I am not irresponsible for not having vaccinated my child. Vaccines have risks that can endanger the life of my child. The reason for not vaccinating my child is based on the risks that the vaccines can cause to my child. To some people the side effects of a vaccine can be adverse (NHS, 2014). I do not want to expose my child to the risk of experiencing adverse side effects even if it is for the benefit of the society. As a parent, I have the responsibility to ensure that my child is protected and is not exposed to severe risks.
Vaccination involves the administration of a vaccine into the body of a person so that a person’s immune system can develop an adaptive immunity towards a certain pathogen (UKHC, 2015). The vaccines are prepared using antigenic materials for the purposes of producing immunity against a certain disease. The vaccines are made up of disease pathogens that have been weakened so as to make them harmless. Other vaccines are prepared by making deactivating pathogens so as to make them safe for humans (LL, 2015).
As a parent, am particularly concerned about the live attenuated vaccines. These vaccines are known to be very effective, but they pose a risk of reversing themselves into a form that is virulent towards the bacteria or virus the vaccine is designed to fight against (UKHC, 2015). These viruses or bacteria can mutate into forms that are more dangerous to the child. I want to protect my child against the risk of the vaccine reversing itself. I am also not very sure about the safety of these vaccines based on the conditions they are subjected to while in transit. The vaccines require low temperatures for them to be effective. It is hard to maintain these low temperatures when transporting these vaccines over long distances.
In my own opinion I agree that the child should be vaccinated. I agree because the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of vaccination. Some of the risks associated with vaccinations are associated with handling (UKHC, 2015). The hospitals should ensure that vaccines are well stored so as to make them effective. The government should also put high fines on transport companies that mishandle the vaccines while in transit. The hospitals have the responsibility to ensure that the package containing the vaccines have not being compromised in terms of sealing.
The advantages of vaccines include the provision of immunity to people; the prevention of spread of diseases; prevention of deaths; and the prevention of disabilities (NHS, 2014). Vaccinations enable individuals to gain strong immunity systems that protect them from dangerous diseases. The vaccines do this by weakening the disease causing pathogens, or deactivating these pathogens. Inactive disease causing pathogens prevent the occurrence of a disease. There are some diseases that spread to the entire society if people do not receive vaccines (BBC, 2014). These diseases include mumps, measles, and rubella. An example of a disease that was eliminated from the society by using vaccination is small pox (Satcher, 1999). This disease had claimed many lives. Polio is another disease whose spread has been reduced by administering vaccines to children. Polio caused many people to become disabled by affecting their limbs.
Vaccines are helpful because they eliminate the costs associated with caring for people who suffer from serious diseases. People are vaccinated from a tender age so as to prevent them from contracting these costly diseases (NHS, 2014). It is easier to prevent a disease than to cure it.
Works Cited
UKHC. Advantages and Disadvantages of Live Vaccinations. 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. http://www.healthcentre.org.uk/vaccine/advantages-disadvantages-live-vaccinations.html
Satcher, David. Statement on Risk vs. Benefit of Vaccinations. 1999. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t990803a.html
BBC. Advantages and Disadvantages of Vaccinations. 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_edexcel/control_systems/microorganisms_immunity/revision/4/
NHS. Benefits and Risks of Vaccination. 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/benefits-and-risks.aspx
LL. Pros and Cons of Vaccinations. 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/pros-and-cons-of-vaccinations-2991.html
