Category: Vaccination

Chickenpox, measles, mumps, hepatitis A/B, polio, shingles, influenza, smallpox, whooping cough, etc. Vaccines are given to help strengthen the body’s immune system which helps fight off diseases or sicknesses that were fatal in the past. Vaccines have recently been said to cause autism, however, without the help of vaccines, fatal diseases would quickly spread and allows human life expectancy to increase. Do you support the vaccination of children? Do you believe that vaccines are helpful or harmful? Why have some fatal diseases become virtually eliminated within the United States? Have you been vaccinated? Have the vaccinations harmed you in any way?

Where did vaccinations come about? In 1877, Louis Pasteur developed the Germ Theory of Disease; the theory that germs cause disease (Vaccine Timeline). According to the Vaccine Timeline, in 1885, Louis Pasteur used the first rabies vaccine in humans. In 1908, the rise of health departments was formed within the United States. In 1914, Typhoid and Rabies vaccinations were licensed within the United States (Vaccine Timeline). In 1930, according to the Vaccine Timeline, cell culture was invented to grow virus cells in order to help pave the way for viral vaccines. Since they used cell cultures to grow viruses, vaccinations have since become more prominent and vital to the overall health of the population. But why are vaccinations vital to the overall health of the population?

First of all, vaccines are crucial to the overall health of the population and without them, the number of fatal epidemics would increase drastically due to the decline of the immune system’s strength. Laws and policies are in place to help limit the spread of diseases. Vaccines are important, and very crucial, in helping universities and other institutions are able to fight

disease outbreaks. Risks of getting sick are greater for college students due to the colleges having their own vaccine requirement policies and students constantly interacting with each other. However, there are outbreaks within other schools and public places due to the recent decline in the number of children being vaccinated due to the potential damage they cause (Legal and Policy Responses, 2019).

Second, vaccines cause untreatable damage. Vaccines are considered “chemical cocktails” and cause permanent damage. However, healing from the damage is possible, it is rare and nearly impossible to do. But why do we vaccinate infants? Babies do not have the ability to produce antibodies until they are almost 6-12 months old (An Outline of Healing from Vaccine Damage, 2019). Without this ability, vaccines are useless and do no good. They cause mental disorders that affect thinking and everyday activities, thus making them harder and more time-consuming to complete than a person who was not damaged from vaccines.

Children do receive many vaccines by the time they are two years old (Offit, 2003). Before a baby is born, when they are inside the womb, they are free from bacteria and disease. After a baby is born, they are no longer protected from these diseases, they are introduced to new substances, bacteria, viruses, and a multitude of other things that they have not encountered before. From the moment they are born, according to Offit, bacteria begin to live on their skin which can outline their nose, throat, and intestines. Thus, giving babies vaccines before they are two years old, helps in the defense against the bacteria that began to crawl on

their skin from the moment they are born and helps their weak immune systems fight common diseases that were extremely fatal before vaccines came about.

Third, vaccines have been said to cause autism, but recent studies have proven that vaccines are safe for the overall health of the population and are not associated with autism (Maglione et al., 2014). There are some effects that vaccines cause but only in immunodeficient individuals, which is rare. Preventable disease outbreaks have recently occurred due to the parent refusal to have their child vaccinated. Vaccines are thought to be one of the greatest health achievements for the overall population health. The expected life expectancy has increased due to the number of outbreaks declining due to vaccines for common diseases that were once fatal. Without these vaccines, these diseases become fatal once again and can cause havoc on an unvaccinated population.

Are vaccines actually safe? It is true that vaccines do not cause negative side effects; everything has negative side effects, and everything has risks. But, do the benefits outweigh the risks? Bacteria are everywhere—viruses are everywhere. According to Offit, we are at risk of catching a disease every day. Without the help of vaccinations, common diseases would still be fatal to the public and spread easily throughout the population. Vaccinations help strengthen a person’s immune system in order to build antibodies as a defense mechanism against these diseases.

What if schools offered vaccine education? Would people be more willing, or not refuse, to give their children vaccines? Are there other reasons for vaccination refusal other than fear of irreversible damage or autism? According to Navin et al., parents often refuse to have

their children vaccinated due to their religious beliefs, beliefs that vaccines provide little to no benefit, and even concerns about the risks of damage from the vaccines. Would these parents be more willing to give their children vaccinations if they knew how vaccines worked within the human body? Are people aware of how beneficial vaccinations have been for the population?

Within this school year (2019-2020), there has been a measles outbreak. According to Blad, there were two hundred and six confirmed cases of measles throughout eleven states; many of these confirmed cases were due to children not being fully vaccinated, or not vaccinated at all. This proves that not vaccinating children can cause sudden, fast-spreading, disease outbreaks that could have been prevented with a simple vaccination. As a result of children not being vaccinated, when they get sick from these contagious diseases, they often have to miss school and fall very far behind other kids due to having to miss school for these illnesses that could have been prevented.

How many children were vaccinated recently? During the 2018-2019 school year, the number of kindergarteners vaccinated within the United States has been broken down by state in the table below (Seither et. al, 2019). According to Seither, each state has vaccination requirements in place to make sure that students are protected against diseases and sicknesses that are preventable against diseases. Most vaccines are a series of shots, such as the measles vaccine for example, that have a grace period between when the shots are given because they cannot be given at the same as the preceding part of the vaccination dose. There were some vaccine exemptions in this school year, which is due to the parent’s refusal to vaccinate their children. (Table Citation: Seither, 2019).

How many would fall ill or die due to preventable diseases such as polio, rubella, measles, diphtheria, etc. if vaccinations were not being used as a preventative measure? According to Offit, polio paralyzed 15,000 children before vaccines came around but due to vaccinations, there are no cases of polio. Vaccines decreased the number of birth defects due to Rubella from 20,000 to 5 cases per year (Offit, 2003). Vaccines have done much more than just lower these numbers for these two diseases; vaccines have decreased the number of death-related illnesses greatly due to prevention through vaccines, for many diseases (polio, measles, etc). Many countries still have some common diseases that have been eliminated in the United States, according to Offit, that travelers or immigrants can bring into the United States when coming into the country.

Have you ever heard someone say, “Vaccines cause the disease they are supposed to be preventing.”? This is a common misconception about vaccinations. According to Rikin, many people said that vaccines were not effective because the vaccination caused them to become sick with the illness they were trying to prevent, or they had unwanted outcomes from the vaccine. But why did these things happen when the vaccination was administered? Was the vaccine supposed to make them become sick?

How do vaccines within the body? Once a person has been introduced to a disease they have not encountered, the disease damages other cells within the body as the cells that are infected replicate. The body soon produces antibodies to fight off the disease and prevent the disease from coming back. Vaccines work in a similar way as the natural body’s process to prevent disease. According to Offit, when a vaccine is administered into the body, the infected cells that are injected into the skin do not replicate. Instead, the vaccine just introduces that disease to the child’s immune system and allows the body to produce antibodies to prevent the child from becoming ill when they come into contact with that disease (Offit, 2003).

What illnesses are children being vaccinated for? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at birth, a child is supposed to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a liver infection that can cause liver failure and cancer, as well as scarring of the liver itself as a result of swelling; this disease spreads through body fluids.

A child that is one to two months of age is required to have Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whopping Cough, Haemophilus Influenzae Type B, Polio, Pneumococcal, and Rotavirus (CDC, 2016). Diphtheria is an infection that coats the back of the throat, thus making it hard to breathe; this disease could result in heart failure, paralysis, and death. Tetanus is pain caused by the tightening of the muscles that take over the entire body. Tetanus could result in paralysis and make it difficult to swallow. Whooping Cough is a respiratory infection that makes it difficult to breathe due to severe coughing and a quick inhale of air. Haemophilus influenza Type B is a type of flu that could result in a number of other diseases such as pneumonia, blood infections, joint infection, an infection that coats the heart, extreme throat swelling, and death (CDC, 2016). Polio is an infection that causes total paralysis and is very deadly. Pneumococcal is an infection that can cause many types of infections, like an ear infection, for example. Rotavirus is a disease that could result in death due to dehydration through severe diarrhea and vomiting.

At six months, according to the CDC, a child is to be vaccinated against Influenza. However, a child between seven and eleven months old, are not required to receive vaccinations (CDC, 2016). At the age of twelve to twenty-three months, a child is required to be vaccinated for Chickenpox, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Hepatitis A and B. Chickenpox is a disease that causes an itchy rash of blisters. Measles, mumps, and rubella is a combination of diseases that result in a rash, as well are symptoms that are similar to the common cold.

