Inoculation refers to the induction of an infective organism to produce immunity against various infectious diseases (Definition). In Western medicine, inoculation was the process of preventing smallpox by purposefully infecting a person with the disease in a controlled manner to prevent further infection (Meacham). This practice spread to America during the 17th century, during a smallpox epidemic. However, in 1796 English physician Edward Jenner attempted a newer method of inoculation: Jenner transported cowpox directly from an infected milkmaid into the arm of a child and, after two months, he exposed the child to smallpox and the child remained uninfected (Meacham). Jenner’s new procedure became known as vaccination and has been used for over 200 years to treat numerous infectious diseases (Meacham).
Vaccination and inoculation are often used interchangeably, however, they distinctively differ in their methods of administration. Inoculation refers to purposefully infecting a person with live pathogens, while vaccination is the process of treating a person with weakened or dead …show more content…
The risks involved with vaccinations are minimal, rare, or do not actually exist. Comparatively, the risks associated with not vaccinating are too severe to ignore. Exposing children to disease results in dangerous symptoms and sometimes death. Also, choosing to not vaccinate your child puts the lives of other children at risk and initiates the spread of many preventable diseases. For instance, weakened herd immunity has increased the number of cases of measles in recent years; in 2010, there were only 63 cases of measles in the United States; in 2014, there were 16 measles outbreaks in resulting in at least 667 cases (Measles). Simply put, the decision may appear difficult, however vaccination is clearly the best option according to all available
Vaccination and inoculation are often used interchangeably, however, they distinctively differ in their methods of administration. Inoculation refers to purposefully infecting a person with live pathogens, while vaccination is the process of treating a person with weakened or dead …show more content…
The risks involved with vaccinations are minimal, rare, or do not actually exist. Comparatively, the risks associated with not vaccinating are too severe to ignore. Exposing children to disease results in dangerous symptoms and sometimes death. Also, choosing to not vaccinate your child puts the lives of other children at risk and initiates the spread of many preventable diseases. For instance, weakened herd immunity has increased the number of cases of measles in recent years; in 2010, there were only 63 cases of measles in the United States; in 2014, there were 16 measles outbreaks in resulting in at least 667 cases (Measles). Simply put, the decision may appear difficult, however vaccination is clearly the best option according to all available