The Truth Behind the Needle
Adults and parents across America want to make the best decisions regarding maintaining good health. With good health comes considering whether to receive vaccinations or not. Proponents of immunization advocate for mandatory vaccination as a part of health care regimes. Research shows that vaccines can save lives and are safe to be distributed into humans. By becoming vaccinated, it reaps benefits on the economy as well as helps protect future generations from diseases essentially eradicated by vaccines. However, there are also indications that vaccines should not be mandatory, and that the government should not intervene in personal health care or religious beliefs for diseases practically missing from society. …show more content…
Modern advances in medicine suggest that immunizations should be required in society today. The use of vaccines can save lives and the lives of children from diseases that were, at one time, untreatable and deadly. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, “most childhood vaccines are 90%-99% effective in preventing disease” (“Vaccine Safety: The Facts” par. 4). Bahar Gholipour, a staff writer for Live Science, says data taken from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that roughly 732,000 children’s lives have been saved due to vaccinations between 1994 and 2014 (qtd. in ProCon.org “Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?”). This proves the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing disease and in saving lives. Receiving vaccinations is not only worthwhile but safe as well. Before a vaccine is licensed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducts studies of effectiveness and reviews safety before administering the vaccine (“Vaccine Safety: The Facts par. 5). The FDA, along with other organizations like the CDC, regularly test inoculations to ensure quality and safety, as well as review …show more content…
There is much question over whether the government should intervene on personal health care choices. According to Rebecca Terrell, a writer from The New American, “government-required vaccines amount to a gross violation of privacy rights and personal freedom, as well as abuse of the doctor-patient relationship” (par. 4 “Should Government Force Parents to Have Their Children Vaccinated?”). This is a direct violation of a person’s basic rights to autonomy and personal choice. Giving up the right to make one’s own choices to government regulations means that the state intrinsically owns the patients. Not only does requiring vaccines infringe on personal choice, it also constructs the possibility of violating personal religious freedoms. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that there should be no law prohibiting a religion or the practice of a religion. States California, Mississippi, and West Virginia require that all children attending public schools must obtain immunizations regardless of religious or personal beliefs (Kirk fig. 1). Mandating vaccinations violates this First Amendment right to freedom of religion. Doctors continue to distribute vaccines for diseases virtually erased from society. Vaccine targeted diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, scarlet fever,
Adults and parents across America want to make the best decisions regarding maintaining good health. With good health comes considering whether to receive vaccinations or not. Proponents of immunization advocate for mandatory vaccination as a part of health care regimes. Research shows that vaccines can save lives and are safe to be distributed into humans. By becoming vaccinated, it reaps benefits on the economy as well as helps protect future generations from diseases essentially eradicated by vaccines. However, there are also indications that vaccines should not be mandatory, and that the government should not intervene in personal health care or religious beliefs for diseases practically missing from society. …show more content…
Modern advances in medicine suggest that immunizations should be required in society today. The use of vaccines can save lives and the lives of children from diseases that were, at one time, untreatable and deadly. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, “most childhood vaccines are 90%-99% effective in preventing disease” (“Vaccine Safety: The Facts” par. 4). Bahar Gholipour, a staff writer for Live Science, says data taken from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that roughly 732,000 children’s lives have been saved due to vaccinations between 1994 and 2014 (qtd. in ProCon.org “Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?”). This proves the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing disease and in saving lives. Receiving vaccinations is not only worthwhile but safe as well. Before a vaccine is licensed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducts studies of effectiveness and reviews safety before administering the vaccine (“Vaccine Safety: The Facts par. 5). The FDA, along with other organizations like the CDC, regularly test inoculations to ensure quality and safety, as well as review …show more content…
There is much question over whether the government should intervene on personal health care choices. According to Rebecca Terrell, a writer from The New American, “government-required vaccines amount to a gross violation of privacy rights and personal freedom, as well as abuse of the doctor-patient relationship” (par. 4 “Should Government Force Parents to Have Their Children Vaccinated?”). This is a direct violation of a person’s basic rights to autonomy and personal choice. Giving up the right to make one’s own choices to government regulations means that the state intrinsically owns the patients. Not only does requiring vaccines infringe on personal choice, it also constructs the possibility of violating personal religious freedoms. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that there should be no law prohibiting a religion or the practice of a religion. States California, Mississippi, and West Virginia require that all children attending public schools must obtain immunizations regardless of religious or personal beliefs (Kirk fig. 1). Mandating vaccinations violates this First Amendment right to freedom of religion. Doctors continue to distribute vaccines for diseases virtually erased from society. Vaccine targeted diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, scarlet fever,