After the age range of two to three years old, no vaccinations are required (CDC, 2016). Vaccines are used to help prevent these diseases, which often result in children being hospitalized or even dying. However, it is common for people to get a seasonal flu shot to prevent getting the flu during that flu season.

The recent rise in parent refusal of vaccinations has increased the number of disease outbreaks for common diseases. These common diseases may become an epidemic once again due to the number of vaccinations declining in the belief that they are not necessary or can cause irreversible damage. The benefits of vaccinations outweigh the negative effects of vaccinations. Without vaccines, today’s population would not have the life expectancy the population has today. Children would more than likely die at a young age due to a common disease-related illness. When is the last time you heard of someone having measles? Chickenpox? Mumps? Whooping cough? Vaccines have virtually eliminated these diseases within the United States. However, people who travel to other countries can return to the United States carrying these diseases with them because they are not eliminated in other countries; these diseases have still claimed the lives of young children in other places because they do not have vaccinations.

Vaccines work within the body to introduce the disease to the human body in order for the body to produce antibodies for that disease. Without children being introduced to these diseases early on, their bodies would have to fight these diseases alone, and they would also be more susceptible to catching diseases because they would have a weaker immune system. Vaccines not only help children, but they also help elderly people as well. If there was a disease outbreak, elderly people would be susceptible to catching common diseases as well because their immune systems are also weaker due to age. An elderly person would more than likely have to be hospitalized in order to recover from these potentially fatal diseases.

In conclusion, vaccines are vital to the health of the population. Without them, common diseases that were fatal in the past would run fatally ramped throughout the population. Although, vaccines were said to cause health problems, such as autism, have been disproven and are highly recommended for everyone to have. Without these vaccines, children would easily become sick, and could even die, due to their weakened immune systems. They would also be carriers of disease and could pass these diseases along to their elderly relatives; this could result in the relative becoming just as sick as the child and possibly not recovering. Would you want to explain to your child that their grandparent is not coming home from the hospital because they gave a disease to their grandparent because you chose not to vaccinate them? Were you vaccinated? Were you harmed by vaccinations you received as a child?

Works Cited

1. An Outline of Healing from Vaccine Damage — ADHD, AUTISM, ’Auto-Immune Conditions’, Neurological Problems. (2019). Positive Health, (252), 24. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=ccm&AN=134382050&site=ehost-live
2. Blad, E. (2019). When Measles Breaks Out, Unvaccinated Kids Send Schools Scrambling. Education Digest, 84(9), 4. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=f5h&AN=135704216&site=ehost-live
3. Legal and Policy Responses to Vaccine-Preventable Disease Outbreaks. (2019). Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 47, 11–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073110519857307
4. Maglione, M. A., Das, L., Raaen, L., Smith, A., Chari, R., Newberry, S., … Gidengil, C. (2014). Safety of vaccines used for routine immunization of US children: A systematic review. Pediatrics, 134(2), 325–337. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1079
5. Navin, M. C., Wasserman, J. A., Ahmad, M., & Bies, S. (2019). Vaccine Education, Reasons for Refusal, and Vaccination Behavior. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(3), 359–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.10.024
6. Offit, P. A., & Bell, L. M. (2003). Vaccines : What You Should Know (Vol. 3rd ed). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [US]. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=nlebk&AN=85544&site=ehost-live
7. Recommended Vaccines by Age. (2016, November 22). Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/vaccines-age.html
8. Rikin, S., Scott, V., Shea, S., LaRussa, P., & Stockwell, M. S. (2018). Influenza Vaccination Beliefs and Practices in Elderly Primary Care Patients. Journal of Community Health, 43(1), 201–206. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-017-0404-x
9. Seither, R., Loretan, C., Driv, K., Mellerson, J. L., Knighton, C. L., Black, C. L., & Driver, K. (2019). Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten – United States, 2018-19 School Year. MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 68(41), 905–912. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6841e1
10. Vaccine Timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://www.immunize.org/timeline/.

Introduction

1. Hook –

A. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “there are about 100,000 children under 2 years old that are not protected against potentially serious vaccine-preventable diseases.” (Zimlich)

B. “Vaccines prevent more than 8,500 child hospitalizations in Colorado, 33,000 deaths in the U.S, and between 2 and 3 million deaths worldwide.” (immunizeforgood.com)

2. Background Commentary –

A. There is an ongoing debate on whether vaccines are effective or not.

1. A large percentage of families agree with vaccines and encourage others to receive vaccinations.
2. Some parents think they produce dangerous side effects and try to ‘protect’ their children from said effects.

3. Thesis –

A. Despite rumors of side effects such as ASD and abnormalities, vaccines have been tested and proven to be safe, build immunity, and protect future generations.

Body Paragraph #1

1. Topic Sentence –

A. Vaccines are studied for years by doctors and scientists to ensure that they are effective and safe.

2. Supporting example –

A. Immunization schedules are developed and used to determine the best and most effective times to administer vaccines.

3. Elaboration –

A. Current immunization schedule for a child in the U.S. is arranged to protect children from 14 pathogens.

B. Scheduled vaccines are developed and administered based on the time that a child is most vulnerable to the disease.

C. Before a new vaccine is added, it is thoroughly studied and reviewed for information about its safety, effectiveness, and feasibility of adding it.

D. Decreasing or delaying the vaccines has led to sudden outbreaks of easily preventable diseases.

1. “States with policies that make it easy to exempt children from immunization were associated with a 90 percent higher incidence of whooping cough in 2011.” (immunizationforgood.com)
2. This not only affects the child who was late to vaccinate but also puts those who were never vaccinated in danger.

4. Explanation –

A. The immunization schedule is one of the many ways that doctors are able to maximize the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.

Body Paragraph #2

1. Topic Sentence –

A. The distribution of vaccines helps strengthen and build your body’s immunity.

2. Supporting example –

A. “If an unvaccinated child is exposed to a disease germ, the child’s body may not be strong enough to fight the disease. Before vaccines, many children died from diseases that vaccines now prevent, such as whooping cough, measles, and polio. Those same germs exist today, but because babies are protected by vaccines, we don’t see these diseases nearly as often.” (CDC.gov)

3. Elaboration –

A. Antigens, antibodies, and the way vaccines work.

1. When antigens enter the immune system, antibodies are created to fight them off.
2. The immune system remembers antigens so if it enters again, your body is able to create antibodies faster to fight off the antigens.
3. Vaccines contain the same antigens that cause disease, (however, they are weakened to the point where the disease does not actually break out in the body.) This allows your body to create antibodies to help fight off disease before the first time you are ever actually exposed to it.

4. Explanation –

A. By taking vaccines and getting the antibodies in your system, your body’s immunity to disease is increased.

Body Paragraph #3

1. Topic Sentence –

A. However, there are some people who believe that vaccines could cause side effects such as autism.

2. Supporting example –

A. Study by Andrew Wakefield in 1998

3. Elaboration –

A. “In 1998, Wakefield, along with 12 co-authors, published a case series study in the Lancet 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.” (historyofvaccines.org)

B. However, it was later proved that some of the information used in the Wakefield study was fraud.

1. “Deer spoke with parents of children from the retracted study and found evidence that Wakefield committed research fraud by falsifying data about the children’s conditions.” (historyofvaccines.org)
2. “Specifically, Deer reported that while the paper claimed that eight of the study’s twelve children showed either gastrointestinal or autism-like symptoms days after vaccination, records instead show that at most two children experienced these symptoms in this time frame. Additionally, while the paper claimed that all twelve of the children were “previously normal” before vaccination with MMR, at least two had developmental delays that were noted in their records before the vaccination took place.” (historyofvaccines.org)

4. Explanation –

A. Despite false information in Wakefield’s statements, some symptoms of autism were still seen in Deer’s accounts.

5. Wrap-up Sentence –

A. It is still unknown whether there is a small if any, the correlation between vaccines and autism.

Body Paragraph #4

1. Topic Sentence –

A. Vaccines not only help protect ourselves but future generations as well.

2. Supporting example –

A. The licensing of the Rubella vaccine in 1969.

3. Elaboration –

A. “Before the rubella vaccine was licensed in 1969, 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. [72] 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,” (ProCon.org)

4. Explanation –

A. The use of the rubella vaccine helped protect women’s future children from both the disease and birth defects of the disease.

Conclusion-

1. Restated Thesis –

A. Although some show concern about possible symptoms of autism linked with vaccines, vaccines have been tested and ensure safety, long-lasting effectiveness, and lower the risk of offspring developing the disease before and after birth.

