Pros Of Mandatory Vaccination

Superior Essays
Register to read the introduction… The health of the global population should always come before all else, considering that a person must be alive in order to hold religious or moral beliefs (Parkins 440). Choosing not to vaccinate a child effects not only that child, but also everyone around him or her. For example, Gillian Hodge, a mother from Virginia, had to endure a grueling 30-day quarantine after her newborn baby girl caught measles at her doctor’s office (Parkins 439). Baby Mackenzie, who was too young to receive her MMR vaccine, caught measles from an unvaccinated child. She was then quarantined so that she would not spread the highly contagious disease (Parkins 439). Mrs. Hodge agrees with mandatory vaccination. “It’s so scary to think you could be at the park enjoying a nice day with your kids and then the next day they could [have a] deathly disease. . . . I am a firm believer in vaccinations.” (Parkins 440). Unvaccinated children could be dangerous to other children around them. Infants who are not yet old enough to receive vaccines can catch harmful diseases such as measles and mumps from infected, unvaccinated children (Lu 871). Vaccination should be mandatory to keep children such as Mackenzie Hodge safe. Responsible parents should not have to worry about their babies getting sick (Lu 871; Parkins …show more content…
The risks of not vaccinating are detrimental to the unvaccinated child, but also every other child around him or her. Worldwide outbreaks are not worth it (Jolley and Douglas 2) The world should strive to eradicate diseases such as measles, mumps, and polio. Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are only exposing them and others to a dangerous world full of harmful disease. It is most important to make sure that children throughout the world can stay safe (Parkins …show more content…
"Factors Affecting The Infant Antibody Response To Measles Immunisation In Entebbe-Uganda." BMC Public Health 13.1 (2013): 1-9. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.gatekeeper2.lindenwood.edu/ehost/detail?vid=21&sid=e5077fb8-40f6-410d-8e55-2237b0a56c5b%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4210&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=89637825>.
Lu, Hope. "Giving Families Their Best Shot: A Law-Medicine Perspective On The Right To Religious Exemptions From Mandatory Vaccination." Case Western Reserve Law Review 63.3 (2013): 869-915. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.gatekeeper2.lindenwood.edu/ehost/detail?vid=21&sid=e5077fb8-40f6-410d-8e55-2237b0a56c5b%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4210&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=87553767>.
Parkins, Christine. "Protecting The Herd: A Public Health, Economics, And Legal Argument For Taxing Parents Who Opt-Out Of Mandatory Childhood Vaccinations." Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal 21.2 (2012): 437-490. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    “Should children have to be vaccinated to attend school?” (Lemons, 2016, p. 185). This statement is the prescriptive issue that Jane Fullerton Lemons, writer for the 2008 CQ Researcher posits in her report on “Vaccine Controversies.” In order to get both sides of the issue, Lemons obtained a testimony from Amy Pisani, Executive Director of Every Child By Two, and a rebuttal from Barbra L. Fisher, President of National Vaccine Information Center. Initially, my thought was to side with Fisher, but with further reading I 've concluded that Pisani had the stronger argument, despite the weaknesses given throughout.…

    • 1845 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pros Of Vaccination

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The most effective method of ensuring that parents get their children vaccinated is the requirement of an up-to-date immunization records before children can join or attend any public schooling institutions or licensed day care facilities. The problem with this however is that every state except Mississippi and West Virginia allows children to be exempted from vaccination for religious reasons. Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as whooping cough, diphtheria, hepatitis, measles, poliomyelitis, human papillomavirus, and mumps are still a threat that results in the hospitalization of many children in the U.S. This, therefore, calls for the need for the federal governments to ensure that all children born receive…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sometimes other personal or religious beliefs persuade parents to skip immunizations. Parents, health care specialists, nurses, teachers and children all have an important stake in this issue. Parents argue that it is they who should have the ultimate decision-making right on whether or not to vaccinate their children. Nurses and healthcare officials oppose that view on…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the journal article Ethics and Childhood Vaccination Policy in the United States, the authors are trying to make the point that more people should focus on childhood immunization. They focus on it from an ethical point of view, as many parents are refusing to vaccinate their children for various reasons. The article is trying to convey the message that vaccinating your child is not only beneficial for the child itself but also for the good of the community and society. The ethical issue that illustrated here is if healthcare workers are willing to sacrifice the patient’s autonomy for the greater good of everyone else. Another issue that this article points out is that it is not easy to put forth a policy that requires all parents to vaccinate…

