Mia Cho
Staff Writer
Childhood vaccinations have caused unnecessary controversy in the media due to a recent skyrocket in anti-vaccination movements. However, childhood vaccinations are necessary in order to prevent potentially fatal diseases. Many diseases are vaccine-preventable, and parents should take advantage of vaccinations in order to further eradicate deadly diseases within the community. Vaccinations are imperative in making sure fatal diseases aren’t being spread throughout society.
Put simply, vaccinations are injections of antigenic substances in order to build immunity against a certain disease or illness. They are generally used to prevent common diseases such as the flu or measles. Recently, a community of people who refer to themselves as “anti-vaxxers” have emerged throughout the media, and anti- vaccine cases are making headlines. One of the most notable would be Ohio teen Ethan Lindenberger, who defied his anti-vaxxer parents by getting vaccinated. He spoke before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on March 5th, and called for an end to vaccine misinformation. Children of anti-vaxxers should be able to get vaccinated in order to prevent themselves from acquiring fatal diseases.
Vaccinations have caused controversy for as long as they have existed for a variety of reasons. Many believe they contain toxins, that their child’s immune system is not yet developed enough, or that vaccines are just a way for pharmaceutical companies to gain revenue. However, the benefits outweigh any potential risk that comes with getting your child vaccinated.
After the recent measles outbreak across the country, doctors hope new research will help disprove myths surrounding vaccinations. Some parents refuse to vaccinate their children for measles, mumps, and rubella because they believe it contains autism inducing toxins. The vaccination, called the MMR vaccine, has been believed to cause autism since false claims were published on a research paper called The Lancet. However, new research conducted in Denmark shows that Danish researchers analyzed 650,000 children who were vaccinated, and less than 1% showed signs of autism. The World Health Organization has even ranked “vaccine hesitancy” as one of the top ten threats to global health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between the years 2006 and 2017, 3.5 million vaccinations have been administered, preventing two to three million potential deaths due to disease. Because vaccinations prevent disease, parents should vaccinate their children.
It is vital to vaccinate children because if an unvaccinated child is exposed to a disease, they are much more vulnerable to receiving the full effects of the disease. Parents should vaccinate their small children in order to build strength and tolerance to fight off disease.
Some believe that getting vaccinated is unnecessary due to 70% of the population being immune to measles according to CDC. By surrounding oneself with individuals mostly immune to diseases, it lowers the chances of obtaining said disease because it is not a part of one’s environment. This immunity, known as herd immunity, creates the misconception that unvaccinated people are not vulnerable to disease. Parents should vaccinate their children in order to prevent outbreaks of fatal diseases.
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