(Author’s Full Name)
Should it be enforced?
Introduction
In 1963, measles virus affected over three million families in the United States. The virus killed over 500 people and infected over 48000. When the vaccination for measles was first introduced, the outbreak dropped considerably to the point that measles was virtually eliminated on a global scale. However, during the recent years, a surge in measles outbreak has been observed across the states of Indiana and New York City. . The medical community is scrambling to take precautionary measures to reduce the epidemic, through vaccinations. This raises an important question: Should vaccinations against diseases be made compulsory? If so, then what are the advantages of mandatory vaccinations across the United States? This paper aims to answer this important question.
Why don’t people rely on Vaccines?
Vaccination against lethal diseases (such as measles and pertussis) has existed since 1940’s. But even in today’s high-tech and progressive world, several parents, organizations, religious groups and NGOs’ remain unaware of the importance of vaccinating children, at an early age, against diseases. Some even condemn this act. This is due to a mass movement led by several discredited doctors that discourage parents from vaccinating their children. They claim that vaccinating children at an early age makes the autistic and susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease. They also argue that vaccination is merely a choice for the consumers. It does not produce any substantial results and can be safely ignored. Dr. Paul Offit explains that for most mothers, vaccination is a question of faith; in religion, in pharmaceutical companies and in healers and doctors. They believe that since the baby’s immunity system is low, vaccinations are likely to impair their growth and development. And lastly, the media has done a lackluster job in creating vaccination awareness and in addressing the fears of the society against vaccinations. .
Impact of Vaccination
Contrary to popular belief, scientists have established that there is no causal link between vaccinations and autism in children. A study on the impact of vaccinations reveals that a baby’s immunity system generates antibodies against over 10,000 foreign proteins. Even if injected with over 11 vaccinations at childbirth, the baby can still survive as it would engage only a small fraction of their immunity systems. Also, Mercury, which is a common preservative in vaccines, does not cause autism or ADHD in children. Even vaccines without mercury are available. It shows that vaccination during childhood is not sufficient. Booster shots must be applied. It is primarily due to vaccines that babies nowadays are immune to several diseases that were considered incurable and fatal over 100 years ago. Diseases such as whooping cough, polio and measles are now easily prevented through proper vaccination.
Importance of Vaccination
Vaccination works on both an individual level, as well as at a societal level. It produces herd immunity; i.e. if the vast majority of the population is immune to certain diseases (through timely vaccinations), even the non-vaccinated individuals remain protected against those diseases. It is suggested that for the herd immunity to be effective, at least 95% of the population should be immune to vaccine-curable diseases. However, the reality cuts a gloomy figure where only 91% of the kindergarten students in California were properly vaccinated against pertussis. The herd immunity didn’t work and hence, the state had a massive pertussis outbreak. .
A study published in the Pediatrics Journal, as quoted by Ioffe, reports that antediluvian diseases outbreak was predominant in communities where parents filed non-medical tax exemptions; i.e. they refused to have to their children vaccinated. The study also concluded the communities that vehemently opposed vaccinations were 2.5 times more susceptible to pertussis epidemic.
Furthermore, non-implantation of vaccinations at state level by the government poses a dire threat to the health and well-being of every individual in the United States. Between 2011 and 2012, reported pertussis outbreaks spanned across 21 states at a rate three times higher than any previous epidemic. The report also reveals that the CDC reported that the surge in the number of pertussis cases, in 2012, had broken a 50 year record. In the same year, Washington and Texas witnessed a massive increase as well and declared pertussis to be an epidemic. Cincinnati also reported an increase by 283% in pertussis cases in fall 2012.
For those who view vaccination to be a violation of human right and forceful vaccination to be morally and ethically unjustifiable, it is worth noting that denying a child basic healthcare is also a violation of fundamental human right. Exposing other people to various diseases, due to lack of vaccination, is equally unjustifiable and condemnable. .
Conclusion
Works Cited
Ioffe, Julia. "I've Got Whooping Cough. Thanks a Lot, Jenny McCarthy." 11 November 2013. New Republic.
New York Times. General Information Vaccines. 2009.
Offit, Paul A. "Remembering How to Fight Measles." The Opinion Pages (2014): 2.
Offit, Paul. Vaccinations Battling Disease; People Battling Vaccines Mike Mergen. 28 March 2008.
