In the United States, vaccination rates seem adequate when taking a brief look around. With a closer look, however, the truth is revealed. In general, vaccinations for children entering into kindergarten is over 90% for the majority of the immunizations that doctors recommend. Some parents feel that vaccinations are not good, though. They argue that they can cause serious and even fatal side effects and that they contain harmful ingredients. Supporters of vaccinations feel that vaccines can save children’s lives, the ingredients in vaccines are safe in the amounts used. Childhood vaccinations are necessary to maintain the health and well-being of children and society as a whole.

    Individuals that feel that vaccinating their children is unnecessary hold some very strong opinions. All vaccinations carry a risk for serious allergic reactions according to the CDC. The rotavirus vaccination can cause extreme bowel blockage that can require hospitalization in babies. The CDC also said that pneumonia can be caused by the chickenpox vaccine. Another disputable topic is that vaccines contain harmful ingredients. Formaldehyde, a carcinogen also found in some vaccines, can cause side effects such as cardiac impairment, central nervous system depression, coma, convulsions, and death. Children who are allergic to eggs can be harmed by some vaccines for the flu due to them containing chicken egg protein (ProCon.org).

    Pro-vaccination supporters argue that vaccines can save children’s lives. Vaccines save 2.5 million children from preventable diseases every year, which is equal to about 285 children saved every hour according to Shot@Life, a United Nations Foundation partner organization. It is estimated that about 322 million cases of childhood illnesses were prevented between 1994 and 2014 due to vaccination according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Formaldehyde, thimerosal and aluminum have been found to be very harmful in large doses; this is a leading reason why individuals argue that they are unsafe. The amount of these ingredients, however, are so small that they do not harm the body of the recipient. This is proven by the fact that children are exposed to higher levels of aluminum in infant formula and breast milk than they are in vaccines (ProCon.org).

    Looking at both sides of the argument, it can be quite confusing to parents whether or not they should vaccinate their children. Personal experience, however, is one way that these facts strike hard on the minds of citizens, proving that vaccines are a necessity. There is a story of a family with three kids. When they were growing up, they attended a public daycare. The eldest brother and sister were both vaccinated for chickenpox at the recommended times. When they were being picked up from daycare one evening, their mother was informed that there had been an incident with a child arriving with a case of the chickenpox. The brother received a mild case of the disease after being exposed. Fortunately, because he was vaccinated for the virus, the symptoms were minimal. However, the two month old brother, who was too young to get the vaccination, received the virus and became very ill. He had to be monitored at a local hospital until he was healthy enough to come back home. This encounter with the disease could have been terminal for this infant.

    The most recent outbreak of virus in the United States was the the Disneyland Measles Outbreak that occurred throughout the month of January 2015. This outbreak was linked to exposures in Disneyland, California. It was spread across fourteen different states and affected over one hundred people. The majority of those that became infected were intentionally not vaccinated for the measles. Once this outbreak was started, even those who were vaccinated could receive the disease due to the fact that not all vaccinations are 100 percent effective (Sawyer 4). This outbreak was most likely started from a traveler that was infected and either did not realize it, or was just a carrier of the infection. This outbreak could have been prevented by just one person vaccinating themselves.

    Child vaccinations are necessary to maintain the health and wellbeing of children and society as a whole. Without vaccinations, outbreaks and disease would be all around. It is absolutely crucial to vaccinate yourself and your children when they are required to be. With the pros and cons of vaccinations floating all around us, it is easy for parents to become confused. It has been proven that vaccinations prevent the spread of disease. It has also been proven that even if you receive the vaccinations and you still get the disease, the symptoms are of a much less caliber than those who are infected. Personal feelings should not be regarded when it comes to the health and safety of you and your children, along with the rest of the community around us.

Work Cited

Adams, Mike. “American Medical Association Opposes Mandatory Vaccines: Medical Ethics Statement.” NaturalNews. Truth Publishing International, LTD, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016

“Birth-18 Years & “Catch-up” Immunization Schedules.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.   

Bronfin, Daniel R. “Childhood Immunization Controversies: What Are Parents Asking?” The Ochsner Journal. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2015. Web. 09 Mar. 2016.

Congressional Testimony. VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES:MARK H. SAWYER. Federal Document Clearing House, , 10 Feb. 2015. eLibrary. Web. 09 Mar. 2016.

“Information about Rotavirus.” Information about Rotavirus. Merck & Co., Inc., 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.        

ProCon.org. “Background of the Issue.” ProCon.org. 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2016