Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?

                                                     Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?

    “Vaccine advocates argue that vaccination is safe and one of the greatest health developments of the 20th Century. They point out that illnesses, including rubella, diptheria, and whooping cough, are now prevented by vaccination. They also claim that anti-vaccination studies are often faulty, biased and misleading.” 

   

  “ The opponents of vaccination argue that children’s immune systems can deal with most infections naturally and that the side effects of vaccinations, which include  seizures, paralysis, and death, are not worth the risk of vaccinating against non-life threatening illnesses. They cite numerous studies to prove that vaccines trigger problems like autism, ADHD, and multiple sclerosis.”   

      This debate has been going on for decades. After researching extensively I have listed just a few of the arguments that are being offered:

PRO Vaccines            

1. Vaccination should be required for children. No individual should have the right to risk  

     the health of the public solely for the purpose of satisfying their personal moral,   

     philosophical, or religious views.   

2.  Vaccines can eradicate disease and prevent serious illness and death. Mandatory         

     vaccination has eradicated diseases that once killed thousands of children, such as   

     polio and small pox.

3. The American Academy of Pediatrics claims that most vaccines are 90-99%  

     effective. But when the children who have been vaccinated do contract the disease,  

     despite being vaccinated against it, they usually have milder symptoms with less 

     serious complications than an unvaccinated child that gets the same disease.

4. Since some individuals that have been vaccinated may still get sick when exposed to 

     infected individuals,  75%  -  90% of the population (depending on the disease), must    

     be vaccinated to achieve “herd immunity”.  When herd immunity is achieved the  

     number of immunized individuals is high enough to prevent the spread of disease 

     through the population. 

CON Vaccines

1. Governments should not have the right to intervene in the health decisions parents 

     make for their children. 3l% of parents believe they should have the right to refuse 

     mandated school entry vaccinations for their children. 

2. Many parents hold religious beliefs against vaccination. Forcing such parents to 

     vaccinate their children violates the 1st Amendment which guarantees citizens the 

     the right to the free exercise of their religion. 

3.Vaccines can trigger auto-immune disorders such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, 

      lupus, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), and other disorders. Vaccines can cause 

      brain inflammation (encephalopathy) which can lead to death or permanent brain   

      damage and disorders such as Autism, ADD/ADHD, and other developmental 

       problems. 

4. Vaccines are promoted primarily to generate profits for manufacturers and 

      financial donations for medical organizations that endorse vaccines.  A house

      Committee on Government Reform report revealed that the CDC Advisory                      

      Committee on Immunization Practices had members who had financial ties to 

       vaccine companies.  The former CDC Director is currently the CEO of Merck               

       Pharmaceutical. 

  

     “Mainstream doctors and media pundits are notorious for claiming that the vaccine-autism debate is over and that no legitimate scientific evidence exists to suggest even a possible link between vaccinations and autism spectrum disorders (ASD): case closed. But a thoroughly-researched report recently published reveals that there are at least 22 published scientific studies that show a link between vaccines and autism and that there are many more with similar findings.”  Infowars - http://www.infowars.com 

     Both sides stand firm in their convictions. The CDC now recommends that each child receive an astounding 68 vaccinations by the time they reach 18 years of age!! The opponents of vaccines feel that the government should not intervene in the health care decision regarding vaccinations for their children. I agree that the welfare of the child should be left up to the parents not the government. Furthermore, that the bare minimum vaccinations be given only for the life-threatening diseases. 

Posted by:  Cole Baker