In 2014, the United States had a record number of reported measles cases with a total of 667 cases in 27 states. This was the largest number of cases since measles had been documented as being eliminated in the United States in 2000 (“Measles Cases and Outbreaks”). In fact, most people who contracted measles were unvaccinated. Measles are just one of the many diseases that can be controlled by vaccinated children early on. These diseases that once resulted in hospitalization, death or lifelong consequences have now become preventable childhood diseases. It is my belief that as parents, the goal is to give children a healthy start in life and one of the most important decisions that can be made is to get your child vaccinated. If an unvaccinated child is exposed to a disease such as measles, the …show more content…
Not only are states allowing medical exemptions, some are offering religious, personal, and philosophical exemptions. With these exemptions, children are at greater risk of contracting a vaccine-preventable disease and transmitting these diseases to children too young to be vaccinated, people with medical contraindications to immunization, and those who do not develop protective responses to vaccines or have vaccine failure. In a study performed by Dr. Daniel A. Salmon and his colleagues, children in the United States with nonmedical exemptions between 1985 and 1992 were 35 times more likely to contract measles than vaccinated children. On a state-wide level, children in Colorado with nonmedical exemptions between 1987 and 1998 were 22 times more likely to contract measles and 5.9 times more likely to contract pertussis than vaccinated children. The overall rate of exemptions in Colorado counties with outbreaks of pertussis was higher than countries that did not have outbreaks of pertussis
In her article she says “unvaccinated people can spread the measles to babies who are to young to be vaccinated and to children who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons “. Also she says to her readers “Since the MMR vaccine is only 97 percent effective, vaccinated people are at risk as well.” These facts and examples help the reader understand more about why Amy feels parents should vaccinate their children and also gives meaning to why they should follow-through with
Requiring vaccinations is a highly debatable topic in the United States today. An article by Ronald Bayer, “The continuing tensions between individual rights and public health,” is one of the most reliable sources in the case study. The author has a PhD from the University of Chicago and focuses his research on issues of social justice and ethical matters. Bayer has also previously been a consultant to the World Health Organization on ethical issues related to public health. This makes him very knowledgeable about the topic and a highly credible source.
(A.Offit). Some children, who contract a deadly disease, usually don’t have enough time to complete their wish list. By allowing your children to be vaccinated, you are giving them an opportunity to live out their life without the threat of an infectious disease. Children who are the ages of five and under are the ones who are commonly infected by a disease. A vaccination is just a shot containing the dead or weak germ of the disease.
On June 25, 2015, lawmakers of California voted into legislature a limit on vaccine exemptions for school-aged children because of a measles outbreak in the state during the previous winter that spread to 147 children (Reuters, 2015). This year the United States has had 592 cases of measles, and the majority of these cases are from non-vaccinated people. Being vaccinated accounts for a healthier and longer lives, especially for infants and children (Anderson, 2015). The frightening part about these outbreaks is how quickly these diseases can spread. I firmly believe these outbreaks are proof of the need and effectiveness of vaccines, and the exemption should be only be limited to
As parents, the natural instinct to protect your children will overbear any medical recommendation. However, the choice of not vaccinating your children is selfish to the child as well as others in society. With the proper precautions and research, scheduled vaccinations will have a higher success rate than failure rate. Every parent is entitled to their parental rights in the US, but every person in society is also entitled to their health as well. “The best way to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases is to have highly immune population” (Centers for Disease
The article “Five Important Reasons to Vaccinate Your Child” reasons that “Some diseases that once injured or killed thousands of children, have been eliminated completely and others are close to extinction– primarily due to safe and effective vaccines”. Because of vaccines the world today as we know it is slowly becoming safer as more and more diseases are being eradicated. The U.S. has helped in their own way to get rid of diseases. The article “Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?” states that “In 1855 Massachusetts passed the first U.S. state law mandating vaccinations for schoolchildren [5], followed by New York (1862), Connecticut (1872), Indiana (1881), and Arkansas (1882).” So as the years went on the U.S. has continually integrated vaccinations for the youth, in this case, it is needed in order to attend
Vaccination is a key factor in keeping communities safe from harmful diseases, especially those that can spread easily. However, pediatric immunization policy can be debated from an ethical perspective because it concerns the role of the government and families in maintaining the health of children. I will argue that the immunization requirements with exemptions for school entrance in Washington state are ethically required because they balance the role of the government in public health and personal autonomy in the most minimally intrusive way possible. Hendrix points out that pediatric vaccination, or the policies surrounding vaccination requirements for children, can “span several public health domains, including those of policymakers,
Ashland has created a website with reliable resources with the aim to inform the parents contemplating opting out of vaccinating. AshlandChild wants to impact its community by giving them something they can trust so they can make better choices to create a safer environment for everyone. This method is useful to those unsure of what choice to make, but those who have made up their mind may need a stronger technique. One effort that has been implemented in Australia is giving tax credits to those who vaccinate. Australia has a pretty high rate of vaccinated kids, specifically, 94% of one year-olds protected against measles, partly contributed by this incentive that could be used on anyone, no matter the background.
Parents who don’t vaccinate their children put them and others at risk because it allows normally preventable disease to continue to spread. Vaccinations have been around since 1796 and have since helped
The American Medical Association has cited the ability of vaccines to prevent measles, mumps and other infectious diseases in their stance against vaccine exemptions (Phillips). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention certifies the efficacy of vaccines, specifically
Even though there is a measle outbreak going on they still refuse to vaccinate their children, Which is a good example of the concept vaccination and there are pros and cons on getting the vaccines. Vaccination help our body to be resistant from bacterias and virus that cause us to not get sick or get diseases. Vaccine prepared our body to fight off the bacterias or viruses that enter into our body system which keeps us from getting sick or having an illness. In the article in Minnesota there is an outbreak of measles, therefore people in the population should get vaccinated so that they won’t get the measles. If only a few people in Minnesota get vaccinated only those few will survive through this outbreak.
Although it's important to leave the choice about vaccinations up to the parent, it’s also vital to educate them about the benefits of vaccines, and the terrible consequences that come along with diseases like measles, that can easily be avoided with
There is likely a small chance for a child to get a disease if they’ve already had the vaccine for it. If not, the child has a higher risk of catching a disease that may be spreading around school, neighborhoods and even other public places. By getting a vaccination, it helps you to be immune to the disease if it ends up spreading like a wildfire anywhere and can even help you live a better life. You are taking a risk if you have your child to get vaccinated but it is a lot safer than putting your child in more danger by not taking him/her to get their vaccination
Modern medicine provides people with the ability to protect themselves from the world’s most fatal diseases. Merely a century ago, it was not uncommon for a child to die as a result of diseases such as polio, pertussis, and tuberculosis. Today, it is highly unlikely for a person to contract these diseases, let alone die from them. However, refusal of vaccinations has been increasing throughout the years due to the anti-vaccination movement. This movement declares mandatory vaccines unconstitutional and vaccinations overall as the cause of autism.
Vaccinations When it comes to vaccinations, there are many different opinions on immunizing a child, especially when that child’s parent has a strong like or dislike towards vaccinating. Immunizations have existed for at least a thousand years and as technology advances more, there are new vaccines being designed to help protect our children from contracting contagious and sometimes deadly diseases, such as Bordetella pertussis, polio, and even influenza. For decades, all 50 states have required that parents vaccinate their children against various diseases, including polio and measles, as a prerequisite to enrolling them in public schools (Ciolli, 2008). Enrollment in public school requires up to date vaccinations in order to protect the children and even the adults from contracting and spreading a disease, possibly causing an epidemic.