should raise several red flags for parents who claim to want to protect their child from the side effects of vaccinations that are extremely unlikely. Vaccines are also a way to save money. It is significantly cheaper for a vaccination than it is for a lengthy hospital bill to cure the illness. According to the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition, “The routine childhood immunization program in one birth cohort saves $13.6 billion in direct costs” (Benefits). There are many parents who believe that some vaccinations cause children to contract the very disease it is supposed to prevent. The influenza vaccine, for example, is believed to cause children and adults to contract the illness shortly after the vaccination. Scientists and doctors have continuously denied this fact, but it is still a cause for parents resisting to have their child vaccinated. “Vaccines are among the ‘safest pharmacological interventions for disease prevention available,’ says epidemiologist Roger Bernier, associate director for science at the CDC's National Immunization Program” (Koch). Vaccinations are rigorously tested before it is released to the public and continuously tested after its release. Vaccines go through a threephase testing trial where it is administered to several test groups. If the vaccine
The adolescent immune system is continuously developing, and if a child is not vaccinated and is exposed to a disease, the child’s immune system may not be strong enough to fight off the germ resulting in hospitalization or death. A simple vaccine could eliminate the chance of a child contracting such heinous diseases. According to Dr. Corinne McLeod, a family physician, “...diseases, including polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and pertussis, were common causes of childhood disfigurement, disability, and death before the age of vaccinations.” This should raise several red flags for parents who claim to want to protect their child from the side effects of vaccinations that are extremely unlikely. Vaccines are also a way to save money. It is significantly cheaper for a vaccination than it is for a lengthy hospital bill to cure the illness. According to the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition, “The routine childhood immunization program in one birth cohort saves $13.6 billion in direct costs” (Benefits). There are many parents who believe that some vaccinations cause children to contract the very disease it is supposed to prevent. The influenza vaccine, for example, is believed to cause children and adults to contract the illness shortly after the vaccination. Scientists and doctors have continuously denied this fact, but it is still a cause for parents resisting to have their child vaccinated. “Vaccines are among the ‘safest pharmacological interventions for disease prevention available,’ says epidemiologist Roger Bernier, associate director for science at the CDC's National Immunization Program” (Koch). Vaccinations are rigorously tested before it is released to the public and continuously tested after its release. Vaccines go through a threephase testing trial where it is administered to several test groups. If the vaccine