Argument Against Mandatory Vaccinations

We live in a world where we are threatened by war and physical harm, but we do not give any thought towards the threats inside our body. The majority of parents give their children vaccinations to avoid the harm that diseases and illnesses cause, but there are still those that have doubts and concerns. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is one of the pro-vaccination parents as he posted a photo of his daughter getting her vaccine. Unfortunately, this incited a heated debate in the comments under the photo over whether or not Zuckerberg is making the right choice, or anyone for that matter, vaccinating his child. This irrational fear of vaccinations is believed to have possibly originated from an inaccurate experiment on vaccines by Andrew …show more content…
There is a lot of effort that goes into qualifying our vaccinations and establishing which ones are important enough to be used. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) helps ensure the safety of the medication we take. They evaluate the safety, effectiveness and benefits of all vaccines (U.S. Food). In order for the vaccine to be approved, the vaccine must go through three phases of tests on adult volunteers. Following, the FDA must decide if the benefits outweigh the risks and the drug does what it is meant to do safely (Journey). The FDA’s Center for Testing and Research also does limited research on whether or not the drug does its job. Once the safety of the drug has been cleared The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) assess what the different effects are in different age groups and what is the best time for the drug to be taken. ACIP recommendations are not accepted until a CDC director reviews the work (Journey). Even after this entire process, the FDA and CDC still closely monitor the effects and safety of the vaccines are being put into use. This ensures our safety and well-being