According to MedicineNet, vaccination is defined as “the injection of a killed microbe in order to stimulate the immune system against the microbe, thereby preventing disease.” Vaccines also called immunizations work by invigorating the immune system, the biological disease-fighting method, and producing antibodies to destroy and immobilize the invading bacteria and viruses. Immunizations prepare the immune system to fight off disease. It is the twenty-first century and medicine is advancing further and further, even to the point where researchers and scientists are able to protect people from abominations that once wiped out entire nations.
The CDC describes how immunizations are actually a good thing by saying, “Proponents say that vaccination is safe and one of the greatest health developments of the 20th century. They point out that illnesses, including rubella, diphtheria, smallpox, polio, and whooping cough, are now prevented by vaccination and millions of children’s lives are saved. They contend adverse reactions to vaccines are extremely rare.” One example of how researchers have fought off dangerous diseases is the prevention of polio. “Polio, “The virus [that] is spread person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can attack the nervous system, and in some instances, lead to paralysis [and death].” The only way to prevent polio is to stimulate your immune system by keeping yourself vaccinated, preferably at the young age of six months, two, and four. Vaccinating yourself and your children seems like a simple decision, but it can actually be of the most challenging choices a person can make, and with every big choice comes risks. That’s why it is important to weigh the pros and cons of keeping up with immunizations.
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The pros of vaccinations are vaccines can save people’s lives, vaccines protect future generations, and the ingredients in vaccines are safe while the cons of getting vaccinated are vaccines can cause serious and fatal side effects, mandatory vaccines can sometimes go against religious beliefs, and vaccines are unnatural. First, vaccines save lives. “The American Academy of Pediatrics states that 'most childhood vaccines are 90%-99% effective in preventing disease. “According to Shot@Life, a United Nations Foundation partner organization, vaccines save 2.5 million children from preventable diseases every year, which equates to roughly 285 children saved every hour. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that 732,000 American children were saved from death and 322 million cases of childhood illnesses were prevented between 1994 and 2014 due to vaccination. The measles vaccine has decreased childhood deaths from measles by 74%.” Vaccines do good because they boost the body’s immune system. They help people by fighting off infections and keeping them safe from terrible diseases.
Now vaccines aren’t important to fighting little viruses such as the common cold, but for things like the flu and polio and much more. Even though there are people who look at vaccines as another threat to society, many schools will not let children into their classes because of the threat that they pose to other children. Second, vaccines protect future generations. “Vaccinated mothers protect their unborn children from viruses that could potentially cause birth defects, and vaccinated communities can help eradicate diseases for future generations. Before the rubella vaccine was licensed in 1969, the global rubella (German measles) outbreak caused the deaths of 11,000 babies and birth defects in 20,000 babies between 1963 and 1965 in the United States. Women who were vaccinated as children against rubella have greatly decreased the chance of passing the virus to their unborn or newborn children, eliminating the birth defects, such as heart problems, hearing and vision loss, congenital cataracts, liver and spleen damage, and mental disabilities, associated with the disease.” Years ago, people were dying left and right because of how viruses could wipe out nations.
Their immune systems were simply just too weak. When the bubonic plague was sweeping through Eastern Europe, it was wiping out people left and right. The crazy thing was that no one could understand why. As medicine has advanced, people have been able to withstand crazy epidemics just simply because people have already been exposed to these viruses in small doses so that their bodies could form antibodies. Each time families keep their children current on their shots, they are keeping their own families and other families around them safe. Lastly, the ingredients in vaccines are safe. “Ingredients, such as thimerosal, formaldehyde, and aluminum, can be harmful in large doses but they are not used in harmful quantities in vaccines. Children are exposed to more aluminum in breast milk and infant formula than they are exposed to in vaccines. Paul Offit, MD, notes that children are exposed to more bacteria, viruses, toxins, and other harmful substances in one day of normal activity than are in vaccines. With the exception of inactivated flu vaccines, thimerosal (a mercury compound) has been removed or reduced to trace amounts in vaccines for children under 6 years old.
