Vaccinations Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory

Vaccinations Should vaccinations be mandatory Vaccination is an important decision that a parent has to make for their child. It is also a decision that has become controversial and the debate about whether to vaccinate or not has become heated in recent years. The official recommendation for child vaccination is as follows: children should be vaccinated against Hepatitis B; DPT: Diphtheria; Tetanus; Pertussis; H. Influenza type b, as well as Polio, measles, mumps, Rubella or German measles. (SHOULD VACCINATION BE REQUIRED? (CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS: THE BIOMEDICINE PERSPECTIVE).

All American states require and recommend that children be vaccinated before enrolling at school While vaccinations have been accepted as a means of combating dangerous diseases, in recent years concerns have emerged from various quarters about the safety of certain vaccinations, and the suitability of the vaccine process in general. Although these vaccinations are formally endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S.

Public Health Service there are concerns; for example, "…many parents and health providers consider the DPT vaccine to be risky." (SHOULD VACCINATION BE REQUIRED...) This sense of doubt about vaccinations is also felt in other sectors of the medical and healthcare arena. For example, "Manufacturers are less willing to produce vaccines for fear of lawsuits by parents of injured children.

There is an active anti-vaccine movement in this country…" (SHOULD VACCINATION BE REQUIRED...) On the one hand, medical authorities, such as The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical association are of the opinion that public health priorities with regard to vaccinations should supersede personal preferences. However, this view is sharply and critically opposed by organizations such as Dissatisfied Parents Together or DPT.

This group insists that an estimated "….943 deaths, 11,666 cases of long-term neurological damage, and 10,377 episodes of post shot screaming episodes have been recorded" are as a result of certain vaccinations. (SHOULD VACCINATION BE REQUIRED...) This suggests a number of different views on the subject. Some are of the opinion that the individual should have the right to decide on the issue of vaccination based on the facts as he or she sees them. Others view compulsory vaccination an important policy that will ensure the best health for all.

In essence this boils down to a debate about the rights of the individual as opposed to needs of needs.

The question should rather be stated as; "How do we balance the rights of the individual against the perceived needs of society? (SHOULD VACCINATION BE REQUIRED...) The point that will be made in this paper is that mandatory vaccination should be endorsed as it not only provides the best means of protecting most people but also that it relates to the proven benefits of herd immunity The argument against mandatory vaccination consists of two important points. The first is that vaccinations might not be as safe as many previously assumed.

For example, one report on this issue states that many children have experienced negative effects from the mandatory Hepatitis B vaccination. For instance, a father whose who five-week-old daughter received this vaccination states that, "That night she became agitated and feisty, then she fell asleep and never woke up." (Johns ) This is obviously a serious concern that must be taken into account. Another argument that is commonly heard is that mandatory vaccination is an infringement of personal rights and liberty.

While these are cogent points, I would argue against them on the basis of the following facts. One has in the first instance to bear in mind that the main reason for vaccinations is to prevent the spread of dangerous diseases. While there are risks one has to "…weigh the potential risks of the vaccination against the potential risks of the diseases those vaccinations are designed to prevent." (Johns ) Vaccination has been proven to be an effective barrier to certain very virulent diseases for as long as fifteen years.

(Mansfield, 25) The second and most important point follows from the above and refers to the importance of herd immunity. Herd immunity is defined as follows: "If enough people in a community are immunized against certain diseases, then it is more difficult for that disease to get passed between those who aren't immunised." (What is herd immunity?) In other words, the more people who are immunized or vaccinated against a disease the less chance the disease has of infecting others.

Put in another way, this theory suggests that if large numbers of the population are immunized then it is much more difficult for a disease to affect those people who are susceptible. The herd immunity threshold is a term used to describe the level at which a disease ceases to persist in relation to the number of people in the community are immunized. Therefore, if the immune threshold is achieved this will protect those individuals who are not immune as the disease will no longer proliferate.

In short, this means that if vaccinations are made mandatory, then this would be the best protection for the population as a whole. In conclusion, arguments for and against mandatory vaccinations have been discussed. It is clear that this is a very.