Pros And Cons Of Vaccination
Vaccinations: Option or Obligation? The concept of vaccination was first invented in 1796 by Edward Jenner, the father of immunology, who realized that certain people were immune to certain diseases. Further research led scientists to discover that people who were exposed to a strain of cowpox were immune because they already had antibodies that could fend off the strain. This was the genesis of over four hundred years of extensive and successful research. Since their beginning, vaccinations have been the spectacle of social disarray. Recently, there has been uprising in individuals who think vaccinations may be more harmful than helpful, due to false research linking the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine to autism. Many states allow
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This vaccine was not mandatory, but because the population had seen the horrid effects of the virus they were quick to inoculate themselves. The campaign proved effective as a reporter stated, “The [Polio Eradication Campaign] has led to a sharp drop in polio around the world—from around 350,000 cases in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in the year 2005” (Aldrige). Not being able to see the aftermath of such ailments is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, first world nations are at an advantage of not having to view the awful symptoms of some diseases; on the other hand this leads to complacency. Just because a disease is not outwardly visible does not mean it has ceased to exist, as most pathogens are commonly found living on or near people, which is why having immunity is essential. Other countries are at a disadvantage because they lack the resources that well-off countries have. Well-off countries share a different disadvantage-disease can evolve, spread, and learn much faster than humans, making immunology an endless search. If vaccination rates drop, it would negate hundreds of years of research and leave the United States a high risk
This vaccine was not mandatory, but because the population had seen the horrid effects of the virus they were quick to inoculate themselves. The campaign proved effective as a reporter stated, “The [Polio Eradication Campaign] has led to a sharp drop in polio around the world—from around 350,000 cases in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in the year 2005” (Aldrige). Not being able to see the aftermath of such ailments is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, first world nations are at an advantage of not having to view the awful symptoms of some diseases; on the other hand this leads to complacency. Just because a disease is not outwardly visible does not mean it has ceased to exist, as most pathogens are commonly found living on or near people, which is why having immunity is essential. Other countries are at a disadvantage because they lack the resources that well-off countries have. Well-off countries share a different disadvantage-disease can evolve, spread, and learn much faster than humans, making immunology an endless search. If vaccination rates drop, it would negate hundreds of years of research and leave the United States a high risk