    • 1615 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To a large extent, I believe the new vaccination law in California is doing a good for its population, but I can see where overstepping the boundary on individual rights may stand for debate. When implementing laws like this, it is important to think of the community as a whole. Diseases in this time period may be transmitted through several different ways, thus allowing one person to become infected among many can be very risky. In order to have a herd immunity, as referenced in the article, these kids must remain up-to-date with their vaccinations. Individual rights won’t be surpassed as long as the patients are taught the benefits and disadvantages of such vaccines given by schools.…

    • 137 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The primary topics that have been discussed in this paper include vaccine safety, side effects and toxicity, and the need for vaccinations for diseases that appear to be eradicated. The concerns that have been raised about vaccine safety and effectiveness have all been addressed and the overwhelming evidence has been provided (Achievements in Public Heath, 1999). However, despite this evidence, theories against vaccinations by social groups often misrepresent the scientific data and are not backed by scientific logic. These concerns have led many parents to decline the recommended vaccination of their children which had led to a resurgence of diseases such as measles and pertussis in the United States (Maglione et al, 2015).…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The ongoing argument of whether immunizations for children should be a choice or mandated seems like it will never come to an end. In the year 2000, 10 vaccinations have become recommended for children ages 24 months and younger. Since the mandatory childhood vaccinations have been set in place, morbidity rates have decreased between 98-100 percent. The proclaimed risks that are linked to not vaccinating or under vaccinating children outweigh those that come with vaccinating a child. Medical professionals and society needs to mandate child vaccinations to prevent an outbreak.…

    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One of the greatest medical advancements throughout human history was the creation of vaccines. The success of vaccines made many previously common childhood diseases become almost rare. Although approximately 400,000 children are vaccinated in Canada each year (qtd. in Picard), there is still a large portion of Canadian children that not receiving the necessary vaccinations. This is occurring because Canada does not have any federal laws in place to enforce children to be vaccinated. Fortunately, Canada’s Constitution allows mandatory vaccination law to be implemented at the provincial and territorial level.…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Herd Immunity

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    By receiving certain immunizations, parents help provide a healthier environment for their children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommended immunization schedule, some immunizations, for example the vaccination for whooping cough, cannot be administered to an infant immediately after birth (“Recommended Immunization”, 1). Limiting exposure to the disease is crucial to keeping infants healthy. Unvaccinated parents provide one more avenue by which the disease can reach the infant. Vaccinated parents establish a form of herd immunity for their children.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A big factor in keeping your children healthy is getting them vaccinated and immune to contagious, life-threatening diseases. Because of vaccinations, the diseases that have massacred and crippled thousands of children have been annihilated or almost completely annihilated (“5 IMPORTANT REASONS”). By protecting your children by getting them vaccinated, you are also protecting yourself and the others around you. If you make the decision to not vaccinate your children, you are putting them at risk for chickenpox, shingles, influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, pneumococcal rotavirus, and whooping cough (“Congresswoman Duckworth Helps”). It is also very important to make sure that you are updated on all the vaccinations as well because your kids or anyone else could have a chance of catching a disease from you.…

    • 1580 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This practice of not vaccinating children could be very harmful to the well being of those unvaccinated and those around them. Along with that, it is easier on the child to not have to suffer through a potentially fatal disease. This is why vaccines should be mandatory for young children. One particularly good reason for vaccinating is their ability to prevent the disease…

    • 1451 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The debate over whether to choose to vaccinate or not should be a right, whether exemptions from vaccinations should be allowed, and whether vaccinations of healthcare workers should be mandatory and as well as vaccinations to adolescence” (Espejo 20). Overall there are a wide range of opinions…

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Every year, school children begin the same ritual; mandatory vaccinations. They bring home packets full of forms stating which vaccines are required for each child to attend school. For most families, this is just another duty to add to a checklist of things to do for school and gets done without a second thought, but for some, this is a dreaded process. Many parents choose to opt out of vaccinating their children for reasons such as, medical limitations and religious beliefs, but over the last few years, philosophical exemption has become more and more popular. Philosophical exemption allows people to choose not to vaccinate for any reason.…

    • 1223 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even though all diseases we vaccinate for are very rare it is also very easy to underestimate the importance of vaccination. In the 1970’s and 80’s there was a case against the whooping cough, “ After a scare about safety with the whooping cough vaccine, parents stopped vaccinating their children against the disease. This led to 3 epidemics, and at least 100 children dead after catching the disease.” ( Choices, 2015). You should still have your kids vaccinated because, we are riding the world of these diseases that are killing…

    • 1189 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Because we’re unwilling to learn from history, we are starting to relive it. And children are the victims of our ignorance” (Offit 21). People who do not vaccinate believe that the risks far outweigh the benefits. Numerous parents refuse or delay immunizations for their children; however, other parents are adamant that the parents who choose this type of lifestyle…

    • 1502 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays