Vaccines were first introduced in 1796 to protect people from the disease smallpox and have been beneficial ever since (Vaccine History). There are many conspiracy theories about vaccines: how they can cause autism, how it is dangerous for humans, or how it makes us more sick. Those are conspiracy theories, not facts. The fact is that vaccines are a better solution than not getting vaccinated when it comes to stopping the spread of a disease and being hospitalized. This topic is crucial right now as scientists are looking for a vaccine to stop the spread of Covid-19. There have been many diseases throughout the years and vaccines have reduced the spread of them. In the United States, Americans must be required to get needed vaccinations because it protects the public safety of others and is a better financial solution for the economy; Americans must also get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to citizens.
In children, vaccines are very important and helpful. If it wasn’t for vaccines there would be a lot of children dead or growing up with health issues. Children and infants need to get vaccinated at a young age. For example, in Nicole Messina’s article, The Impact of Vaccines on Heterologous Adaptive Immunity, she states, “The three vaccines that have been associated with changes in all-cause infant mortality: bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG), diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP) and measles-containing vaccines (MCV) alter T-cell and B-cell immunity” (Messina). What Messina is saying in this article is that vaccines have helped infants form immunity to diseases when vaccinated. BCG vaccine is given to infants within the first few months of birth and forms immune responses. Now, most schools today require vaccination for the child to attend the school so there will not be a disease spreading in the school. If it is required for students in school, might as well make it required for all Americans.
It is also important for children to stay caught up on their vaccinations throughout their childhood. For example, in Lisa Biggs’s article she states, “If a group of babies and young children fall behind on their vaccines, these diseases will have an opportunity to reemerge, causing outbreaks – and potential deaths – in our communities once again” (Biggs). Diseases like hepatitis B, measles, and chicken pox can be prevented with vaccines. Chickenpox can come back in adult years and can be quite dangerous.
Adults getting vaccinated is also very crucial for the public safety of others. For adults, different diseases can be spread throughout the community. Vaccines for adults will stop the spreading of diseases and save lives. Also, as a child, some vaccines don’t protect a person for the rest of their lives. That is why an adult needs to stay caught up on all vaccines required for an individual. Vaccines like Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), and influenza must be taken at an older age. The reason for taking these vaccines is to save the lives of others and loved ones. Harvard Health Publishing stated, “Because of a rise in pertussis-related infant deaths since 2000, the ACIP is recommending expanded use of the Tdap vaccine to include people ages 65 and over, especially those who are in contact with children less than a year old. They must take this vaccine no matter how much or little time has passed since they last received tetanus and diphtheria (Td)–containing shot” (Keeping up with your vaccinations). Now for influenza, it is important to take this vaccine annually to stop the spread of the disease. The reason why it is so important is that, in older people, influenza can be deadly.
The CDC states three valid reasons why vaccines are important. Those reasons are; that some people may be at risk for serious disease, it can protect themselves and their loved ones from getting the disease, and some people can’t afford to get sick (Reasons for Adults to Be Vaccinated). One of the reasons is, that some people may be at risk for a serious disease. For example, “Every year thousands of adults in the U.S. become seriously ill and are hospitalized because of diseases that vaccines can help prevent. Many adults even die from these diseases. By getting vaccinated, you can help protect yourself from much of this unnecessary suffering” (Reasons for Adults to Be Vaccinated). A simple vaccine can save the lives of others and the individual taking the vaccine. The people who are at serious risk must get a vaccine. Another reason would be that it can protect loved ones and the individual taking the vaccine. The CDC stated that “Infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems (like those undergoing cancer treatment) are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases” (Reasons for Adults to Be Vaccinated). Protecting loved ones is one of the main reasons people want to get vaccines and also to protect themselves from hospitalization. The last reason the CDC said was, some people can’t afford to get sick. Some people don’t have the time to get sick or can’t afford to be out of work. This can be easily prevented by getting vaccinated.
Ultimately, it has been proven that vaccination saves lives. A newspaper article by Steve Lohr stated that, since 1924, vaccine services for children in the United States have avoided more than a hundred million cases of severe infectious diseases (Lohr). Due to vaccines, there have been many lives that have been saved. Getting vaccinated prevents individuals from getting sick and possibly dying. In a book written by Martin James Frigaard, he proclaims, that scientists have reported that two and a half million lives are saved every year by worldwide vaccines and immunization services. In particular, these efforts have significantly reduced deaths among children under the age of five between 2000 and 2010, despite a rise in the number of children born. (Frigaard). Frigaard also mentions how deaths have been reduced in children under the age of five. This is crucial because the children in this country are the future. When it comes to vaccines saving lives, the only evidence there is is the number of lives that are being saved yearly. An article written by Orenstein, W., & Ahmed, R., emphasizes that “A recent analysis of vaccines to protect against 13 diseases estimated that for a single birth cohort nearly 20 million cases of diseases were prevented, including over 40,000 deaths” (Orenstein, W., & Ahmed, R.). Orenstein shows a study that there were twenty million cases prevented. Vaccination is an amazing solution when it comes down to saving lives from deadly and spreadable diseases. This is a valid reason to require Americans to get the needed vaccines to stop diseases from spreading all around the world.
Getting vaccinated also prevents hospitalizations and illnesses. In a news article written by Liz Szabo stated, according to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccines provided to babies and young children over the last two decades would prevent 322 million infections, 21 million hospitalizations, and 732,000 deaths throughout their lifetimes (Szabo). Basically what this article is saying is that young children and infants who are vaccinated will prevent many hospitalizations and deaths throughout their entire lives. This is crucial because young children and infants are the future of this society, and keeping them safe must be the most important. When someone gets sick, without being vaccinated, there is a higher chance that that individual will be hospitalized. If an individual is at a higher risk, there is a higher chance of death.
Vaccinations are safe to use. There are many questions regarding the safety of vaccines. Vaccines go through many serious stages before it is released to the public. The process of testing the vaccine takes several years so it is perfected as much as possible. Every single batch of vaccines is tested for safety and quality. There are three steps the FDA goes through to make sure it is tested thoroughly and safely. The three steps are; potent, pure, and sterling. Potent means that the vaccine works the way it’s supposed to, pure means that certain products that have been used during the production have been removed, and sterling means the vaccine does not contain any outside germs. Now, the FDA has a clinical trial of twenty to one hundred volunteers but grows to a bigger number of volunteers over time. After the vaccine is released to the public, they monitor the vaccine safety (Vaccine Safety). With this being stated Americans must reconsider taking a needed vaccine not only for them but for the people around them. It has been proven that they are safe and effective, so there is no excuse not to be vaccinated. The Public Health also stated, “In fact, according to the FDA and the CDC, formaldehyde is produced at higher rates by our metabolic systems and there is no scientific evidence that the low levels of this chemical, mercury or aluminum in vaccines can be harmful” (Vaccine Myths Debunked). What this website is saying is that there is no evidence that what’s in a vaccine is harmful. Some vaccines have side effects but not harmful toxins in them that can kill someone. There are a lot of people out there who don’t trust the government, but some of the sources in this paper are from scientists and doctors. In the end, vaccines are safe and Americans must be required to take the needed vaccines to stop a virus from spreading.
Vaccination saves the American society money. Think about it, getting vaccinated is a cheaper option than getting hospitalized. Some vaccines are free and some cost a little bit of money, but it is cheaper than having to go to the hospital. Especially for individuals who don’t have health care. Healthcare is a big problem in the United States compared to other countries. In a scholarly journal written anonymously, they explained that “Hospitalization cost differences also varied over the three years, being the most significant during the 1991-92 epidemic season. But overall immunization saved an average of 117 dollars per person vaccinated per year. It costs the HMO $4 per person immunized” (Flu Shots for Elders Save Lives and Money). This journal explained that overall vaccinations ended up saving them money in the long run. For the United States economy, this journal is very important and has much information about the costs of vaccinations. Another scholarly journal stated, “On the other hand, when the highest incidence and mortality rates were applied, the vaccine saved money throughout the entire price range. In the middle range of mortality and incidence, the price of the vaccination appears to influence whether the series resulted in a net cost or savings” (Hueston, et al.). This journal made predictions to see how much vaccination would cost and save. When they made the highest incidence and mortality rates the vaccination ended up saving money. Vaccinations are expensive but when it comes to the future, vaccines save more money than spent. Not only that but just think of the lives that are going to be saved due to vaccines. The CDC claims, “According to an analysis by the CDC, hospitalizations avoided and lives saved through vaccination will save nearly $295 billion in direct costs and $1.38 trillion in total societal costs” (Report Shows). This is an analysis within the next twenty years and ultimately sounds like a good plan. When it comes to saving money on hospitalization and societal costs, the people of the United States need to know these numbers. Americans need to know these numbers so they can get vaccinated and feel good about doing it.