2. Summary of Main Ideas –

A. The use of the immunization schedule helps doctors determine the best time to administer vaccines to children for the most effective results.

B. The use of vaccines helps increase the number of disease-fighting antibodies in our immune system which helps not only protect our health, but the public’s as well.

C. Some vaccines help prevent birth defects in offspring and lower their chance of developing the disease.

3. Closing Thought/Call to Action –

A. In the interest of everyone’s well-being, it is highly recommended that you vaccinate both yourself and your children in order to prevent the spread of disease today and in future generations.

Vaccinations: do they really have health benefits?

Mandatory childhood vaccinations have been one of the controversial issues in the United States of America and worldwide. The dramatic controversy was even staged by the republicans during the 2016 presidential campaigns, with the republicans questioning the efficacy of mandatory childhood vaccinations. The campaign against vaccinations is not only an issue of concern for politicians but also other anti-vaccinationists (also known as anti-vaxxers), who include parents, clergymen, and others alike. Some of the arguments brought forward by anti-vaxers are with regard to the link between vaccinations and diseases such as autism. However, not everyone is against vaccinations. Pro-vaccinations (also known as pro-vaxxers) share a different option. The limelight argument of pro-vaxxers has been shared with evidence of eradication of diseases such as polio in the United States of America and smallpox worldwide, among other diseases. This article seeks to understand the history of vaccinations, how vaccinations work, and the link between vaccinations and some of the major diseases that have ravaged mankind.

History of vaccinations

The story of vaccinations begins with Edward Jenner, who in 1796 performed the world’s first vaccination (Markel et al., 2005). This was the time period when smallpox was a devastating epidemic. In his quest to find a cure for smallpox, Jenner made an observation that milkmaids, who had been exposed to cowpox, did not become ill from the smallpox outbreaks. Owing to this observation, it is articulated that Jenner inoculated an eight-year-old boy with pus from a cowpox lesion. After two weeks of inoculation, the eight-year-old boy was exposed to polio by variolating two sites on his arm. The boy was unaffected by smallpox during the time he was exposed to polio and in subsequent times. Subsequent experiments proved effective in addressing the polio epidemic. Jenner’s pioneering thoughts paved the way for the world of vaccinations and helped serve millions of lives. Today, vaccinations are commonly used in medical annals. There is a flu vaccine, allergy vaccinations, vaccinations against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), as well as Hepatitis A and B vaccines, just to mention a few.

How vaccinations work

When a harmful substance (also known as a pathogen) such as a bacteria or virus, is introduced into the body for the first time, the body’s immune system recognized the foreign substance on the basis of specific features the pathogen possesses (known as antigens). The body then mounts an immune response to attack the pathogen in order to protect the body. The chemicals produced by the body that attack the pathogens are known as antibodies. When this is the first time a pathogen is introduced to the body, it may take days for the antibodies to be mobilized to attack the pathogen. However, once the immune system encounters the same substance subsequent times, it is able to quickly recognize the pathogen based on the memory from the previous encounter. The immune response this time around is quicker than the first time the pathogen was introduced into the body.

Vaccinations take advantage of the body’s ability to recognize the pathogen previously introduced in the body to help protect the body against pathogens. The vaccines contain the same antigens as the pathogens but in weakened or dead form. Ideally, the vaccine is not expected to be of any harm to the host to which it is introduced despite it containing the same antigens as the deadly pathogen. The basis is to train the immune system so that when a deadly pathogen is encountered, the immune response is already mounted and ready to attack the pathogen.

Anti-vaxxers on vaccinations

a. Vaccinations cause autism

One of the critical arguments against vaccinations is that it is directly linked to autism. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that is characterized by three core deficits: impaired communication, impaired reciprocal social interaction, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors or interests. ( Faras et al., 2010)2. The severity of the disorder differs from one individual to another. The fight against vaccinations, particularly the MMR, was popularized by a British surgeon named Andrew Wakefield in 1998. Wakefield published an article that linked the MMR vaccine to autism in the article which he published in the Lancet. Despite the small sample size (n=12), the uncontrolled design, and the speculative nature of the conclusions, the paper received wide publicity, and MMR vaccination rates began to drop because parents were concerned about the risk of autism after vaccination. (Rao et al., 2011)4. The obvious result of parents not vaccinating their children was exposed to such diseases and the complications thereof. After over 10 years of the publication of the article against the MMR vaccine, the Lancet retracted it on February 2, 2010.

b. Documented side effects of vaccinations

Vaccinations, like any form of medication, have their pitfalls. The concern about the negative effects of vaccination has caused for increased concern, especially for parents. Parents have questioned the need to have their children vaccinated based on what they may have heard about vaccinations from their relatives or friends. Some of these concerns are reasonable, as there are some vaccinations that are not recommended in persons who are suffering from ailments such as cancer or the HIV virus due to a weakened immune system. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention has clearly published that some individuals should not receive certain vaccines based on allergic responses they may have, pregnant women and those whose who are nursing, just o mention a few. The list has stipulations on who should not get vaccines against cholera, the DTaP vaccine, and hepatitis A vaccines, among others. This makes the growing concerns of some anti-vaxxers, especially parents, to be well understood.

Conclusion:

The debate against vaccinations is an ongoing one. The alarm which resulted from people staging a protest against the MMR vaccine did not have any valid evidence and was later retracted. However, the effect of the publication of the anti-MMR vaccine goes beyond the 12 years it lasted in the Lancet. people when everyone was being made to believe that vaccinations have no added benefit. History has also attested to the effectiveness of vaccines. Immediately following the licensing of the measles vaccine in 1962, the number of measles cases in the US dropped dramatically

Personal Opinion:

Everything in the medical annals has its own downfall. What is more important is analyzing the cost versus risk when staging a fight against things like vaccines. There are no vaccines which 100% effective. However, there are many that have proven to be over 90% effective in helping combat diseases. As articulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two doses of the varicella vaccine (chicken pox) are effective at preventing 98 % of any form of Chickenpox. The chickenpox vaccine is not the only one which has proven to be effective. Many other vaccinations are at or over a 95 % efficacy mark against diseases. These vaccinations include smallpox, yellow fever, and measles vaccinations. However, even though I do strongly believe that vaccinations should continue to be administered as they have added benefits, I do feel that further research needs to be done to help address some instances in which some adverse effects may have occurred as a result of vaccinations.

It is the duty of healthcare providers to sensitize the communities to the health benefits of vaccinations. I do feel campaigns for vaccinations are only done when one visits the hospital. However, such campaigns need to be ongoing. Media outlets, such as radio and television stations, social media, and new papers can do need to be utilized as an avenue spread the word for the benefit of the community. There is also a need to cub publications that are presented to the communities about the negative effects of vaccination if such vaccinations do not have evidence beyond any reasonable double. This will prevent the unnecessary alarming of people in communities about the supposedly negative effects of vaccinations. All-in-all, it is the duty of every citizen to seek correct information and health spread the news on the benefits of vaccinations.

References:

1. Hadeel Faris, Nahed A., Tidmarsh L., (2010). Autism Spectrum disorders. Ann Saudi Med 2010 Jul-Aug; 30(4): 295 – 300
2. T.S. Rao., and C. Andrade., (2011). The MMR vaccine and autism: Sensation, refutation, retraction, and fraud. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 2011 Apr-Jun; 53(2): 95–96
3. https://www.who.int/ith/vaccines/yf/en/
4. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/hcp-effective-duration.htm

Research design is crucial for a study, and the Give Methods a Chance Podcast explores how different methods help scientists discover new information. In the selected episode hosted by Kyle Green, the guest Madison Van Oort described the strengths and limitations of the discourse and semiotic analysis of the fast-fashion industry’s commercials (Green, 2016). The podcast revealed the influence of selected methodology on studying how companies used the crisis of masculinity to sell their products. This paper aims to summarize the podcast and discuss the application of semiotic analysis to examine how news’ infographics about COVID-19 mortality influence the vaccination rates in the United States.

Van Oort is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota, who conducted scientific research with Green, the podcast’s host. They reviewed Super Bowl commercials from a sociological perspective because they noticed the trend of masculinity’s humiliation. In the podcast, scientists discussed how the crisis of masculinity was employed to increase sales and revealed the semiotic analysis’ benefits for such a study (Green, 2016). Van Oort described the strengths and limitations of the discourse and semiotic analysis based on the interviewee’s main field of work – modern fast-fashion and low-wage labor.

Semiotic analysis is the qualitative research method necessary to disclose how the general idea of a selected commercial is tailored. Applying the strategy to practice helps sociologists reveal if multiple signs are recognized in society and the interrelation between what is displayed and how people perceive visual information. Green and Van Oort watched all Super Bowl commercials from 2008 to 2010 and analyzed what companies participated, what characters they portrayed, and the dominant themes (Green, 2016). To retrieve the essential topics for the society based on the videos’ narratives, the scientists needed to make theoretical hypotheses to check if there were patterns that submitted or denied the criticality of the selected subject (Green, 2016). The approach applied to 2010’s commercials revealed a crisis of masculinity, and the perception of men changed since the early 2000s.

Studying the Super Bowl commercials revealed the semiotic analysis’ strengths and limitations, and Van Oort reflected on them in the podcast. Indeed, the scientist mentioned that understanding broad social trends such as masculinity crisis requires more comprehensive coding than the selected strategy could provide. Researchers positioned their approach as topic-driven, and therefore their methods generalized in accordance to prove the initial hypothesis which limited them (Green, 2016). The main strength was that semiotic analysis allowed them to explore the perception of commercials holistically rather than conduct in-depth, time-consuming, and over-detailed content or discourse analyses.

Modern society lives in the COVID-19 pandemic conditions, and researching with semiotic analysis method can help study citizens’ perception of the health crisis and willingness to overcome it. The question if the news’ infographics about COVID-19 mortality rates in the United States influence people’s decision-making towards vaccination can be studied. The methods discussed in the podcast would be helpful for the research as a qualitative exploration of how seeing the rates’ lines going up or down impacts citizens beyond the word-based information (Green, 2016). The study would be conducted in three states with diverse COVID-19 mortality rates, and related news episodes of the most popular broadcasters would be included. Data collection would be applied through coding methods, selecting the categories to measure how people might react, and comparing the vaccination statistics. The research’s ethical concerns are that news’s general purpose is to inform citizens, not influence their approaches to addressing the health crisis.

The application of semiotic analysis for exploring Super Bowls commercials by Green and Van Oort is a helpful example of how social trends can be interpreted through topic-driven research. Although the methods are rather generalized, they still are considerable for sociologists, and such studies provide foundations for a more profound scientific work. Semiotic analysis is accessible to the public if the materials to study are available and if there is no demand for addressing privacy and ethical concerns.

Reference

Green, Kyle. (2016). “Madison Van Oort on Discourse Analysis & Studying Commercials.” Give Methods a Chance Podcast. Web.

Nowadays, we are living in an age of technology, development, and international connectivity. With the ability to quickly deliver and receive information, the possibilities for people to get to know the world around them has become almost limitless. This trend however, does present a significant problem for distinguishing truth from reality. With a variety of sources available to support all kinds of viewpoints, it becomes increasingly difficult for the everyday people to distinguish truth from reality. The changes in the way people come across knowledge become dangerous not only for individuals, but entire populations when the misinformation concerns issues of vaccination and healthcare. Recently, we have seen a rise in the anti-vaxx movement, fueled by a mix of anxieties, misconceptions, and conspiracies. An article discussing anti-vaccination trends of the recent years called “Anti-vaxxers are taking populism to a new, deadly level”. The author relates that skepticism about vaccinations has led to direct violence and loss in some parts of the world, prompting shootings and killings from extremist groups (Hinsliff). In the same vein, west is noted to have been suffering from the emerging anti-vaccination trend resulting in the reduction of herd immunity and the re-emergence of commonly eradicated diseases. With far-right and extremist conspiracies promoting skepticism towards authority, more and more parents are doubting the expertise of healthcare professionals. Feeding on the distrust of authorities many people harbor, destructive and unsubstantiated beliefs spread among the population.

My perspective on the article is wholly positive, as I agree with the messages and concerns put forth by the author. Personally, I think that the popularity of the anti-vaxx movement is very concerning, as it endangers the health and wellbeing of large number of people. With the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the need to adhere to specific regulations is more important than ever, as the virus can easily spread to unprotected people. To safeguard those that do not have the ability to protect themselves, it is crucial for all members of the community to come together in keeping with the medical regulations and standards set forth. As someone that has vulnerable individuals as part of their family, I am used to taking safety considerations with utmost caution and consideration. This effort, however, becomes much harder when a significant number of the population is convinced of the vaccination’s danger or ineffectiveness. It is personally baffling and tiring to see how many people can lack basic consideration of others to stick to their false ideas. In the face of a complicated issue, however, it is useless to blame individuals or approach the issue on a personal level. With certain groups of people trying to push dangerous agendas under the guise of questioning authority, it is important to approach the issue from a constructive and overarching standpoint, and find possible ways of resolving it as a whole. I think that the involvement of conspiratorial beliefs mentioned in the article is extremely abrasive to change, and finding possible ways of remedying that can be difficult. I, however, wholly agree that the issue should be taken seriously, with more time being spent at uprooting its main cause and combatting it.

Reference

Hinsliff, Gaby. “Anti-vaxxers Are Taking Populism to a New, Deadly Level.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2019. Web.

A common dilemma or conflict in healthcare

The US has proposed a mandatory influenza vaccination exercise for healthcare workers in an attempt to counter the increasing number of new annual infections and deaths arising from the disease (Babcock, Gemeinhart, Jones, Dunagan & Woeltje, 2010). The US justifies this move by citing the medical and ethical frameworks that guide nurses and other healthcare professionals in their practice. Initially, the vaccine was voluntary in most facilities, but the number of healthcare providers who take the vaccine has remained low.

This aspect has prompted the US government to make the vaccine mandatory to all healthcare workers to increase the number that gets the vaccine. Most nurses do not understand the benefits that accrue from such vaccinations (Zimmerman, 2013). Therefore, the majority of the nurses think that the benefits do not outnumber the risks posed by the vaccine (Backer, 2006). Additionally, nurses claim that the vaccine only offers protection from the influenza virus, but it does not offer a solution to other upper respiratory tract infections, which are also common (Miller & Ross, 2010). This aspect has been cited as the key reason why most healthcare workers are opposed to the vaccine despite the tireless efforts by the government to increase the uptake of the vaccine.

Nurses are ethically bound to reduce the risks to patients in the course of dispensing their mandate, and thus they are under obligation to take such vaccines in a bid to reduce the risk of infecting patients during treatment (Isaacs & Leask, 2008). However, despite the mobilization efforts by the government and the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) to encourage healthcare workers to embrace the vaccine, the resistance has remained high and only a few nurses turn up for the vaccination (Stewart, 2009). Following the mandate of the vaccine, healthcare workers have launched legal battles against the government citing violation of their rights as accorded by the Fourteenth and First Amendments (Willis & Wortley, 2007). A review of the medical ethical code of conduct justifies the mandate, the government, and various medical institutions that have mandated the vaccine.

The choice that I recommend for APRN and its ethical justification

The medical field has its ethical code of ethics that governs the conduct and relationships amongst the involved stakeholders. Therefore, healthcare professionals have to abide by the provisions of the code in the course of dispensing their mandated duties. Also, Ahmed, Lindley, Allred, Weinbaum, and Grohskopf (2014) maintain that vaccinating healthcare professionals ensures that the risk inherent to a patient during treatment is maintained at the lowest levels possible. This provision has been used as a justification for the mandatory vaccine since the vaccine is meant to reduce the chances of healthcare workers infecting their patients with the disease in the clinical care context. Therefore, making the vaccine mandatory is congruent with the medical profession code of ethics and the order should remain (Pitts, Maruthur, Millar, Perl & Segal, 2014).

Additionally, healthcare professionals are under an obligation to ensure that the community’s healthcare needs are prioritized. This provision entails providing quality and effective healthcare to all people without prejudice. In line with this obligation, clinicians are thus bound to accept the vaccine in a bid to achieve their mandated duty of ensuring that the community remains healthy and that the risk of infecting people is lowered to achieve this objective.

Lastly, the Mandatory influenza vaccination is constitutional as the law mandates the government to ensure that public welfare is maintained at all costs (Starke, 2010). Therefore, the government can limit individual rights to protect the welfare of the public. In this context, the government is legally obliged to overlook the personal rights of the healthcare professionals and mandate the vaccination to protect the interest of its citizens. Clinicians have cited the infringement of their rights to self-will and the freedom of religion as the key driving forces towards the rejection of the vaccine (Finch, 2007). However, these rights are individual and since the vaccine is meant to protect the interest of the public, the move to mandate it is justified.

The theory that I used to justify my answer to the conflict

Many ethical theories can be used to justify the legality of the mandatory influenza vaccine, which has been imposed by the US government in efforts to control the spread of infectious disease (Steckel, 2007). However, in this paper, I used the utilitarianism theory since it best fits this context due to the emphasis that it places on the utility of the results. The theory advocates the course of action that derives the maximum benefits to the people on the receiving end (Gandjour, 2007). The theory is applicable in major decision-making cases where the decision revolves around establishing the best course of action to adopt. The theory emphasizes the consequences or the results of a certain course of action (Riley, 2010). The decision that leads to the maximum benefits to the beneficiary of such an undertaking is adopted and all the other decisions are ignored. The theory is useful in decisions involving conflicting interests since it only requires the assessment of the results to establish the decision with the maximum benefits.

The relationship of the theory to my answer

The utilitarianism theory justifies the reasons why health workers should be vaccinated against infectious diseases. Firstly, clinicians are obliged to avoid exposing patients to undue risks in the course of dispensing their duties (Poland & Jacobson, 2007). In line with the utilitarianism theory, the decision would be to mandate the vaccination to reduce the risks of infecting the patients. Since the objective of the theory is to maximize the outcome, the vaccine would be effective in reducing the risk to patients who are the beneficiaries of the decision in this case. Therefore, vaccinating the medical staff maximizes the benefits to patients since they will obtain quality health care devoid of exposure to risks of new infections from the healthcare providers.

The theory is also congruent with the clinicians’ code of ethics provision, which requires the provision of quality healthcare to all people without discrimination. Quality healthcare for all people cannot be achieved without the nurses having to undergo the vaccination. Lastly, the government seeks to maximize healthcare benefits to the public by mandating the vaccine. The constitution allows such undertakings if they are in the interest of the public. The utilitarianism theory also advocates the prioritization of public needs as opposed to individual rights. Therefore, for the benefit of the majority, viz. the public, in this case, the mandatory influenza vaccination should be maintained.

References

Ahmed, F., Lindley, M., Allred, N., Weinbaum, C., & Grohskopf, L. (2014). Effect of

influenza vaccination of healthcare personnel on morbidity and mortality among patients: systematic review and grading of evidence. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 58(1), 50-7.

Babcock, H., Gemeinhart, N., Jones, M., Dunagan, C., & Woeltje, K. (2010). Mandatory Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Workers: Translating Policy to Practice. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 50(4), 459-464.

Backer, H. (2006). Counterpoint: in favor of mandatory influenza vaccine for all health care workers. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 42(8), 1144-1147.

Finch, M. (2007). Point: Mandatory influenza vaccinations for all health care workers? Seven reasons to say “no.” Clinical Infectious Diseases, 42(8), 1141-1143.

Gandjour, A. (2007). Is it rational to pursue utilitarianism? Ethical Perspectives. Journal of the European Ethics Network, 14(2), 139-158.

Isaacs, D., & Leask, J. (2008). Should influenza immunization be mandatory for healthcare workers? No. British Medical Journal, 337, 2140-42.

Miller, C., & Ross, W. (2010). Mandated influenza vaccines and health care workers’ autonomy. Virtual Mentor, 12(9), 706-710.

Pitts, S., Maruthur, N., Millar, K., Perl, T., & Segal, J. (2014). A systematic review of mandatory influenza vaccination in healthcare personnel. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47(3), 330-40.

Poland, G., & Jacobson, R. (2007). Protecting patients from harm: Legislating vaccinations for healthcare workers. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32(6), 544-546.

Riley, J. (2010). Mill’s extraordinary utilitarian moral theory. Politics Philosophy Economics, 9(1), 67-116.

Starke, J. (2010). Recommendation for mandatory influenza immunization of all health care personnel. Pediatrics, 126(4), 809-815.

Steckel, C. (2007). Mandatory influenza immunization for health care workers-an ethical discussion. Workplace Health & Safety, 55(1), 34-39.

Stewart, A. (2009). Mandatory vaccination of health care workers. New England Journal of Medicine, 361(21), 2015-17.

Willis, B., & Wortley, P. (2007). Nurses’ attitudes and beliefs about influenza and the influenza vaccination: A summary of focus groups in Alabama and Michigan. American Journal of Infection Control, 35, 20-24.

Zimmerman, R. (2013). Ethical analyses of institutional measures to increase health care worker influenza Vaccination Rates. Vaccine, 31(52), 6172-6.

Introduction

Historically, vaccination has been used to deal with numerous health challenges. Ordinarily, humans take various precautions to ensure that they are safe in various aspects of their lives.

The importance of seat belts in cars or car seats specifically designed to guarantee the safety of small children while on transit cannot be overemphasized. Similarly, it is imperative to put in place mechanisms that help to protect the body from illnesses. In the given scenario, it is imperative for all those living in the U.S. to be vaccinated.

Importance of Vaccination

Although critics argue that vaccination is responsible for the suffering of most Americans as they become older, there are several reasons vaccination against the avian virus must be supported. First, the exercise will enable the government of the United States to save on precious resources (Bloom & Lambert, 2002). Suppose, for example, that the call to vaccinate is ignored and a lethal health problem erupts.

Among other issues, this will leave the entire nation at the mercy of the virus. Lives may be lost, and the government may be compelled to spend quite heavily on efforts to contain the situation. The hiring of more medical personnel and heavy expenditure on treatment and medication often result.

Over the years, major strides have been made by scientists to improve the medical sector. As such, the health of a nation can easily be protected against diseases through scientific inventions. There are, however, feelings among some researchers that vaccination only serves the interests of a few individuals out to benefit from the ignorance of the masses (Maurice & Davey, 2009).

These critics are convinced that vaccination creates an opportunity for selfish individuals to reap funds from government coffers. On the contrary, vaccination provides a mechanism by which a nation can avert disaster before things get out of hand.

In general, so much goes into coming up with vaccines. Usually, vaccines are only given after going through the scrutiny of many concerned scientists (Bloom & Lambert, 2002). It is thus very rare to come by instances of serious side effects. This is contrary to the general belief among critics that vaccines tend to create discomfort for those vaccinated long after the vaccination is done.

In the United States, for example, cases of polio have declined drastically, and this is all thanks to the efforts made by scientists to secure the future of American citizens. Similarly, numerous cases exist to show the positive effects of vaccination.

Beyond doubt, the United States is concerned about all its citizens. Vaccinating all residents against the avian virus will thus enable the United States to protect those it cares so much about. It is thus imperative to provide all residents with information necessary to understand the effects of vaccination (Maurice & Davey, 2009).

Conclusion

Considering that it is the responsibility of every state government to take care of its citizens, efforts must be made to promote the importance of vaccination. Despite arguments by critics that some illnesses result from vaccination, it is important to note that through vaccination, the U.S. has been able to deal with numerous infectious diseases.

The government of the United States must thus stay focused and ensure that all residents are vaccinated against the avian virus. To a large extent, the vaccination exercise would help the U.S. to save on resources and secure the future of its citizens.

References

Bloom, B. R. & Lambert, P. (2002). The Vaccine Book. London, UK: Academic Press.

Maurice, J. M. & Davey, S. (2009). State of the World’s Vaccines and Immunization. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

This is an argumentative essay on the misguided ideas that vaccines are likely to cause serious health problems to people. Vaccination is a chemical procedure which entails the introduction of antigenic substances in the body to make the immune system develop adaptive immunity to specific diseases. The primary function of vaccination is to safeguard our bodies against illnesses and diseases.

There is no doubt that these are significant medical breakthroughs that have been used to control the spread of debilitating and fatal illnesses that were once very common. Although there is much medical and scientific evidence showing vaccination as the most successful public health tool which can be used to prevent diseases and associated afflictions, the procedure has been surrounded by many controversies. These, however, are just misleading ideas and perceptions that have continued to trigger mixed reactions about vaccines.

According to Bloom and Paul, Vaccination is categorized among the most significant and effective methods used in preventing infectious diseases in the contemporary world (12). As a matter of fact, better results have been realized in all those areas where vaccination has been applied. Ever since the vaccine for smallpox was successfully developed by Edward Jenner more than 200 years ago, vaccination has become a key element of medical research, and today there are vaccines that can be used to protect people from numerous diseases.

These diseases would include Polio, Measles, Tetanus, and Whooping Cough, among other debilitating illnesses. There have been many misleading claims from anti-vaccine activists who have always linked vaccines to threatening health problems and conditions.

For example, it has been alleged that vaccines can lead to autism, infertility, and sudden infant death syndrome, among other problems. These misconceptions have led to decreased rates of immunization in some parts of the world, thus putting people’s health at great risk. As a result, epidemics of fatal childhood diseases have been observed in most of these regions.

Many questions about the effects of vaccines originate from fears that the antigenic substances used to administer vaccines can bring more harm than good to people. These claims have been spread by some anti-vaccine individuals and organizations through interactive social media platforms such as blogs and twitter, among others. Meryl Dorey, the president of the Australian Vaccination Network, is one of those people who cannot be convinced that vaccination is safe and effective.

Dorey believes that vaccines can lead to diseases such as asthma and autism, among other serious health problems. In this regard, she observes that these medical procedures are becoming an emotive issue in the world and that there is a need for more public debates to be raised on their outcomes.

However, these claims have been completely discredited by researchers in the medical field, who have constantly argued that extensive study has been conducted over the years to ensure that immunizations are safe and effective for the treatment of diseases. The safety of vaccines has also been confirmed by the government and the medical department, who have come out to dismiss the claims that the same vaccines that are intended to protect people from diseases can lead to disease resurgence, among other serious effects (Nuland 26).

As it would be observed, the misguided beliefs and perceptions that vaccines can bring serious implications to people have continued to trigger adverse effects on communities all over the world. Apart from the claims that vaccines can trigger diseases, there have also been arguments by the anti-vaccine crowd that these procedures also tend to violate people’s rights and religious principles. Another common factor which has necessitated negative beliefs about vaccines is the lack of enough public awareness about the procedures.

Those communities who believe that vaccines are unfit due to the above factors have always advised people to rely on their faith and personal confidence instead. This anti-vaccine perceptions and fears have over the years made communities vulnerable to fatal illnesses, thus being a threat to public health. Even though there might be some flaws in the use of vaccines, their benefits far outweigh the shortfalls, as it has been verified by scientific data.

People should understand that most of these beliefs are based on mere observations and not a scientific study, which is likely to give concrete support on any claims raised. There is mounting evidence that vaccines are modern medicine’s biggest achievement, whose benefits are undeniable allover the world. For example, studies have revealed a prevalence of pandemic diseases among those communities that have been misinformed about these significant medical procedures, thus turning against them.

As it would be observed, there is a definite risk of unvaccinated children falling sick, and this has been confirmed by study findings that children who have skipped specific vaccinations are about 30 % to 35 % more likely to get diseases such as measles and polio than those children who have already been vaccinated against these diseases.

Many people across the world have come to see vaccines as effective and safe ways of preventing diseases, but those still in doubt are challenged to look back and see how devastating illnesses would be before vaccines were introduced into the world.

Atkinson and Jennifer observe that “with an epidemic of autoimmune illnesses gradually crippling nations, it is time we changed our views about vaccination and fully embraced it for the benefit of the coming generations” (72). In this regard, global communities should embrace the idea of using these significant medical procedures to save people’s lives from the menace of epidemics that stare the world in the face.

As it has been proven through studies, continued increased levels of vaccines in all regions of the world will be necessary in avoiding a resurgence of illnesses that have been nearly eradicated from the face of the world. People, especially those who have been misinformed about vaccines, should be made to realize that the many misconceptions surrounding the procedures are based on invalid precepts. As a matter of fact, many breakthroughs have been realized in the medical sector following the continued use of vaccines.

Moreover, there is a potential for these significant medical procedures to bring vast improvements to many of the diseases affecting humans today if the idea of mass vaccination was welcomed by all people in the world. To achieve this objective, anti-vaccine communities should be educated about the overall benefits of vaccines and the misguiding perceptions associated with them.

More importantly, the media, which has played a key role in misinforming people about vaccines, should devise its misleading ways and try to help the world see sense about vaccines being safe and effective in preventing fatal diseases.

Works Cited

Atkinson, William, and Jennifer Hamborsky. Epidemiology and prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases. Washington, DC: Public Health Foundation, 2011. Print.

Bloom, Barry, and Paul Henri. The vaccine book. Carolina: Academic Press, 2003. Print.

Nuland, Sherwin. The mysteries within: A surgeon reflects on medical myths. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Print.

Introduction

The use of health information technology is associated with better health outcomes. With the aim of improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare organizations, the American government is stressing the importance of using health informatics including electronic health records to improve patient care (Yanamadala et al. 1). Public health informatics (PHI) is the field that optimizes the utilization of information with the purpose of improving individual and community health, health policy, health and biomedical services, and public health practices (Edmunds et al. 4). It operates the intersection of computer science and public health. The use of health informatics impacts population life expectancies in different ways.

PHI and Vaccination Coverage

One of the ways through which PHI impacts life expectancies is through its influence on childhood immunization. Au et al. explain that childhood vaccination rates are a significant determinant of pediatric care, which further determines the health of communities and mortality rates due to infections that can be prevented through immunizations (222). The use of health informatics in childhood vaccination has shown marked improvements in vaccination coverage, which is associated with reduced mortality rates and improved lifespan. Electronic immunization data facilitates the real-time or rapid identification of children requiring vaccines on a large scale compared to chart reviews (Stockwell and Fiks 1803). Additionally, most parents do not have complete records to reveal whether or not their children strictly receive vaccinations following the recommended guidelines, partly because of visiting more than one health care facility (Stockwell and Fiks 1803). The use of health informatics can eliminate the issue of having scanty records (Savel and Foldy 21). All the immunization data is put in one system that can be accessed in all care providing facilities. As a result, vaccination discrepancies are eliminated, and the immunization history of all children can be accessed by taking appropriate action.

PHI on Notifications and Health Information

Further, electronic records can be utilized in alerting both the parents, clinicians, and the general public to increase adherence to vaccinations, treatments, and healthy behaviors. Together with clinical alerts that are flexible and tailored, vaccination coverage in the United States has expanded to improve herd immunity against infections (Stockwell and Fiks 1804). Moreover, alerting clinicians, parents and the health system can help in identifying the level of adherence to vaccination in the society, which has facilitated public campaigns on the need to follow immunization schedules (Stockwell and Fiks 1804). The result is the improved immunity of the public against preventable infectious diseases resulting in improved lifespans and reduced mortality rates. Also, notifications and health information sharing through the use of emails, and smartphone calls and messages have reduced healthcare barriers, improved healthy lifestyles, and reduced emergency visits (Nyamawe and Seif 40). For instance, mobile technologies have been used in many countries to enhance effective communication between community members and the care providing institutions to promptly respond to emergency cases. PHI has further improved the sharing of health messages in communities, which is associated with better health outcomes such as the increase in life expectancies.

Conclusion

PHI is crucial in increasing life expectancies through the sharing of information to improve health outcomes. The increase of immunization coverage attributed to informatics improves herd immunity that, in turn, reduces the prevalence of preventable infections resulting in increased lifespan. Furthermore, health informatics has improved communication between care providers and the community. Such a thing has facilitated the sharing of health information and immediate responses to emergency care. All of the effects are associated with an increase in life expectancies.

Works Cited

Au, L., et al. “Utilizing an Electronic Health Record System to Improve Vaccination Coverage in Children.” Applied Clinical Informatics, vol. 1, no. 3, 2012, pp. 221-231.

Edmunds, Margo et al. “The Future of Public Health Informatics: Alternative Scenarios and Recommended Strategies.” eGEMs, vol. 2, no. 4, 2014, pp. 1-16.

Nyamawe, Ally S., and Hassan Seif. “The Role of ICT in Reducing Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Rate in Tanzania.” International Journal of Computer Applications, vol. 95, no. 13, 2014, pp. 39-42.

Savel, Thomas G., and Seth Foldy. “The Role of Public Health Informatics in Enhancing Public Health Surveillance.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summary, vol. 61, no. 2012, 2012, pp. 20-24.

Stockwell, Melissa S., and Alexander G. Fiks. “Utilizing Health Information Technology to Improve Vaccine Communication and Coverage.” Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, vol. 9, no. 8, 2013, pp. 1802-1811.

Yanamadala, Swati et al. “Electronic Health Records and Quality of Care: An Observational Study Modeling Impact on Mortality, Readmissions, and Complications.” Medicine, vol. 95, no. 19, 2016, pp. 1-6.

Introduction

As the human civilization has advanced over the centuries, better ways to ensure human health have been invented. Medical advances have led to the discovery of cures for most diseases and the life expectancy of man today is higher than it has ever been at any other point in human history. In addition to curative health care, policy makers and health care practitioners have advocated for preventive health care measures.

