The Vaccine Controversy Essay examples - 1641 Words

The Vaccine Controversy Janira Sanchez Intro to Biology Professor Martin July 22, 2010 The Vaccine Controversy The vaccine controversy is the dispute over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, and /or safety of vaccinations. The medical and scientific evidence is that the benefits of preventing suffering and death from infectious diseases outweigh rare adverse effects of immunization. Since vaccination began in the late 18th century, opponents have claimed that vaccines do not work, that they are or may be dangerous, that individuals should rely on personal hygiene instead, or that mandatory vaccinations violate individual rights or religious principles. And since then, successful campaigns against vaccinations have†¦show more content†¦Other critics argue that immunity given by vaccines is only temporarily and requires boosters, whereas those who survive the disease become permanently immune. Lack of complete vaccine coverage increases the risk of disease for the entire population, including those who have been vaccinated, because it reduces herd immunity. For example, measles targets children between the ages of 9 and 12 months, and the short window between the disappearance of maternal antibody (before which the vaccine often fails to seroconvert) and natural infection means that vaccinated children frequently are still vulnerable. Herd immunity lessens this vulnerability, if all the children are vaccinated. Increasing herd immunity during an outbreak or threatened outbreak is the most widely accepted justification for mass vaccination. Mass vaccination also helps to increase coverage rapidly, thus obtaining herd immunity, when a new vaccine is introduced. Commonly used vaccines are a cost – effective and preventive way of promoting good health, compared to the cost of treatment of acute or chronic diseases. In the U.S. during the year 2001, routine childhood immunizations against seven diseases were estimated to save over $40 billion per year, overall social costs including $10 billion in direct health costs, and the societal benefit  œ cost ratio for these vaccinations wasShow MoreRelatedThe Vaccine And Autism Controversy1179 Words   |  5 PagesVaccine and Autism Controversy Many parents are skeptical about getting their children vaccinated because of the fear that it may cause autism. The question of whether vaccines cause autism is still a controversial subject among many citizens today especially parents. Some citizens argue that vaccines are not safe and could potentially cause autism. Parents believe that vaccine caused their child to develop autism because autism symptoms become apparent around the same time that children were gettingRead MoreThe Controversy Of Vaccines : Controversy Regarding The Risks Of Vaccinations1824 Words   |  8 PagesThe Controversy of Vaccines Controversy concerning the risks of vaccinations will always exist. As is the nature of a preventative intervention, it is difficult to rationalize giving a completely healthy child an injection that is known to have varying degrees of sides affects5. Additionally, these injections are to provide immunity to children for diseases that have an extremely low risk of circulating within a population. Since these vaccines have been able to protect so many individuals from experiencingRead MoreControversies Surrounding Vaccine Essay example701 Words   |  3 Pagesaren’t fully vaccinated are increasing gradually over the past years. This happened because of all the controversy surrounding vaccine. Despite the fact that it can prevent potentially life-threatening diseases, people are paying less attention to those infections because they are rarely seen nowadays. So people start to look at the vaccine and the possible side effects and now they fear that the vaccine itself might be m ore harmful than it is helpful. Although there are some objections for the use ofRead MoreThe HVP Vaccine Controversy Essay565 Words   |  3 PagesHPV Vaccine is it helping young girls or making thing worse for them, everyone has their own believes if it will make a differences for young girls and their future. In both articles Mike Adams and Arthur Allen discusses their own issues on the topic of the HPV vaccines. Adams and Allen discuss the cost of the vaccine, public health issue, and the risk young girls having by getting the vaccine or not getting the vaccine. Nation wide people have their own opinions on the HPV vaccine, and weatherRead MoreHuman Papillomavirus Vaccine Controversy : Susan Le1707 Words   |  7 Pages Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Controversy Susan Le California State University, Sacramento Abstract Human Papillomavirus is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease that is believed to be the precursor of several cancers, especially cervical cancer. Researchers have developed a couple of vaccines believed to prevent several strains of the virus. Much controversy has surrounded the birth of this vaccine because law makers want to make the vaccine mandatory for school -aged childrenRead MoreMedia and Its Effects on Society1437 Words   |  6 Pagesassume and discuss. For instance, the vaccine controversy, an on-going debate whether or not vaccines cause autism, has not come to any conclusion, partly due to the media influence. The media attempts to provide equal coverage for both sides of the argument—the pro and the con vaccines—providing room for a few extremists to spread their pseudoscientific-based claims, resulting in public unease. Despite an overwhelming evidence rejecting the association between vaccines and autism, a number of parentsRead MoreAndrew W akefield - Unethical Research882 Words   |  4 Pageschildren received their vaccines, and some diseases began to rise in countries. Wakefield’s inappropriate research has affected and endangered society. The scandal over the Wakefield research is still strong in Britain and the United States. Andrew Wakefield was a gastroenterologist at London’s Royal Free Hospital. In 1998, Wakefield published a research paper, called the Lancet in a medical journal. The Lancet claimed that the three-in-one measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine was connected withRead MoreI Am Doing A Research Paper On The Controversy Surrounding Vaccines1440 Words   |  6 PagesFor my Super Saturday T-Q-E, I am doing a research paper on the controversy surrounding vaccines. Some things that I think I know about this topic is that some people believe that we should not get vaccinations and that they can do more harm than good, and yet there are others who believe that getting vaccinations is the only way to prevent a massive outbreak in a community. Some questions I wanted to ask and answer are; can vaccinations actually be harmful to you? Can you still get a diseaseRead MoreEssay On Immunizing The Public Against Anti Vaccine Myths1831 Words   |  8 PagesImmunizing the Public Against Anti-Vaccine Myths: The Best Vaccine Against Misinformation is the Correct Information Picture yourself as a parent, driving your twelve-month old to the clinic for a scheduled vaccine. You wait at the reception, they call your name, you are pointed to a room, you wait, the vaccine is administered, the doctor mentions some information, and you drive home. The sequence ends with a small feeling of accomplishment as you check another box on your list of parental responsibilitiesRead MoreChildhood Immunizations And Why Some Children Are Not Getting Vaccines2705 Words   |  11 PagesGetting Vaccines: A Literature Review Christie Canfield Central Carolina Community College Childhood Immunizations and Why Some Children are not Getting Vaccines: A Literature Review Abstract Recent outbreaks of measles has promoted renewed interest in childhood vaccinations. However, lingering doubts about the efficacy and safety of popular and recommended vaccines, specifically the DTP and MMR vaccines, remain. It is not necessarily the attenuated virus portion of the vaccines, but