The controversy over vaccination of children has been flaring up from last decade and parents are refuting medical advice regarding vaccination of children. Medical community and concerned parents are segregated in two groups, both attempting to assert their viewpoint over vaccinations. The scientific data and results on the efficacy and requirement of vaccination for children provided and informed by medical consultants to parents is not accorded complete comprehension by parents and the number of parents who are willing to skip their child’s vaccination is on the increase. Children, during their early life stage are prone to diseases resulting from infections. The vaccinations are administered to children to increase their immunity and capability to fight with diseases and infections. As vaccination of children is a controversial topic, it is essential to innumerate the pros and cons of this process to facilitate reality check.
The pros of vaccinating children are, most importantly, the safety accorded to children from various life threatening diseases like polio and other infections such as chickenpox and whooping cough. Children develop immunity towards these diseases and are spared from the crippling life ahead. The incidence of child mortality decreases majorly as acute infections also have lower impact on body because of increased level of immunity. The infections in the body cause only minor and definitely not life-threatening brief period of illness such as measles. Vaccinations also increase the prevention of contagious diseases and complicated diseases. The benefits of children vaccination extend throughout their lives and increase their immunity to diseases and infections.
There are no potential cons associated with vaccinating the children, however in recent years; several parents have indicated their children acquiring certain diseases after vaccination. One such disease associated with vaccination is autism and is claimed to be caused because of mercury in vaccines. The reports claiming children getting diseases such as diabetes and autism after vaccination are reducing the vaccination rate. Such claims have been refuted scientifically through several research studies conducted to establish the association between vaccines and autism; however parents tend to believe information spread locally on negative effect of vaccines and overlook the facts presented by scientific studies.
With the decreasing rate of vaccinations, the diseases and infections which have become dormant now would start infecting children again. Chickenpox, measles and mumps are infectious diseases and presently have zero percent occurrence rates in developed countries, however it is important to bear in mind that these infections are dormant because of immunity in children due to vaccination. These infections still exists and have potential to cause illness in the absence of required immunization. Mumps, measles and rubella vaccines which are considered to cause autism in children by several parents and the avoidance of this vaccine can pave way for further complicated diseases for children.
The parents are required to be convinced on the efficacy of vaccines and essentiality. The avoidance of vaccine schedule can lead to children acquiring life-threatening diseases. It is important that parents comprehend that children are exposed to several viruses, bacteria and other potential infections from every aspect of their lives. Every activity of theirs put them in contact with disease-causing infections and they are all the time bombarded with the bacteria and viruses, just like the grown-ups. Increased immunization is an essential defensive mechanism for children that ensure increased capability of the body to fight with infections. Vaccines for children increases their immunity and chances to negate the effect of antigens. Reference to several studies conducted by credible and reputed medical consultants that concludes that vaccines in children doesn’t lead to autism and other diseases is mandatory to increase the awareness of parents to dispel their concerns regarding vaccination.
Most of the parents don’t comprehend the vital role of vaccinations for their children as they have never experienced the diseases for which vaccinations are administered in their lives. The effectiveness of vaccinations have eliminated the occurrences of diseases like measles, chickenpox, mumps and polio from last two or three decades and people who are parents today are reaping the benefits of the success factor of these vaccinations. To emphasize the importance of vaccines in children, it would be effective to go back one generation, which is to the grandparents of today’s children who can enlighten that they realizing the effectiveness of the vaccines in curbing infections and diseases were willing to get them every available vaccine.
Vaccines for children are important to protect them from diseases and infections and the schedules of vaccination are developed by reputed medical consultants and Centers of Disease Control that has detailed research and studies in background specifying the prospective age for the incurrence of diseases in children. The decreasing rate of vaccination in children is growing concern and should be addresses before children become susceptible to dormant infections.
In the conclusion, the paper emphasized the significance and vitality of vaccinations for children for the sustenance of their life and avoidance of diseases and life-threatening infections in the course of their life. The concern over the vaccines causing other diseases like autism is not well-grounded as has been proved through several studies. The imperative milestone to aware parents to dispel their doubts and re-establish their confidence on vaccines requires imminent efforts from whole medical community.
Works Cited
Burton, Dan. Defense Vaccines: Force Protection Or False Security? - Congressional Hearing. DIANE Publishing, 2001.
United States, Office of Technology Assessment. Healthy children : investing in the future. Washington, D.C.: DIANE Publishing, 1988.