One of the ways through which preventive care has been achieved is by use of vaccines. The Immunize Australia Program asserts that over the decades, immunization has emerged as “one of the most effective medical interventions to prevent disease” (5). Governments have therefore embarked on intensive immunization programs for their citizens in an attempt to prevent diseases from inflicting healthy people.

However, this wide scale embrace of vaccinations as the ideal means of providing protection against several diseases has been questioned with vaccine opponents demonstrating that vaccinations may not be as integral to human health as most people have been led to believe. These issues have made vaccination a controversial topic eliciting different reactions from the society. This paper will argue that vaccinations are an activity that exposes human beings to unnecessary dangers without any justifiable reasons.

Arguments against Vaccinations

A major argument given against vaccinations is that they might compromise the health of a previously healthy individual. Vaccines are typically administered to healthy people as a measure of protection against diseases that might or might not afflict the individual in the future. It is therefore unacceptable when the vaccines end up posing health risks to the previously healthy person. Vaccine makers know this and they therefore endeavor to make vaccines that are safe for humans.

Lambert and Kobliner state that even the slightest amount of contamination in vaccine making facilities is grounds for closing down of operations (226). In spite of these stringent measures in place to ensure vaccine safety, administration of vaccinations exposes individuals to some risk. Even ardent advocates of immunization acknowledge that no vaccine is 100% safe and there is always some degree of risk associated with using any vaccination (Immunize Australia Program 9).

Vaccinations have made previously healthy people sick and even caused the deaths of others. Considering the fact that vaccinations are not necessary, the risks that vaccinations present to the individual, however small, unacceptable since vaccines are in most cases an unnecessary precaution. Prohibition of vaccination would ensure that nobody is exposed to these risks.

Vaccines contain harmful preservatives that may cause people to become sick or even die. Preservatives are a key ingredient of vaccines and they are used to “prevent bacterial or fungal contamination” (Offit and Jew 1394). Some of these preservatives used such as Thimerosal are considered harmful to humans.

The role of mercury has been the focus of most of the debate over vaccine safety. Many parents of vaccine injured children hold thimerosal (which is the mercury preservative in vaccines) responsible for damaging their children. Due to the widespread negative media attention that thimerosal has received over the past decades, most governments have restricted the use of mercury preservatives.

In the USA, an amendment to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act led to a removal of thimerosal from most childhood vaccines (Offit and Jew 1394). In spite of this radical change which led to a removal of the vast majority of mercury in childhood vaccines, Lambert and Kobliner reveal that a notable amount of mercury still exists in vaccines today (227).

In addition to the harmful preservatives, vaccines contain additives that may pose a risk to the health of the vaccination recipient. Offit and Jew reveal that most additives play a significant role in maintaining the integrity of vaccines by ensuring that they remain stable over time (1396). Intentional introduction of toxic substances into the bodies of healthy people through vaccines is irresponsible.

The current vaccination regimes, which are based on a one-size-fits-all immunization protocol, endanger the lives of some individuals who may react in an atypical manner to immunization. The generalized presumption that vaccines are safe is based on tests and monitoring conducted on an average segment of the population.

The Immunize Australia Program confirms that before being released to the general population, rigorous tests on thousands of subjects is carried out to ensure the safety of the vaccine (10). From the tests, conclusions are reached that the vaccine is safe for use on the average healthy individual. This assumption that all health individuals are immunocompetent or that every vaccine is appropriate for every seemingly healthy child is greatly flawed (Lambert and Kobliner 226).

The tests often fail to capture the marginal section of the population who react differently to the introduction of toxins in their bodies. For example, the measles and chickenpox vaccines involve the introduction of live viruses into the body of a healthy patient. While many patients receive such vaccines without serious adverse events, there are rare cases where patients are unable to kick out the viruses. Such patients end up having their immune system compromised due to vaccination.

Historically, vaccines have proven to be ineffective and this negates the need to have them administered to entire populations. The justification for engaging in vaccination efforts is to protect individuals from contracting the ailments for which they have been vaccinated against. In 1960, oral polio vaccinations were administered to the Israeli population. In spite of a wide range of vaccination coverage, big polio epidemics continued to occur in the West Bank and Gaza.

More recently, Omer et al. document an incident of measles outbreak in Washington State where out of the 19 people infected, one person had been vaccinated against measles (1985). Such incidents demonstrate that vaccines are not as effective in preventing diseases as their proponents suggest. Vaccination programs should therefore be stopped since vaccines are not always capable of offering the protection they promise.

Vaccinations compromise the immune system of young children therefore exposing them to adverse health conditions. The reality is that children are subjected to a battery of vaccinations by the time they are 3 years of age. Over the years, there has been a marked increase in the number of vaccines available on the market today.

In a period of 24 years, the number of diseases in the recommended immunization schedule of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has grown from six vaccines to 14 vaccines (Null and Feldman 1). An even more troubling reality is that these vaccines have to be administered before the child is 2 years old. Null and Feldman document that as of 2007, “the CDC recommended immunization schedule included more than two dozen doses of vaccines targeting 14 diseases for children under the age of 2” (1).

Parents have to comply with these recommendations since there are laws in place dictating that children must receive a certain set of vaccines by the time they reach school going age. The children must show proof of vaccination before they are allowed entry into the school system, which effectively makes vaccinations mandatory for parents since they will want to take their children to school.

Use of vaccine causes one to be dependent on drugs to sustain their immunity. Some classes of vaccines e.g. the killed whole vaccines require “multiple initial doses and booster doses to stimulate and maintain immunity” (Null and Feldman 1).

Once the vaccine has been administered on an individual, he/she needs to periodically take other doses of the vaccine to ensure its effectiveness. The human body is capable of offering immunity on its own. Walene argues that the human body can heal and defend itself from invading organisms with remarkable efficiency (37).

The immune system is able to clear pathogens from the body and ensure that normal neurological functions return without the need for vaccinations. Lambert and Kobliner state that infectious diseases can be managed by focusing on improving nutrition and immune functions in children and adults (307). The unnecessary reliance on drugs that arises from using Vaccines can be avoided by prohibiting the use of vaccines all together.

A Case for Vaccinations

Some medical professionals argue that vaccinations are safe and helpful in the boosting of the immune system of the individual. For this group of medical practitioners, vaccines are considered safe since they do not cause any short-term problems to the patient.

The Immunize Australia Program asserts that vaccines are well tolerated by most individuals and only mild effects such as reddening of the skin area where the injection has pierced the skin are discernable (6). Such statements are used as proof that vaccinations are safe and helpful to the individual.

Lambert and Kobliner assert that a lack of immediate adverse event following the administration of a vaccine does not mean that the child’s immune system is effectively managing the vaccination (225). This observation is supported by Null and Feldman who suggest that vaccine safety issues are sometimes ignored since the reactions are delayed which makes it hard to link the negative outcome to vaccination (2).

Arguably, the biggest proponents of vaccinations are pharmaceutical companies that deal in the development and production of vaccines. These actors declare that vaccines are safe to use and any potential side effect is extensively outweighed by the benefits that vaccinations accrues on human health. The statements made by pharmaceutical companies in support of vaccination cannot be taken as irrefutable proof of the safety and effectiveness of vaccination.

It is unlikely that vaccine manufacturers will own up to the potential damaging effects that their products may have on the population. Lambert and Kobliner rightfully observe that all pharmaceutical companies are keen to limit liability that they may face if the damaging effects of their vaccines are exposed (226). For this reason, the negative effects are likely to remain hidden from the public.

Vaccines have been given credit for the decline of infectious diseases over the decades. UNICEF declared that because of vaccination, the once deadly smallpox has been completely eradicated; an act that has saved up to 5 million lives that could otherwise have been lost to smallpox each year (1).

In addition to this, vaccinations have contributed to the tremendous decline in cases of polio and measles. This supposed effectiveness of vaccinations in decreasing diseases has been one of the greatest justification for the continued use of vaccines and even the mandatory imposition of some forms of vaccination by governments all over the world.

However, some infections are cyclical in nature and cases of infection drop without any intervention. Polio is one of the infections whose decline vaccines have taken huge credit for. A study in Australia showed that the polio vaccine in use at the time had no influence whatsoever on the polio epidemic and the decline in polio cases was because polio comes in cycles (Walene 37).

