The Fight Against Vaccinations
Kaiyes A. Bhuiyan,
Undecided Major, CCNY.
ENGL Writing for the Sciences 21003
Prof. Sonja Killebrew
04/02/2020
Abstract
This article addresses the long controversial topic of vaccinations and their importance in the health of people, especially children. It provides six articles to help support each side of the proposed controversy. The articles will work to add both a personal and scientific perspective within the discussion. Vaccination is one (maybe the first one) of the most effective, affordable and beneficial health intervention methods in public health. (Sun & Yang, 2012). However, despite this, many believe vaccines and immunizations as a leading cause of many other complications, most specifically, developmental problems such as autism. These fears have led to outbreaks of many diseases and viruses that are easily preventable, such as measles. Why would people who care about their children’s health choose to ignore the solid, evidence-based recommendations of the government and the health-care system? The simple answer is because they don’t trust the government or the health-care system. (Gessen, 2019). This paper will examine how the choice to vaccinate or not vaccinate is or is not detrimental to the health of an individual person or the community.
Keywords: vaccine, autism,
The Fight Against Vaccinations
The process of inoculation has existed as far back as the 10th century, for smallpox in China. Since then, vaccinations have become increasingly common in the lives of people around the world. The use of vaccinations, however, only became famous through the polio vaccine created by Jonas Salk in the 1950s. A decade later the world would see the eradication of the smallpox disease completely with the aid of inoculation and vaccinations. However, through the passage of time, many people have appeared that are refuting the notion that vaccines aid in the health of people at all. This paper will work to display the evidence of both sides and address the credibility of each argument.
The Case for Vaccinations
Vaccinations are a part of our lives that we tend to overlook as very trivial. However, without their existence it is argued that our lives would most likely be riddled with diseases that would have been eradicated or easily preventable. But with a rising trend of “anti-vaxxers”, as they have been dubbed, has also increased the resurgence of diseases that have long been forgotten as threats. Most recently in 2019, “Between January 1st and February 21st, a hundred and fifty-nine cases of measles were diagnosed in ten states—more cases than there were in all of 2017.”(Gessen, 2019). As the recent school of thought emerges and gains popularity throughout the world so does the susceptibility of one to be inflicted with these diseases that are so easily preventable.
This type of epidemic leads many federal and state officials to question their need to enforce vaccinations. Many government officials themselves are subject to falling conspiracy theories and notions about the safety of vaccinations and their true effectiveness. Many healthcare officials find it difficult to provide said governmental officials with the proper information, because they have become so engrossed in the conspiracy theories that surround them. Most popular of these is that vaccines lead to autism, something that has been proven false, but is widely supported among the anti-vax community.
The Rebuttal
Many anti-vaxxers base their distrust of vaccinations to a distrust of the government. The anti-vax agenda is one that is difficult to comprehend. Many see it as a lifestyle created to rebel against society’s requirements and expectations. Many anti-vaxxers argue that their beliefs are based on the idea that,
There was a belief that diseases were disappearing due to better sanitation and hygiene, not vaccines. This has been proven false by the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. It was also believed that a vaccine wouldn’t protect you. Those who are vaccinated can still get sick, but they will experience mild symptoms. People also think the risks outweigh the benefits. This is currently the biggest objection in the United States. Parents cite many medical risks, including autism, as potential consequences of being vaccinated.
(Boulanger & Gotter, 2016).
Most of these arguments, are not completely baseless. Many patients suffer from side effects of vaccines ranging from fevers to pain around the area of the body where the vaccination was administered. However, it is exceedingly rare for vaccinations to fatally harm any patient. About autism however, the anti-vax communities find it challenging to believe and counter arguments made on behalf of the scientific community with regards to the credibility of these theories.
Disproving Claims. The debate on whether any of these reasons have any substantial proof that proves their credibility has occurred for as long as this debate has arisen. Many have disproved most of these claims to no avail, however. The front runner in these claims, as stated before, happens to be that vaccinations and autism share a relationship. Regardless, these claims are among the first to be disproven.
For example in 1998, British investigators proposed that the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) might cause autism. At the time, 1 in 2,000 children in England were diagnosed with autism and about 9 of 10 were given the MMR vaccine…If the vaccine caused autism, then the number of children with autism should be greater in the group that received the vaccine than in the group that didn’t receive it. But it wasn’t. In fact, the incidence of autism in children who got MMR was the same as those who didn’t get it.
(Offit et.al, 2011).
