Madison Gregory
English 101
Argumentative Essay
December 9, 2015
Mandating Vaccinations
The term 'vaccine' comes from the word Latins used for cowpox, variolae vaccinae. A man by the name of Edward Jenner made the first vaccine to prevent smallpox by giving a small child cowpox. Since syringes were not invented yet, Jenner used his fingernails to scratch the vaccine into the child ("Introduction to Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory?: At Issue" par. 7). Since then many vaccines have been developed and put into practice in a more sanitary technique. Laws have also been made requiring for young children to take these vaccines. Although some vaccines may have negative side effects, all children should be required to be vaccinated because the mandating of vaccines saves lives, eradicates disease, and strengthens economy.
In certain cases, vaccines are infamous for the negative repercussions caused. Michael Synder claims, “... the number of children in the United States with autism has risen by 78 percent over the past decade... [The] secret is that vaccines are one of the primary causes of autism” (Synder par. 5). It would appear that there is a direct correlation between the increase of vaccines administered to children and the increase of children would autism. This shows that may be a few negative repercussions to vaccinating children even though the pharmaceutical industry does not agree.
A vaccine’s main purpose is to induce immunity from certain illnesses; doing so saves many lives every year. Ronald Bailey says, “If the decision to refuse vaccination only affected the individual, then refusal would be permissible, but refusing vaccination puts others in harm's way... As more people refuse vaccination, herd immunity starts to fail and this puts everyone at risk” (Bailey par. 12). As a whole, statistics show that with the vaccination the nation's health increases. Bailey says that “Measles averaged 530,000 cases and 440 deaths per year before the vaccine. In 2006, there were 55 cases and no deaths.” (Bailey par. 16). Even though this vaccine didn’t immediately eradicate this statistics demonstrates how many lives vaccines save.
If every person was vaccinated against a disease, that disease would be eradicated. The article, “The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks”, states,
Some diseases are still so common that a choice not to get a vaccine is a choice to risk natural infection... Some diseases still occur in the United States at very low levels, so if immunization rates dropped even a little bit, outbreaks of disease would sweep across the country rapidly... Some diseases have been virtually eliminated from the United States, but still occur frequently in other parts of the world. Because international travel is common, it is quite possible for the disease to come to the US or for us to go to a place where the disease exists. (“The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks” par. 37).
Without vaccination the overall health of our nation would significantly decrease, and when health decreases, the quality of life would decrease also. In his article, Bailey statess, “Measles averaged 530,000 cases and 440 deaths per year before the vaccine. In 2006, there were 55 cases and no deaths.” (Bailey par. 23). Bailey proves that vaccination of wide masses saves many lives. If all children were vaccinated then many lives would be saved.
An increase in vaccinations will strengthen our economy. Barbara Fisher, a medicine specialist, says, “Disease also costs companies and the state money in missed productivity and health care costs. So, what's to object to? Won't the majority benefit if everyone is vaccinated?” (Fisher par. 9). In the article “The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks”, it is argued that “What is the cost of immunizing children compared with the potential savings in medical and non-medical costs from immunizing them? (An example of non-medical costs would be money lost by parents who miss work taking care of their unvaccinated child” (“The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks” par. 32). The costs of medicine and frequent hospital visits could be easily averted if the proper vaccinations were mad.
Vaccines have came very far since the days of Edward Jenner. Now we can safely inject vaccines to produce better life quality. Overall, mandating vaccines would have a positive effect on society. Although some vaccines may have negative side effects, all children should be required to be vaccinated because vaccines save lives, wipe out disease, and strengthen economy.
Works Cited
Bailey, Ronald. "People Should Not Be Allowed to Refuse Vaccination." Vaccines. Ed. Noël
Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Rpt. from "Refusing
Vaccination Puts Others at Risk: A Pragmatic Argument for Coercive Vaccination." Reason.com. 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Fisher, Barbara Loe. "Mandating Vaccination Is Harmful." Epidemics. Ed. Mary E. Williams.
San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "testimony before the California Senate Committee on Health and Human Services." 2002. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
"The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks." Vaccines. Ed. Noël Merino. Farmington
Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Rpt. from "General Vaccine Safety Concerns." (Apr. 2013).Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Miller, Neil Z. "Evidence Does Not Show That Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks."
Vaccines. Ed. Noël Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Rpt. from "Vaccine Science vs. Science Fiction: Make Informed Decisions." (2013). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015
"Introduction to Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory?: At Issue." Should Vaccinations be
Mandatory? Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Snyder, Michael. "Vaccines Cause Autism." Behavioral Disorders. Ed. Roman Espejo.
Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Vaccines and Autism: The Secret That You Are Not Supposed To Know." The American Dream. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
English 101
Argumentative Essay
December 9, 2015
Mandating Vaccinations
The term 'vaccine' comes from the word Latins used for cowpox, variolae vaccinae. A man by the name of Edward Jenner made the first vaccine to prevent smallpox by giving a small child cowpox. Since syringes were not invented yet, Jenner used his fingernails to scratch the vaccine into the child ("Introduction to Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory?: At Issue" par. 7). Since then many vaccines have been developed and put into practice in a more sanitary technique. Laws have also been made requiring for young children to take these vaccines. Although some vaccines may have negative side effects, all children should be required to be vaccinated because the mandating of vaccines saves lives, eradicates disease, and strengthens economy.
In certain cases, vaccines are infamous for the negative repercussions caused. Michael Synder claims, “... the number of children in the United States with autism has risen by 78 percent over the past decade... [The] secret is that vaccines are one of the primary causes of autism” (Synder par. 5). It would appear that there is a direct correlation between the increase of vaccines administered to children and the increase of children would autism. This shows that may be a few negative repercussions to vaccinating children even though the pharmaceutical industry does not agree.
A vaccine’s main purpose is to induce immunity from certain illnesses; doing so saves many lives every year. Ronald Bailey says, “If the decision to refuse vaccination only affected the individual, then refusal would be permissible, but refusing vaccination puts others in harm's way... As more people refuse vaccination, herd immunity starts to fail and this puts everyone at risk” (Bailey par. 12). As a whole, statistics show that with the vaccination the nation's health increases. Bailey says that “Measles averaged 530,000 cases and 440 deaths per year before the vaccine. In 2006, there were 55 cases and no deaths.” (Bailey par. 16). Even though this vaccine didn’t immediately eradicate this statistics demonstrates how many lives vaccines save.
If every person was vaccinated against a disease, that disease would be eradicated. The article, “The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks”, states,
Some diseases are still so common that a choice not to get a vaccine is a choice to risk natural infection... Some diseases still occur in the United States at very low levels, so if immunization rates dropped even a little bit, outbreaks of disease would sweep across the country rapidly... Some diseases have been virtually eliminated from the United States, but still occur frequently in other parts of the world. Because international travel is common, it is quite possible for the disease to come to the US or for us to go to a place where the disease exists. (“The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks” par. 37).
Without vaccination the overall health of our nation would significantly decrease, and when health decreases, the quality of life would decrease also. In his article, Bailey statess, “Measles averaged 530,000 cases and 440 deaths per year before the vaccine. In 2006, there were 55 cases and no deaths.” (Bailey par. 23). Bailey proves that vaccination of wide masses saves many lives. If all children were vaccinated then many lives would be saved.
An increase in vaccinations will strengthen our economy. Barbara Fisher, a medicine specialist, says, “Disease also costs companies and the state money in missed productivity and health care costs. So, what's to object to? Won't the majority benefit if everyone is vaccinated?” (Fisher par. 9). In the article “The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks”, it is argued that “What is the cost of immunizing children compared with the potential savings in medical and non-medical costs from immunizing them? (An example of non-medical costs would be money lost by parents who miss work taking care of their unvaccinated child” (“The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks” par. 32). The costs of medicine and frequent hospital visits could be easily averted if the proper vaccinations were mad.
Vaccines have came very far since the days of Edward Jenner. Now we can safely inject vaccines to produce better life quality. Overall, mandating vaccines would have a positive effect on society. Although some vaccines may have negative side effects, all children should be required to be vaccinated because vaccines save lives, wipe out disease, and strengthen economy.
Works Cited
Bailey, Ronald. "People Should Not Be Allowed to Refuse Vaccination." Vaccines. Ed. Noël
Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Rpt. from "Refusing
Vaccination Puts Others at Risk: A Pragmatic Argument for Coercive Vaccination." Reason.com. 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Fisher, Barbara Loe. "Mandating Vaccination Is Harmful." Epidemics. Ed. Mary E. Williams.
San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "testimony before the California Senate Committee on Health and Human Services." 2002. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
"The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks." Vaccines. Ed. Noël Merino. Farmington
Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Rpt. from "General Vaccine Safety Concerns." (Apr. 2013).Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Miller, Neil Z. "Evidence Does Not Show That Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks."
Vaccines. Ed. Noël Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Rpt. from "Vaccine Science vs. Science Fiction: Make Informed Decisions." (2013). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015
"Introduction to Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory?: At Issue." Should Vaccinations be
Mandatory? Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Snyder, Michael. "Vaccines Cause Autism." Behavioral Disorders. Ed. Roman Espejo.
Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Vaccines and Autism: The Secret That You Are Not Supposed To Know." The American Dream. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.