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Shelby Carpenter

Professor Collins

ENGL 1301

9 October 2017

Vaccinations in children

Throughout the years, vaccinations in children have become a big debate on whether they

have a positive or negative effect on a childs body. According to medlineplus, Today, children

in the United States routinely get vaccines that protect them from more than a dozen diseases

such as measles, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). According to the

federal government website, the center for disease control, the first small pox vaccine was

created by Edward Jenner. Currently, in 2017, all 50 states have laws requiring children to be

vaccinated against certain viruses all 50 states issue medical exemptions, 48 states (excluding

Mississippi and West Virginia) permit religious exemptions, and 19 states allow an exemption

for philosophical reasons (procon.org). The issue of Vaccination has become a controversial

debate because while most people would agree they save lives, there could also be harmful side

effects.

Supporters believe that vaccines save children lives, because the vaccines prevent them

from getting bad diseases and viruses that can kill them. The death rate of children who get

vaccination has decreased. According to a 2014 CDC report, 322 million cases of childhood

illnesses were prevented between 1994 and 2014 due to vaccination. Additionally, another

report in 2013 86 to 100 percent of case were prevent MMR and pertussis in 2010 (van Panhuis).

There are many diseases that vaccines save children from like Polio is one of the big ones that

was an epidemic causing death and paralysis across the country. According to NHS,
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Vaccination is one of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine. No other medical

intervention has done more to save lives and improve quality of life. But now that there are

vaccines and polio is not a problem in the United States. Supporters will never change their

minds on this, because there are proven facts and evidence show that the actually save lives.

Opponents believe receiving vaccines can be harmful, because they believe it can cause

life threating allergic reactions. Some people also believe that vaccines can cause illnesses.

According to the CDC, there is a small increased risk in [acquiring] Guillain-Barr Syndrome,

a disorder in which the persons immune system attacks parts of the peripheral nervous system.

Other things like autism, learning disabilities and asthma. But autism is a the big one the because

people believe that the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Diseases (MMR) vaccine is link to autism.

A study conducted by a team at Utah State University link (MMR) to autism because their

research found that the antibodies attack the brain and neurological system effecting brain

function causing autism. The studies and the effects of these vaccines show that they are linked

to autism and so many other disabilities. So, this is what makes opponents not believing in

vaccines and that will never change.

Supports believe that getting vaccinations save people time and money, because schools

or daycare will not let children in and according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human

Services, Some vaccine-preventable diseases can result in prolonged disabilities and can take a

financial toll because of lost time at work, medical bills or long-term disability care

(vaccines.gov). However, that is not always the case the a program called The Vaccines for

Children (VFC) this program is where you can get kids vaccinations for no cost, but some doctor

can make the family pay a copay. (CDC) VFC was designed to ensure that eligible children do

not contract vaccine-preventable diseases because of inability to pay for vaccine (CDC). But
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also childhood immunization among members of the 2009 US birth cohort will prevent 42,000

early deaths and 20 million cases of disease, with net savings of $13.5 billion in direct costs and

$68.8 billion in total societal (Zhou). supports will always believe this, because they do not

have to worry about their children getting sick from not getting vaccinated and a fear of them

dying.

Opponents believe in not vaccinating children because of religious beliefs. The body is a

temple (Grabenstein). Many religions believe in not vaccinating, such as Dutch Reformed

Church, who are known for declining the small pox vaccine, because of the fear of adverse

events after the small poxs (Grabenstein). The church of Christian Science does not believe in

vaccines and they are also big activist about vaccines there was a case in 2014 where a women

sue the place she got vaccinated and won because of blood poisoning it talks about how sick she

got and was not able to do everyday things also it talks about how the baby was sick and later die

the baby was completely healthy and had nothing wrong it according to

(sentinel.christianscience). The Amish and Hutterite do not always accept vaccines it just

depends on where someone live and their community. Selected Muslim communities have been

known to refuse vaccines (Grabenstein). People will never change their minds when it comes to

religious beliefs because it is how so many people grow up to believe so its hard to change

peoples minds on something they have believe their whole life.

Vaccines will always be controversial because supporters and opponents will never agree.

opponents believe that vaccines kill and cause disabilities and supporters believe that they save

childrens lives.
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Works cited

SchoolVaxView School Vaccination Requirements and Exemptions. Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 July 2011,

www2a.cdc.gov/nip/schoolsurv/schImmRqmt.asp.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Five Important Reasons to Vaccinate

Your Child. Vaccines.gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 11 Oct. 2006,

www.vaccines.gov/more_info/features/five-important-reasons-to-vaccinate-your-

child.html.

https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/vaccination-saves-lives.aspx

About VFC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 14 Feb. 2014, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/about/index.html.

grabenstein, john d. What the World's Religions Teach, Applied to Vaccines and Immune Globulins.

Vaccine, Elsevier, 26 Feb. 2013,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X13001898?via%3Dihub.

Childhood Immunization | Vaccines for Children | MedlinePlus. MedlinePlus Trusted Health

Information for You, medlineplus.gov/childhoodimmunization.html.

Suit about Vaccination. Christian Science Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2015,

sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1s3n2bt7cww.

Zhou, Fangjun, et al. Economic Evaluation of the Routine Childhood Immunization Program in the

United States, 2009. Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Apr. 2014,

pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/133/4/577.long.
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