The Importance Of Childhood Imunisation

The theory behind immunisations originated in Europe in the 1800’s, after an English doctor, Edward Jenner used a small dose of the smallpox virus to protect against smallpox in 1796 . Since then, immunisation, the process of fortifying an individual’s immune system against an agent has become a common method used to prevent diseases in men, women and children. Childhood immunisation has become a widely debated topic in Australia in recent years. It’s especially important for children to be immunised as their immune system isn’t fully developed making them susceptible to disease. Vaccinations have significantly lowered the occurrence of diseases such as whooping cough and smallpox, saving over 732,000 children’s lives in the past 20 years alone . Despite this, in recent years there has been a movement growing against childhood vaccination, whether it is for religious, philosophical, medical or conscientious reasons, some parents refuse to immunise their children. Anti-vaxxers believe vaccinations are linked to diseases such as …show more content…
However; vaccines are known to have saved many lives since their invention and enhance young children’s weak immune system. Vaccine-preventable illnesses can be deadly, even diseases that most consider mild, such as the Chicken Pox . It is true that vaccinations, like any form of medication can cause side-effects ranging from a slight fever to in the most severe cases, death. However; these cases are rare and as vaccinations undergo rigorous testing, so these are unlikely to occur . Vaccinations are the single most effective way to prevent children and their peers from deadly vaccine-preventable diseases as they not only protect the child but the whole community. Parents should make an informed choice when it comes to vaccination but they should take into account the consequences they could face for not having their child immunised in