The FDA requires up to 10 or more years of testing for all vaccines before they are licensed, and then they are monitored by the CDC and the FDA to make sure the vaccines and the ingredients used in the vaccines are safe.” People have donated their lives to research and practices to make sure that immunizations are a safe asset to society and not the other way around. When these microbes are forced to fuse with our immune system, researchers are putting in a safe amount of ingredients, so people’s bodies are able to fight them off. Immunizations are studied in special ways to make sure there is a proper and correct ratio to make sure that humans will have a more successful rate of not showing any side effects. The first of the cons is vaccinations can cause serious and fatal side effects. “According to the CDC, all vaccines carry a risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) in about one per million children. The rotavirus vaccination can cause intussusception, a type of bowel blockage that may require hospitalization, in about one per 20,000 babies in the United States. Long-term seizures, coma, lowered consciousness, and permanent brain damage may be associated with the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) and MMR vaccines, though the CDC notes the rarity of the reaction makes it difficult to determine causation.
The CDC reports that pneumonia can be caused by the chickenpox vaccine, and a 'small possibility exists that the flu vaccine could be associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a disorder in which the person’s immune system attacks parts of the peripheral nervous system, in about one or two per million people vaccinated. The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) says that vaccines may be linked to learning disabilities, asthma, autism, diabetes, chronic inflammation, and other disabilities.” Sometimes, people get immunizations and come back with side effects or our bodies are just not successful in fighting off the infection. An example that is most common is when people get an influenza shot. Some people are extremely successful, but some with weak immune systems or even just an unlucky few return with flu-like symptoms. In every case, the worst scenario is death, but that risk comes with side effects. Who wants to willingly take the chance of putting themselves at risk for death? This fact goes even goes down to children.
Children have weaker immune systems, so having children be exposed to that especially when they’re babies is absolutely a ridiculous idea. The second con of getting vaccinated is that mandatory vaccines can sometimes go against religious beliefs. “Several religions oppose vaccines and mandatory vaccinations. The First Amendment of the US Constitution states, 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' In the ruling for Cantwell v. Connecticut (1939; 9-0), the US Supreme Court held that state and local governments’ infringement upon religious freedom is also unconstitutional. Some Christian Scientists consider vaccinations against their religion because founder Mary Baker Eddy stated that the 'calm, Christian state of mind is a better preventative of contagion than a drug, or than any other possible sanative method… the ‘perfect Love’ that ‘casteth out fear is a sure defense.' Amish communities do not view all vaccinations as 'necessary' and some believe that vaccinations weaken the immune system.
The Church of Illumination states that 'the teachings of the Church unequivocally affirm that injections of vaccines and inoculations are a violation of these biblical teachings… Immunizations and vaccinations are a form of blood pollution because they have devastating effects on the regeneration of the soul that each Church member seeks to attain.' The Universal Family Church believes that parents should decide whether their children should be vaccinated and that 'God intends the health decisions of individuals should… be honored by all authorities.' Taking away someone’s freedom is extremely maddening to people, especially when it infringes upon their religious beliefs. People spend their entire lives devoted to who and what they believe in. Even though organizations will give medical waivers to those who wish to not receive vaccinations, people are still forced with the hard decision of not getting immunizations. They are grouped with judgment and sometimes shame because they differ from their peers who believe in vaccinations. Even though it is a hard choice, their religious beliefs will still compel them to do what they believe is right. The last con in getting vaccinated is that being vaccinated is considered unnatural. “Even pro-vaccine organizations state that natural vaccination causes better immunity.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia notes that 'It is true that natural infection almost always causes better immunity than vaccines. Whereas immunity from the disease often follows a single natural infection, immunity from vaccines occurs only after several doses.' Mayo Clinic states that natural infection 'often provides more complete immunity than a series of vaccinations.' Kurt Perkins, DC, a chiropractor and wellness expert, stated, 'A vaccine violates all laws of natural immune defenses by taking a potential pathogen along with all the TOXIC ingredients (aluminum, formaldehyde, adjuvants, etc.) directly into your blood system. This process would never occur in building natural immunity. That last sentence is kind of an oxymoron. Immunity is a natural thing. Vaccines are an artificial thing.' It seems like people in modern society are trying to reach this natural state. The epidemic goes beyond just medicine, vitamins are starting to incorporate more natural ingredients. The same goes for food and drinks. It seems like businesses are trying to capitalize on the word natural so that way it appeases more people. Going natural is extremely worth it because people are not putting poison and foreign materials in their bodies. In conclusion, there are many pros and cons to getting vaccinated, but in my opinion, the pros most definitely outweigh the cons. If it comes down to the risks versus living off and keeping people safe, I would definitely keep up on my vaccinations. Not only do immunizations keep us safe, but they keep other people safe. After seeing what kinds of diseases and infections that immunizations protect us from, it is important to stop the spread of these diseases and practice healthy habits.
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