Vaccination becomes a disputable issue these days. Society is divided into two camps: those who support this practice and those who are sure that it can pose a threat to the health of their children.
To understand the problem better, you should realize the arguments offered by both sides and accept that the health of the nation critically depends on the populations’ perspective on this idea.
In his paper, a journalist Matthew Herper (2013) outlines that one of the main arguments offered by the opponents of vaccination is that the implantation of bacteria or viruses in the body of a child can cause severe damage to the health and trigger the development of multiple diseases. Additionally, there is a popular idea that pharmacological corporations support and promote vaccination to sell their products and enjoy high revenues.
To answer these claims, it is essential to look back in the past. Before the appearance of the first vaccines, humanity was extremely vulnerable to infectious viruses that preconditioned pandemics affecting all regions of the planet. The World Health Organization states (n.d.) that the past morbidity was much higher if to compare with the modern one. For instance, the creation of inoculations against diphtheria, polio, and smallpox helped to achieve the 100% reduction in the number of cases and lethal outcomes (WHO, n.d.). Today, there are no patients with these diseases, and it can be considered one of the most obvious advantages of vaccination.
Moreover, answering the accusations related to the dangerous character of modern vaccines, Dr. Fernando Stein, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that all current medicines are safe and are more powerful if to compare with past ones (Rettner, 2017). It means that all children remain protected and can enjoy a better quality of life because of the development of antigens to the severe diseases that killed millions of people in the past epochs. Today, due to the constant evolution of the technique and inoculations, the healthcare sector is more effective in struggling against virulent illnesses.
Now, imagine the world without vaccines. Children, who are our primary value, will become the first to experience all problems as their immune systems will suffer from the attacks of viruses and bacteria. The child mortality rate will increase significantly, and the quality of their lives will decrease. An outbreak of a particular disease will be a huge threat to the whole planet because of the high risk of pandemics and the fast spread of infectious diseases. In past years, humanity has already witnessed some disasters of this sort that resulted in millions of deaths. Today, due to the effective vaccination, we have a potent tool to struggle against it.
As Brian Greenwood (2014, p. 20130433), a researcher in the given field, says, “Vaccination has made an enormous contribution to global health. Two major infections, smallpox and rinderpest, have been eradicated”. It means that the given practice serves as the main barrier between us and diseases that can destroy humanity. There is still much to be done. “Development of vaccines against more complex infections, such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, has been challenging and achievements so far have been modest”; however, it is critical to move further and do not stop on this way (Greenwood, 2014, p. 20130433).
Opponents of vaccination should realize the fact that trying to protect their children in this way, they, on the contrary, open the door to new problems, slow down the speed of our evolution, and undermine the health of the nation.
References
Greenwood, B. (2014). The contribution of vaccination to global health: past, present and future. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 369(1645), 20130433.
Herper, M. (2013). How vaccines have changed our world in one graphic. Forbes. Web.
Rettner, R. (2017). Just how safe are vaccines? Here are the numbers. Web.
World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.). Six common misconceptions about immunization. Web.