Vaccines are necessary for both the prevention and elimination of disease both in the community and worldwide. Parents make decisions every day to keep their children safe and healthy. From choosing the right car seat to selecting the right diet, parents consult experts, family, and friends to make the right decisions for their child. The choice to immunize is no different. The disease-prevention benefits of vaccinating are much greater than the risks and possible side effects for almost all children. Immunizations have a long history, are safe and effective, keep the person inoculated and community safe, and save families time and money. Therefore, vaccines should continue to be a requirement for public school systems for the safety of everyone.
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According to herbalist Jamie Murphy’s 1994 What Every Parent Should Know about Childhood Immunization, vaccines contained a “witch’s brew” of chemicals and contained known carcinogens. (Conis 150) Murphy published a study in the British Medical Journal claiming that thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines in the form of mercury, can cause mercury poisoning in children that were inoculated against pertussis. Federal agencies inspected the dangers of thimerosal in the pertussis vaccine and found the “risk of harm to be unknown but certainly smaller than the risk of infectious disease.” (Conis 152) Murphy’s study struck fear in Americans as the dangers of mercury levels were examined at every source including tuna fish, thermometers, and cigarettes. Although mercury in large amounts is a dangerous toxin, the amount received in each vaccine on schedule is considered …show more content…
When we take into account the cost of the vaccine itself versus when a child becomes sick from a vaccine-preventable illness, the former is the better choice. Vaccinations are free to children eligible for Medicaid, the uninsured, and American Indian or Alaska Native. (VFC) If a child were to become ill from a vaccine-preventable illness, they might require doctor visits, hospital stays, and medication. If there are long-term effects, they might require special equipment to help them function (wheelchairs and other adaptive devices) and speech or occupational therapy. The parents have to take time off work, leading to loss of income and possibly unemployment. Insurance companies may only cover a certain time period of hospital stay, requiring the rest be paid out-of-pocket. Total cost per hospital stay related to a vaccine-preventable infection was over $43,000. (Naprawa) It is much easier to pay for the vaccine upfront than to take the risk
According to herbalist Jamie Murphy’s 1994 What Every Parent Should Know about Childhood Immunization, vaccines contained a “witch’s brew” of chemicals and contained known carcinogens. (Conis 150) Murphy published a study in the British Medical Journal claiming that thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines in the form of mercury, can cause mercury poisoning in children that were inoculated against pertussis. Federal agencies inspected the dangers of thimerosal in the pertussis vaccine and found the “risk of harm to be unknown but certainly smaller than the risk of infectious disease.” (Conis 152) Murphy’s study struck fear in Americans as the dangers of mercury levels were examined at every source including tuna fish, thermometers, and cigarettes. Although mercury in large amounts is a dangerous toxin, the amount received in each vaccine on schedule is considered …show more content…
When we take into account the cost of the vaccine itself versus when a child becomes sick from a vaccine-preventable illness, the former is the better choice. Vaccinations are free to children eligible for Medicaid, the uninsured, and American Indian or Alaska Native. (VFC) If a child were to become ill from a vaccine-preventable illness, they might require doctor visits, hospital stays, and medication. If there are long-term effects, they might require special equipment to help them function (wheelchairs and other adaptive devices) and speech or occupational therapy. The parents have to take time off work, leading to loss of income and possibly unemployment. Insurance companies may only cover a certain time period of hospital stay, requiring the rest be paid out-of-pocket. Total cost per hospital stay related to a vaccine-preventable infection was over $43,000. (Naprawa) It is much easier to pay for the vaccine upfront than to take the risk