In spite of such revelations, vaccines continue to take credit and indefinite use of the vaccination is encouraged out of fear that the infection will return if the vaccinations are stopped. With these considerations, Walene suggests that vaccines are superfluous since most diseases die off naturally without the need for prolonged medical intervention (37).

Proponents of vaccination advance that vaccines strengthen immunity against specific diseases therefore increasing the health outcomes of the individual. Vaccines act by inducing protection against known diseases and promote the development of anti-bodies to help the body fight disease.

The body of the vaccinated person is therefore better equipped to fight against the vaccine-preventable ailments. Omer et al declare that vaccination has proven to be very effective in bolstering the immune system with high vaccination coverage often being followed by drastic declines in the occurrence of the disease for which the population has been vaccinated against (1981). In spite of these positive outcomes of vaccines, there have been recorded cases of vaccines suppressing the immune system.

Research on immune dysregulation following the administration of vaccines is currently incomplete. The lack of adequate research on the issue means that there is a large number of under recognized immune dysregulations especially for children. This might lead to severe consequences such as adverse reactions to vaccines demonstrating the disastrous consequences of vaccinations (Lambert and Kobliner 226).

While vaccinations might cause some side effects, these effects are negligible compared to the serious consequences that the diseases being vaccinated against might cause.

Opponents of vaccination believe that the body is able to provide protection against diseases on its own and for this reason, vaccinations are unnecessary. This belief is reinforced when the vaccination in question causes some side effects. Immunize Australia Program asserts that some vaccine-preventable diseases such as meningitis and tetanus can maim and kill the victim (1).

Vaccinating against these diseases will protect the individual from any dire consequences and avoid the complications that come along with letting the disease to develop. This argument by proponents of vaccines assumes that vaccinations are always as effective as their manufacturers claim. This is not the case for the effectiveness of vaccinations is not guaranteed and the side effects of vaccines are not always well reported on.

The supposed lack of a significant number of negative reports on the dangers of immunization can be explained by the influence that major advocates of vaccination hold in society. Null and Feldman agree that there has been a deep-seated practice of underreporting the negative impacts of vaccinations due to a collusion between the vaccine manufacturers and the federal government in an effort to limit liability and to protect the immunization programs (1).

If the public was aware of the potential damaging effects of vaccines, few would be willing to take part in the immunization programs and expose themselves to unnecessary risks. This point is corroborated by Omer et al who note that public concern about the perceived adverse events arising from vaccinations increase the incidents of vaccine refusal (1981).

Vaccinations are effective tools for the prevention and control of certain disease outbreaks that threaten the health of individuals. The preventative role of vaccines has been acknowledged by medical practitioners who hail these drugs as “the most effective tools available for preventing infectious diseases and their complications and sequelae” (Omer et al 1981).

This preventative role of vaccines has been proven historically with vaccination being used since the turn of the 19th century to contain smallpox outbreaks with positive health and economic consequences.

Vaccination of children increases their immunity and reduces their risk of acquiring the vaccine-preventable diseases. Most of the mandatory immunization is directed towards children. Opponents of vaccination assert that intensive vaccination of children exposes them to unnecessary risks. This assumption is refuted by studies, which reveal that young children are at greater risk of contracting illnesses if they do not receive vaccination in time.

One study found that children who were exempt from vaccinations were “35 times as likely to contract measles as nonexempt children” (Omer 1983). In spite of these positive attributes of vaccines, they still expose people to unnecessary risk. Use of vaccine is also unnecessary since the body is equipped to defend itself from infections without the need for vaccination.

Vaccinations help to reduce the financial burden that medical care imposes on the society. Health care professionals agree that preventative health care services are preferable to curative health care services. For this reason, people are encouraged to engage in activities that prevent diseases from occurring in the first place as opposed to seeking health care services to cure the diseases.

While vaccines have the potential of reducing the economic burden on the society, they often end up increasing this load due to the prohibitive cost of developing vaccines and the numerous number of vaccinations that individuals have to go through.

Lambert and Kobliner quip that the full childhood immunization program includes vaccinations against disease transmitted sexually or through the use of dirty hypodermic needles (306). Less expensive and less risky public health initiatives can be used to control such infections instead of relying on vaccination.

Discussion

Vaccinations have become one of the most controversial medical topics addressed by medical practitioners, policy makers, and the public at large.

The debate on the topic has been hampered by a lack of extensive information on the subject. There is limited public awareness on the dangers of vaccination and most people have been socialized to believe that vaccination is a safe and effective means of preventing dangerous diseases. The big pharmaceutical companies engage in propaganda and misinformation in order to bias the public’s perception of vaccination.

Health care providers play a major role in influencing the decision of individuals concerning vaccinations and they act as the most authoritative source of information when parents are deciding on what to vaccinate their children against. Proponents of vaccination are keen to emphasize the natural means such as healthy lifestyle and maternal antibodies provided to the child through breastfeeding are insufficient in protecting against infections.

The Immunize Australia Program which is a strong advocate for vaccination states that “mothers pass on only minimal protection against infections leaving the infant vulnerable to infection if exposed to certain viruses” (15). With such kind of information being disseminated to the public, people come to believe that without vaccination, their bodies do not have sufficient immunity and they are at greater risk of disability or even death. The fear of such dangers has caused many people to embrace vaccination without questioning.

This paper has demonstrated that most of the proponents of vaccinations are people who have a vested interest in promoting vaccines such as pharmaceutical companies that profit from the manufacture of the drug.

The very fact that the greatest advocates for mandatory vaccinations are big pharmaceutical companies, which make billions of dollars from the sale of vaccinations, should cause people to question the necessity of these vaccines. Vaccines are drugs developed to prevent certain infections or diseases from afflicting human beings.

The research and development of these vaccines are carried out by huge pharmaceutical companies that stand to gain enormous profits if their drugs are approved for use by the general population and even deemed mandatory for all individuals. While vaccine makers are keen to reassure consumers that the quantities of toxic material such as mercury contained in vaccines are likely to be harmless, this is still an unnecessary risk that people do not need to expose themselves to.

Conclusion

This paper set out to argue that vaccinations are dangerous and unnecessary procedures that people should not be subjected to. To buttress this assertion, the paper has engaged in a discussion on the various dangers that vaccinations pose to previously healthy individuals. It began by stating that vaccinations sometimes compromise the health of previously healthy individuals without any solid benefit to justify this risk.

Vaccines also contain harmful preservatives and additives, which are harmful to the body. The paper has highlighted that the effectiveness of vaccines is not always guaranteed and the immunization programs should therefore be stopped since they do not offer the protection they promise.

A review of the alleged benefits of vaccinations has also been engaged in to provide a balanced discussion on the topic. The paper has noted that some medical professionals argue that vaccinations are safe and provide protection to the individual from many infections. The pharmaceutical companies responsible for the production and sales of vaccines also hold such claims.

These arguments in favor of vaccinations are biased and they often ignore research evidence pointing to the dangers and the irrelevance of vaccines. The paper has highlighted the financial motivation of vaccinations and conclusively demonstrated that the major advocates of vaccinations, the big pharmaceutical companies, regard vaccination as an investment and they are therefore motivated to focus on the alleged usefulness of immunization regardless of any proof to the contrary.

Big corporations have the financial resources necessary to engage in widespread national publicity in support of vaccinations. Such campaigns make the public view vaccination favorably. Vaccinations have increased the dangers to human health and escalated the cost of health care significantly. Conceivably, a world without vaccinations would be much healthier and with health care at a fraction of its present cost.

Works Cited

Immunize Australia Program. Myths and Realities: Responding to Arguments against Immunization. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, 2008. Print.

Lambert, Beth and Kobliner Victoria. A Compromised Generation: The Epidemic of Chronic Illness in America’s Children. Boston: Sentient Publications, 2010. Print.

Null, Gary and Feldman Martin. Vaccination: An Updated Analysis of the Health Risks. Oct. 2007. Web.

Offit, Paul and Jew Rita. “Addressing Parents’ Concerns: Do Vaccines Contain Harmful Preservatives, Adjuvants, Additives, or Residuals?” Pediatrics 112.6 (2003): 1394-1401. Web.

Omer, Saad, Salmon Daniel, Orenstein Walter, Patricia Hart, and Halsey, Neal. Vaccine Refusal, “Mandatory Immunization, and the Risks of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases.” The New England Journal of Medicine, 360.19 (2009): 1981-1988. Web.

UNICEF. Vaccines bring 7 diseases under control. Jan. 1996. Web. Jan. 20. 2013.

Walene, James. Immunization: The Reality Behind the Myth. NY: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. Print.