Writing Activity 3: Rough Draft - Deacquanise Tolbert ENG 21

Writing Activity 3: Rough Draft Deacquanise Tolbert ENG 215 - Research & Writing

Vaccine safety studies are typically compared in terms of health outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. To obtain accurate results, these groups must be matched, meaning they should have similar health and lifestyle characteristics. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a schedule of 29 doses of 9 vaccines (plus annual flu shots after six months of age) for children aged 0 to six years. Though no federal laws mandate vaccination, all 50 states require certain vaccinations for children entering public schools, with most offering medical and religious exemptions, and some allowing philosophical exemptions.

Parents should ensure their young children receive vaccinations on time because missed vaccinations can lead to other children falling ill, often requiring parents to take time off work to care for them. This situation is compounded by the risk that unvaccinated children may carry or transmit preventable diseases. Vaccinations have been a part of public health for many generations, preventing diseases that once caused significant mortality among children. Recently, there has been a growing movement of parents questioning vaccine safety due to concerns about side effects experienced by some children.

Reflecting on personal history, I recall that as a baby, I needed 16 different vaccinations by age six. Before starting college, additional vaccinations were required. Scientific research, including numerous studies, has shown no link between vaccines and autism, despite public skepticism. I believe that parents should retain the right to decide whether their children receive vaccinations, especially considering the potential risks involved.

In the United States, the law mandates vaccinations for school entry unless valid medical or religious reasons are presented. From birth, children begin a timetable of vaccines, which continues through adolescence and adulthood, protecting them from a range of diseases. The primary reasons parents choose not to vaccinate include religious beliefs, medical exemptions, or personal convictions. However, declining vaccination rates have led to increased outbreaks of preventable diseases.

The main ethical and public health question is whether parents should be forced to vaccinate their children. As part of the vaccination schedule, infants receive the Hepatitis B vaccine to prevent early exposure, with subsequent doses following at set intervals. Vaccines introduce a weakened or inactivated form of a pathogen, prompting the immune system to develop defenses. Vaccination has historically prevented millions of deaths by protecting against deadly diseases such as measles, polio, and diphtheria. As these diseases decline, the public's awareness of their severity diminishes, which can lead to complacency in vaccination efforts.

experts like Dr. Jasjit Singh emphasize that the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases could be imminent if immunization rates decline further. Diseases like polio, once eradicated, risk re-emergence if herd immunity drops below critical levels. The decline in morbidity due to vaccinations is well-documented; for example, in the United States, vaccination has led to reductions of 92.2% in pertussis, 100% in diphtheria and smallpox, and 99.9% in measles and rubella.

Despite the overwhelming success of vaccines, some parents harbor reservations, often due to concerns about adverse reactions or personal beliefs about vaccine safety. These apprehensions, though sometimes based on misconceptions, have led to increased vaccine hesitancy. Such reluctance compromises herd immunity, putting vulnerable populations such as immunocompromised individuals at risk. Notably, most cases of preventable diseases occur in unvaccinated individuals, which underscores the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage.

Vaccines have contributed significantly to the eradication and reduction of several deadly diseases, improving overall life expectancy and quality of life. Outbreaks of diseases like mumps, while rare, tend to attract media attention when they occur, often highlighting gaps in vaccination coverage. Ultimately, the societal benefits of vaccination extend beyond individual protection to encompass economic and communal health advantages.

References

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