This experiment was instrumental in debunking the notion of autism being caused the MMR vaccines. The theory itself first came to be a year prior to the experiment in 1997, when British surgeon Andrew Wakefield theorized that the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine was central to the increase of autism in British children. It is stated that some publications including Wakefield’s, “did not provide evidence beyond temporality” (Stratton, 2012). As well as “Long latencies between vaccine administration and development of behavioral symptoms make it impossible to rule out other possible causes.” (Stratton, 2012). Due to the lack of credibility in Wakefield’s claims as well as the hysteria and implications of his claims. Wakefield was stripped of his medical license. However, many articles continue to expose the world to the ideas of Wakefield and serve as propaganda of the anti-vax movement.
Many healthcare officials tend to be understanding of the sentiments of people, specifically parents who are not comfortable with treating their children with vaccines.
When I was researching the ingredients of insecticides to use during the ant infestation, I had the benefit of being a scientist when sorting between the good and the bad information online. Other people do not have that benefit. They go online, do a Google search, look at the most popular results based on an algorithm, and get led astray by celebrities or by people and organizations with titles that sound official. Before too long, their fears are confirmed, and they are scared away from vaccinating their children. (Najera, 2018).
It is understood that anti-vaxxers are in fact victims of misinterpretations and falling for the same conspiracy theories that plague even government officials. There is a solution, however, by approaching anti-vaxxers with proper information and right language, one may be able to the wild theories of the anti-vaccination beast that has brought made it its mission to inadvertently unleash diseases new and old to attack human society.
Besides autism, it is debated on whether vaccines are effective at all. Many argue that excessive exposure to vaccines, helps the diseases to evolve to overcome vaccinations. Though this argument is of substance, it forgoes the proof some vaccination would still be enough to build some form of immunity. “The continuous vaccination seems to perform well in controlling the disease outbreak. This implies that vaccinating a large portion of susceptibles provides a good protection for those who have not developed immunity.” (Sun & Yang, 2012).
Conclusion
The debate on the importance of vaccinations finds itself at the forefront of discussions in the pandemic we are living through today. Could vaccinations have stopped this disease? Or would it have only aided in strengthening the virus against whatever the world was to throw at it? On a personal note, I believe that the idea that one would not vaccinate their children out of fear that they would have autism is a reflection of society’s binding, and shows the true colors of said parents. To deny one’s children protection from disease out of fear that they may not be the “normal” that they wish for their children to be. The anti-vax community is plagued with a surplus of conspiracies and a severe lack of facts. Maybe, if properly approached we may be able to rid them of the doubts that cloud their minds.
| 59 & 60-69F/D-/D/D+ | 70-79C-/C/C+ | 80-89B-/B/B+ | 90-100A-/A/A+ | Actual Score Average the 4 scores below:98 | |
| Paragraph Organization | Each paragraph is not coherent. There run-on sentences. There are no smooth transitions between sentences | Each paragraph is somewhat coherent, with run-on sentences. There are a few smooth transitions between sentences | Each paragraph is mostly coherent, with a few run-on sentences. There are mostly smooth transitions between sentences | Each paragraph is coherent and there are smooth transitions between sentences | 95 |
| AssignmentQuestions | One is present: (1) essay title, (2) single sentence about significance of topic near beginning of paper, (3) both sides of controversy is presented, (4) background information on the controversy | Two are present: (1) essay title, (2) single sentence about significance of topic near beginning of paper, (3) both sides of controversy is presented, (4) background information on the controversy | Three are present: (1) essay title, (2) single sentence about significance of topic near beginning of paper, (3) both sides of controversy is presented, (4) background information on the controversy | Four are present: (1) essay title, (2) single sentence about significance of topic near beginning of paper, (3) both sides of controversy is presented, (4) background information on the controversy | 100 |
| Grammar, Punctuation, Capitalization, Spelling | More than 21 errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization, or spelling | 11 to 20 errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization, or spelling | Less than 10 errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization, or spelling | No errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization, or spelling | 95 |
| FormatGuidelines | Not Times New Roman,less than 750 words,single-spaced,not 12 pt. font, 1 source (academic or popular media source) | Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, 750-1000 words,1-inch margins, APA style, double-spaced, 2 sources (academic and popular media sources) | Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, 1000-1250 words,1-inch margins, APA style, double-spaced, 3 sources (academic and popular media sources) | Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, 1250-1500 words,1-inch margins, APA style, double-spaced, 4 sources (2 academic, 2 popular media sources) | 100 |
