Anti-Vaccination, Research Paper Example

Introduction

There is nothing more heartbreaking than a child’s life cut short by contracting one of the deadly MMR diseases. The MMR is a vaccine that prevents children from getting Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR). It is a painful experience that no parent should every experience because the negative choices of other parents. There many humanitarian organizations that believe that the laws need to be changed not allowing parents to opt-out of their children’s vaccination. Those opposers believe the exemption law needs to be eliminated not allowing parents to hide behind religion or philosophical beliefs (Mercola, 2015).

The children in the United States need this vaccine to protect them from deadly diseases that have contagious bacteria that will threaten their young bodies. The MMR is important because it prevents other diseases and viruses from attacking the children’s immune systems. The young children’s immune system is not fully developed which leaves them vulnerable to deadly diseases. The argument is not to attack the parents constitutional rights because they have the legal right to not to give their children vaccinations. No one can questioning their reasoning or decisions. However, the government has the responsibility to ensure there is not a widespread of measles epidemic and other children should have to suffer because of parent’s decision not to vaccinate.  The spread of diseases have been on the rise over the last 20 years because more parents are allowing their children to attend school without vaccination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1996 to 2013 there has been an alarming rise in measles cases in the United States. There has been 500 cases reported nationwide (Wolfson, 2013).  There is no doubt the major toll of non-vaccinations decisions by parents which leaves the country open to widespread epidemics. The goal of this paper is to discuss the devastating toll the lack of children’s vaccination in schools have on society.

School System

The school system has a responsibility to the parents and children that have taken the vaccination. However, the parents have the choices not to vaccinate which the school is required to accept that decision under the legislative exemptions. The schools are making changes only at each state level towards making it mandatory that parents vaccinate their children or find other non-traditional ways of educating their children. In Michigan, Traverse County they have attempted to develop a collaborative program that provides alternatives education for parents that do not want their children vaccinated. The county statistics in Traverse County, Michigan found that the private and public schools number of Traverse County children contracted disease had risen by 23% (Urist,2015). This is evidence that the lack of vaccinations impacts the school systems because the children are at risk because of the non-vaccinated children.

The problem with the school system that do not have the legal power to prevent parents from enrolling their children without vaccination. However, these parents nationwide are putting the children, school and society at risk. The opposers indicate there is no information that supports the theory that vaccinations prevents deaths. The parents indicate they believe the vaccinations make their children sick and the body can naturally deal with disease. The school system has many reported cases of the widespread of diseases when too many children enroll without vaccination. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics that vaccination is 99% affective preventing disease in children and 2.5 million children each year from contagious diseases (ProCon.org,2009).  The school system in California had to take measures to save the study body because an epidemic of measles across the United States, such 644 cases reported to CDC from 27 states. In addition, 195 children had been exposed to measles with catastrophic potential of widespread in the United States. The California school system had 66 children that that did not received the MMR vaccination. As result, the California school system dismissed over 70 students until the return to the school with MMR titer test results(ProCon.org,2009).

Vaccines Saves Lives

The argument that vaccination are unnecessary by parents cannot be used as an excused to not vaccinate their children. The parents fall back on the philosophical reason for not vaccinating their children so no one can challenge their constitutional rights. There is enough evidence to support the positive effects of the vaccinating children:

• In 1994 to 2014, the CDD has report an estimated 732,000 children have been saved from death of diseases and another 322 million cases were prevented (Atagi, 2015).
• Immunizations will save a child’s life because they will protect them from other contagious diseases.
• Vaccination has been proven to be safe. Vaccines has a long history of testing and results for society by doctors and healthcare industry.
• Immunizations can save families from financial ruin. Children that have not been vaccinated are susceptible to debilitating diseases and long-term disability care.

Legal

The legal argument between parents and non-vaccination parents is children that are not vaccinated should be not be allowed to attend with vaccinated children. However, the state laws requires all daycares, schools, public and private schools to have vaccination requirements. All states have legal reasons parents cannot vaccinate their children based on philosophical or religious reasons which they can obtain an exemption (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). The parents are putting thousands of children at stake because their children are not vaccinated thus when they contract measles they spread the disease throughout the school or entire county.

References

Atagi,C.(2015,Jan).Calif. school releases students unvaccinated for measles. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/28/california-measles-unvaccinated-students-sent-home/22479001/

Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.(2015). State vaccinations requirements. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/laws/state-reqs.html

Mercola,J.(2015).Should parents be allowed to decide about vaccines. Retrieved from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/04/29/children-vaccines.aspx

ProCon.org.(2009).Should any vaccines be required for children. Retrieved from http://vaccines.procon.org/

Urist,J.(2015,Feb).How schools are dealing with anti-vaccine parents. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/02/schools-may-solve-the-anti-vaccine-parenting-deadlock/385208/

Wolfson, E.(2013).The true cost of not vaccinating your children: Reviving a dead disease. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elijah-wolfson-/vaccines-debate_b_3916421.html