Many myths and conspiracy theories about vaccinations are important for Americans to know. The reason Americans need to know about these myths is so they can see what’s true and false. Americans need to become more educated about health and science and need to move away from believing false information because the health of everyone in the country depends on Americans getting the COVID-19 vaccine when it is available. Knowing this information is important for the safety of Americans. The first myth is that vaccines cause autism. There have been many conspiracy theories that when some kids get vaccinated they start to develop autism throughout the years. A scholarly journal written by Sanford R. Kimmel clarifies, “Currently, no substantial evidence links measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to autism, or hepatitis B vaccine to multiple sclerosis” (Kimmel). Kimmel makes it very clear that no evidence ties autism to vaccines. This myth is probably the most known one, and knowing that it is false is good for the economy so that they can get the needed vaccines to save this country.
Another myth is that some parents think they don’t have to vaccinate their children at a young age. A problem with this would be HPV (Human papillomavirus infection). An article written by a news reporter, led by a research team Mahbubur Rahmansaid said that not getting an HPV vaccination can cause different types of cancer. Mahbubur Rahman is an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and he analyzed data from the annual National Immunization Survey of Teens conducted by the CDC. In this news article Mahbubur Rahman points out that, “Rates of HPV infection increase significantly every year for young people between 14 and 24, so vaccination at a young age is very important,’ said Rahman. ‘It’s important that parents and health care providers are aware of the importance of early HPV vaccination to ensure that girls receive this vaccination at the CDC’s recommended age” (Vaccines; Only about Half of Teenage Girls Receive HPV Vaccine at the CDC’s Recommended Age). Rahmansaid describes that not getting vaccinated as soon as possible is dangerous and could lead to different types of cancers.
Another myth is that babies’ immune systems can’t handle all the vaccines. An article written by Public Health, stated, “Based on the number of antibodies present in the blood, a baby would theoretically have the ability to respond to around 10,000 vaccines at one time. Even if all 14 scheduled vaccines were given at once, it would only use up slightly more than 0.1% of a baby’s immune capacity” (Vaccine Myths Debunked). A baby’s immune system is stronger than a lot of people think. Just knowing all these myths is beneficial because it can prevent someone from not wanting to take vaccines.
The reason why keeping up on COVID-19 news and news about vaccines is important is so that people can get vaccinated when it’s available. Americans being educated on COVID-19 news is beneficial because the health of Americans is crucial right now. Getting vaccinated as soon as possible can stop the spread of the virus early on. Now the covd-19 vaccine has not been released to the public. In a scholarly journal written by Dalia Almaghaslah and many others, she states “There have been no approved vaccines available for COVID‐19 until today. The Ministry of Science and Technology in the People’s Republic of China declared three potential antiviral medicines suitable for treating COVID‐19. Those three medicines are, namely, favilavir, chloroquine phosphate, and remdesivir. Hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin enhances the reduction of the viral load in COVID‐19 patients” (Almaghaslah, Dalia, et al.). Almaghaslah writing this article could give many people hope. Knowing when there will be a vaccine is unknown and that scares a lot of people in the world. Vaccines do take time to create but this is a start to stopping the spread of Covid-19. In an interview with Dr. Jason Schwartz clarifies, “With phase 3 clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine candidates underway, safety and efficacy data will be presented to the FDA as early as this fall. Decisions regarding approvals and Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) will be made by the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), which in June 2020 released detailed guidance on COVID-19 vaccine development” (Schwartz). Schwartz is saying the latest news of the COVID-19 vaccine, saying that there might be a vaccine in the fall. For Americans and everyone in the world, knowing this information is crucial when it comes to getting the vaccine when it comes out. If Americans were required to get the needed vaccines to stop spreading, there could have been many more lives that could have been saved.
Americans must get the COVID-19 vaccine when it has gone through testing and is available to the public. The reason why Americans must get the vaccine is because it could slow down the spread of the virus. The only way this virus is going to be stopped is through a vaccine. In a scholarly journal written by Allen C. Cheng and Deborah A. Williamson, they illustrate: “Ultimately, a vaccine will be required; at the time of writing, 60 vaccine candidates have been developed, including three entering human trials” (Cheng). Cheng stated that a vaccine will be required, the only way to stop Covid-19 is with a vaccine. That’s why everyone who can get a COVID-19 vaccine must do it when it’s available.
In conclusion, it is beneficial for Americans to be required to take vaccines, and knowing the latest information on COVID-19 is important. People getting vaccinated is more beneficial than people to not get vaccinated. As stated, getting vaccinated saves lives and saves money for the economy. When it comes to covid-19 getting vaccinated is very crucial. Covid-19 has been spreading throughout the entire world since January of this year. There have been millions of cases of the virus and hundreds of thousands of deaths. The best solution to any virus is a vaccine. As stated, it is now known that vaccines are safe and effective. There is no excuse to not get vaccinated, it’s time for all Americans to think of others and save lives.
#heathcare #medical #medicalcare #pharmaceuticals #healthcareprofessional #nurses #healthprofessionals
