Vaccines help to eradicate deadly diseases. Today children are vaccinated from many diseases starting at birth but some parents decide not to vaccinate their children, diseases are coming back into our society that have not been reported since the 1950’s. Anti-vaccinators have argued that it is a parent’s right whether they vaccinate or not. Many nearly eradicated diseases are making a comeback with anti-vaccine activists pushing uninformed parents to question doctors and no longer vaccinate their children.
The first vaccine was created by Edward Jenner who made a smallpox vaccine and many others have been developed after Jenner’s. (Fee and Roth 1217). Today children are recommended to be given vaccines to protect against Hepatitis B, Haemophilus Influenzae type B, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, Seasonal Influenza, Chickenpox, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Hepatitis A. Vaccines contain weakened germs and when the vaccines are introduced to the body the immune system starts making antibodies to fight off the disease so the next time your body comes into contact with that particular germ you will automatically starts fighting it (Thompson 1988). Vaccine campaigns have been controversial but they are also credited with reducing the incidence of diseases and are one of the most effective interventions developed (Fee and Roth 1217). Although vaccines have helped tremendously with deadly diseases, anti-vaccine movements have convinced some parents to not vaccinate their children. …show more content…
After a publication by Andrew Wakefield stating that autism was linked to vaccines was released parents stopped vaccinating their children even after the publication was proven to be false (Bass 23). “Anti-vaccine movements are motivated variously by political, cultural, and/or personal factors.” (Powell e57). With the anti-vaccine movement in full swing we are seeing “dead” diseases making a comeback, a few of theses diseases are Pertussis, Measles and Mumps. “More cases of pertussis were reported in 2010 (27,550) and 2012 (48,277) than since the 1950s.”(Bass 23). Nearly half of children who were diagnosed with pertussis in a pediatrics study had not received the 4 recommended doses of the pertussis vaccine, this increased their odds of contracting pertussis by 18 and 28 times. Measles have also made a comeback, in December of 2014 there was an outbreak at Disneyland after unvaccinated individuals travelled to the Philippines and then brought the disease back the the States, spreading to more than 100 people in 14 different states (Bass. 23). “In the first half of 2006, over 2,500 cases of mumps in 11 states were reported to the CDC. This is the largest number of mumps cases reported to the CDC in a single year since 1991.” (Snow 18). Pertussis, measles and mumps are serious diseases that are harming our children. Infants who contract pertussis suffer from apnoea, cough (no whoop), cyanotic episodes, vomiting, poor feeding, fever, seizures, and sudden infant death syndrome. Individuals that are partially immunized might have a reduced catarrhal phase and whoop may not occur And adults will experience prolonged cough, paroxysmal cough, whoop, phlegm, post-tussive vomiting and intracranial hemorrhage (Heath and Kent 8-10). Measles occurs primarily in young children who have not been immunized and is a highly contagious viral disease that is characterized by a spreading maculopapular cutaneous rash. Finally, symptoms of mumps include anorexia, headache, malaise and a low-grade fever. Following these signs are earaches, parotid gland swelling and a high fever. Complications such as epididymoorchitis and
The first vaccine was created by Edward Jenner who made a smallpox vaccine and many others have been developed after Jenner’s. (Fee and Roth 1217). Today children are recommended to be given vaccines to protect against Hepatitis B, Haemophilus Influenzae type B, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, Seasonal Influenza, Chickenpox, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Hepatitis A. Vaccines contain weakened germs and when the vaccines are introduced to the body the immune system starts making antibodies to fight off the disease so the next time your body comes into contact with that particular germ you will automatically starts fighting it (Thompson 1988). Vaccine campaigns have been controversial but they are also credited with reducing the incidence of diseases and are one of the most effective interventions developed (Fee and Roth 1217). Although vaccines have helped tremendously with deadly diseases, anti-vaccine movements have convinced some parents to not vaccinate their children. …show more content…
After a publication by Andrew Wakefield stating that autism was linked to vaccines was released parents stopped vaccinating their children even after the publication was proven to be false (Bass 23). “Anti-vaccine movements are motivated variously by political, cultural, and/or personal factors.” (Powell e57). With the anti-vaccine movement in full swing we are seeing “dead” diseases making a comeback, a few of theses diseases are Pertussis, Measles and Mumps. “More cases of pertussis were reported in 2010 (27,550) and 2012 (48,277) than since the 1950s.”(Bass 23). Nearly half of children who were diagnosed with pertussis in a pediatrics study had not received the 4 recommended doses of the pertussis vaccine, this increased their odds of contracting pertussis by 18 and 28 times. Measles have also made a comeback, in December of 2014 there was an outbreak at Disneyland after unvaccinated individuals travelled to the Philippines and then brought the disease back the the States, spreading to more than 100 people in 14 different states (Bass. 23). “In the first half of 2006, over 2,500 cases of mumps in 11 states were reported to the CDC. This is the largest number of mumps cases reported to the CDC in a single year since 1991.” (Snow 18). Pertussis, measles and mumps are serious diseases that are harming our children. Infants who contract pertussis suffer from apnoea, cough (no whoop), cyanotic episodes, vomiting, poor feeding, fever, seizures, and sudden infant death syndrome. Individuals that are partially immunized might have a reduced catarrhal phase and whoop may not occur And adults will experience prolonged cough, paroxysmal cough, whoop, phlegm, post-tussive vomiting and intracranial hemorrhage (Heath and Kent 8-10). Measles occurs primarily in young children who have not been immunized and is a highly contagious viral disease that is characterized by a spreading maculopapular cutaneous rash. Finally, symptoms of mumps include anorexia, headache, malaise and a low-grade fever. Following these signs are earaches, parotid gland swelling and a high fever. Complications such as epididymoorchitis and