Ever since the early 1800s when the first vaccine was developed, there has been speculation behind it. Throughout the years there have been lawsuits filed, journals from both viewpoints written, diseases almost eliminated to nothing, and diseases even making a comeback. People not being able to agree on to either vaccinate our children or to not vaccinate our children is compromising our societies health and potentially the world’s health. This is not a minor issue to disagree on. There are statistics out there that prove the number of terminal and paralyzing cases because of these diseases had dropped over the years, yet there were also statistics that show the rise of autism with also the rise of the amount of vaccines a child receives. It is a possibility the rise in autism is a coincidence, but some people believe otherwise and choose not to vaccinate their children for that reason as well as other reasonings.
Containing weakened or dead bacteria viruses when a person is infected with a vaccine, their response from their immune system creates proteins called antibodies. When the patient is eventually exposed to the virus or disease, the immune system develops antibodies that attack and destroy the virus as well as the bacteria (Lutwick). In the article “Opposition to Vaccines Has Existed as Long as Vaccination Itself” from Opposing Viewpoints in Context, they state; “Health and medicine scholars have described vaccination as one of the top ten achievements of public health in the 20th century.” Developed in 1796, Edward Jenner, an English physician, took fluid, also known as lymph, from a cowpox blister on women who were infected. He then injected a healthy little boy with the cowpox lymph and after waiting six weeks, Jenner injected that same boy with the fluid from a smallpox blister, and the boy did not develop any smallpox symptoms. Thus, creating the first vaccine ever (Lutwick). The smallpox vaccine required a child’s arm to be scored and a lymph from the blister of a vaccinated person was injected. Many parents did not like the idea of that. Some anti-vaccinators were against it because they believed the vaccine to be “unchristian” since it came from an animal. For others, they simply distrusted Edward Jenner’s ideas (Opposition).
Larry Lutwick had said in his article Vaccines, “Vaccines are not always 100% effective, and there is no way to predict whether a vaccine will fail to provide adequate immunity in any particular person.” A physician or other health care providers who are delivering a vaccine should make the patient aware of all precautions and risks, as well as the benefits. Vaccines are given as early as birth and follow a specific schedule. The vaccines given protects against many different diseases that include, whooping cough or also known as pertussis, polio, measles mumps and rubella, chickenpox, and etc. The American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require in all states that children must be vaccinated before entering school with exceptions for religious reasons, illness, and or other reasonings. Many people had also criticized and questioned the sanitary procedures, religious beliefs, scientific proof, and political objections (Lutwick).
There has been claimed evidence of a link between vaccines and autism, due to the study behind mercury and the effects of its poisoning (Francis). Thimerosal, an ingredient in vaccines, contains mercury. It was suggested that an infants total exposure of mercury could cause their levels of the neurotoxin to be pushed over the healthy limit (Heyworth). The idea behind vaccines causing autism made a debut in 1998. When a British gastroenterologist named Andrew Wakefield, M.D. had published a study in The Lancet. Twelve children were used in the study and he linked the measles mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) to intestinal problems that led to autism. That following year was when the American Academy of Pediatrics issued the warning about thimerosal (Heyworth). Many people believe that pumping mercury into healthy children at such a young age can cause an effect on their development. Snyder says, “The secret to autism that nobody wants you to know, is vaccines.” The number of vaccines administered to children has increased over the years and with that, the percentage of autism has gone up as well. Yet, many believe that the numbers of vaccines received, the age of children, and the rise of autism in those years of age are simply just a coincidence (Snyder). Seven large studies found no association between the MMR vaccine and autism. The ages of children getting the MMR vaccine are around 12 to 15 months old, which is also the time where autism starts to become noticeable. It’s a complete coincidence. The Lancet eventually retracted Andrew Wakefield’s paper (Heyworth).
Whose child is really being the one harmed? Children who go to school and are around other children could come into contact with certain diseases and if they are not vaccinated the diseases could very well be easily spread (Klicka). The argument between both sides is not just causing conflict with other parents, it is also causing conflict with parents and their children’s pediatricians (Heyworth). Many pediatricians want what’s best for children as well as their parents and it is making things extremely difficult to protect their children and other children from these dangerous diseases. "Parents often have a hard time reasonably assessing the risks involved because they've never had any experience with many of the diseases that vaccines prevent," says Parents advisor Ari Brown, M.D., a pediatrician in Austin, Texas. (Heyworth).
There is blame on the Pharmaceutical industry and their hunger for money. Although, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has paid over $1.5 billion dollars in damages to families who had experienced injury and even death due to vaccines (Klicka). However, there is a tremendous amount of evidence that vaccines are actually real and not just some hoax that Big Pharm came up with to line the insides of their pockets. Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation and also the mother of a child with autism said, “we have to move forward and be willing to accept what science tells us: vaccines do not cause autism” (Heyworth). However, parents are granted the right to give their children the education that they believe is fit and raise them how they want them to. This freedom should also include whether or not to vaccinate their children (Klicka). The medical and public health community have worked extremely hard over the years to increase vaccination among children, and there are indicators that their work is paying off. The decline in parents refusing to vaccinate their children has declined. From 2012 to 2014 the percentage of parents refusing vaccines went from 5.6% down to 3.6% (Meyer). Both the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Pediatrics say “yes” to injecting a healthy child with with vaccines, matter of fact is children should have a total of 14 vaccines by the age of two (Heyworth).
Medicine and science take a huge hit from day to day with their discoveries and their findings, they work endless hours on research and conduct studies so we can have a better quality of life regardless if you want to vaccinate your children or not. The idea is to show two very good arguments and let everyone decide for themselves on what they should do. Or should we get the government involved and let them decide? Could we possibly be compromising our communities health and potentially the worlds health, or are we keeping our children safe from effects that might not have anything to do with vaccinations? Are we expecting parents to vaccinate their children and go against their beliefs to keep our own children safe? Despite all of the studies done and every fact presented, there will always be risks, benefits, and a second opinion that could potentially change everything.