Running head: VACCINES 1

Childhood Vaccines

Haylie S Garrity

Arizona State University

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It is known that vaccines are used to prevent people from encountering illnesses, but

there is still controversy on whether or not they are actually safe for children. In a “Report for

Congress” article, the author states, “Vaccines are biologics - their basic components begin as

living material - that introduce dead or weakened viruses or bacteria into a person or animal to

stimulate an immune reaction that the body will remember if assaulted by the same pathogen in

the future” (Thaul, 2003). According to The Immunization Advisory Center,​ the practice of

immunisation dates back hundreds of years. They claim that buddhist monks drank snake venom

to confer immunity to snake bite, and that variolation (smearing of a skin tear with cowpox to

confer immunity to smallpox) was practiced back in the 17th century (2017). ​Vaccines have been

used in the American medical field since the early 1900s and there has been vast amounts of

research as to why people get them and why people are against them. By American law, it is

one’s personal choice to decline or accept the receival of vaccines.

People decide to receive vaccines for many reasons. The ​Centers for Disease Control

(CDC) ​explains that ​vaccines reduce children’s risk of infection by working with their body’s

natural defenses to help them safely develop immunity to diseases. They state that vaccines help

develop immunity by imitating an infection, emphasizing that this “imitation” infection does not

cause illness (2019). Those who are pro-vaccination believe that they prevent illness without

causing other damage to the body. They believe that vaccinating children will eliminate future

illnesses that they might encounter. Additionally, the article, “The Wrong Message on

Vaccines,” gives an example of a disease explaining, “HPV is the most common sexually

transmitted infection in the country and the major cause of cervical cancer, which kills 4,000

each year. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the HPV jab for the
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prevention of vulvar and vaginal cancers, and of anal cancer in both males and females” (Nature,

2011). This article suggests that the HPV vaccine prevents a variety of cancers even aside from

the infection itself. Those who are in favor of vaccines rely on statistics such as these so that they

know their child will be safely vaccinated throughout their lives. Finally, another article by the

CDC asserts that before vaccines are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),

they are tested extensively by scientists to ensure they are effective and safe (2015). People

believe that vaccines can be trusted because they are approved by a credible source. Many

biologists and other scientists specialize in the creation of vaccines, therefore, people agree that

they are safe and useful. It is argued that vaccines are reliable due to research and data sources.

Although there is supporting data on why vaccines are safe and effective, ​people choose

to refuse vaccines for many reasons as well. For example, according to the article, “The History

of Vaccine Safety”, the CDC explains that ​several lawsuits were filed against vaccine

manufacturers and healthcare providers by people who believed they had been injured by the

diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccines, and that no vaccine is actually 100% safe or effective

(2015). Opposers believe that vaccines cause more injuries than they resolve. They believe that

vaccines are not safe and actually cause illness rather than eliminate it. In addition, researchers at

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia state, “In 1998, MD, Andrew Wakefield, along with

12 co-authors, published a case series study claiming that they found evidence, in many of the 12

cases they studied, of measles virus in the digestive systems of children who had exhibited

autism symptoms after MMR vaccination” (2018). Vaccine opposers think that vaccines can

cause severe health issues and disorders such as autism. Many parents refuse to let their children

get vaccinated due to studies like this because they do not want to risk them developing autism
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or other disorders. Finally, another article done at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

presents statistics on vaccine related side effects. They state that mild to moderate problems

include:​ ​rash, lasting 2-4 days, swelling and tenderness of lymph nodes, lasting 2-4 weeks, fever

of over 100°F (about 70% of children), and moderate to severe problems include: eye infection,

or loss of vision, due to spread of vaccine virus to the eye, rash on entire body, and encephalitis

(severe brain reaction), which can lead to permanent brain damage (2018). Due to the fear of

injuring their child, parents refuse to vaccinate their children in order to prevent issues like these

from occurring. Many people believe that the side effects and issues that vaccines cause are more

extreme than the ones they prevent. Parents and other opposers refuse to get vaccines to prevent

obtaining unnecessary injuries.

Parents choose not to vaccinate their children for many different safety reasons. For

example, the Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Staff declares that there is no

practical mechanism available for ensuring that a vaccine is completely safe from harmful

reactions for all individuals (1985). Because every individual is different, it is impossible to

determine that a vaccine will be safe for everyone. Some parents refuse to let their child get a

vaccine because they do not know if they will develop a negative side effect from it. In addition,

another article done by the CDC claims that opposers argue that children’s immune systems can

deal with most infections naturally, and that injecting questionable vaccine ingredients into them

causes side effects such as seizures, paralysis, or even death. These opposers also state that

numerous studies prove that vaccines may trigger problems like autism, ADHD, and diabetes

(2016). Parents fear that their child will acquire one of these severe reactions if they get a

vaccine. Studies that provide evidence supporting that vaccines cause major disorders such as
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these are one of the main reasons why people refuse to vaccinate their children. To conclude, in

the book, ​The Vaccine Papers​, the author states, “An aluminium link is established to severe

motor neuron, muscle, and brain damage, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s and other forms of

Dementia in the elderly as well as to Autistic Spectrum Disorders in the young and to

vaccine-linked cancers in pets” (Roberts, 2010). Harmful chemicals such as aluminum found in

vaccines creates a serious red flag for many people. Knowing that aluminum causes this type of

damage not only in humans, but pets as well, causes people to make decisions against

vaccinations. Due to the risk of obtaining a vaccine-related injury, many parents have decided it

is better to not allow their children to receive vaccinations.

There are hundreds of articles that argue for and against vaccinations and it is important

for people to have knowledge of both sides so that the choice on whether or not to receive them

is based upon research. Knowing what vaccines are composed of and their history is important so

that patients can make educated decisions on whether they are for or against letting their children

recieve them. There has been controversy on childhood vaccines since they were created, and it

is ultimately a personal decision if parents allow their children to get them.

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References

Centers for Disease Control. Background of the Issue. (2016, March 22). Retrieved from
https://vaccines.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=006479
Centers for Disease Control. History of Vaccine Safety History | Ensuring Safety | Vaccine
Safety | (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/ensuringsafety/history/index.html
Centers for Disease Control. Parents | Making the Vaccine Decision | (2019, January 14).
Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/vaccine-decision/index.html
College of Physicians on Philadelphia. Vaccine Side Effects and Adverse Events. (2018, January
17). Retrieved from
https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/vaccine-side-effects-and-adverse-eve
nts
College of Physicians on Philadelphia. Do Vaccines Cause Autism? (2018, January 25).
Retrieved from
https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/do-vaccines-cause-autism
Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Staff.​ V​ accine supply and innovation.​
(1985). Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Immunization Advisory Centre. A brief history of vaccination. (2017, April 04). Retrieved from
http://www.immune.org.nz/vaccines/vaccine-development/brief-history-vaccination
Nature. The Wrong Message on Vaccines. (2011). ​Nature,477(​ 7365), 369-369.
doi:10.1038/477369a.
Roberts, J. (2010). ​The Vaccine Papers​. United Kingdom: Impact Investigative Media
Productions.
Thaul, S. (n.d.). Vaccine Policy Issues for the 108th Congress. ​Report for Congress,​ 1-16.
Retrieved May 22, 2003.