Measles vaccination is one of America’s currently most debated issues. Many believe that that vaccination should be a choice, while others believe that it should be mandatory. There are many pros and cons to both sides of the issue, which is why it has been argued for so long.
December 2014. A woman and her six children fly to Disneyland California. Her family has not been vaccinated for measles due to the belief that it causes autism. The family wanders throughout the park, unknowingly spreading the virus, which can attract up to 15,000,00 people from all around the world on a daily basis. Because of this woman’s decision not to vaccinate her children, 26 people went home that day with measles. Since then, 106 cases of measles have been reported in 14 states, more cases than from all of 2012.
There are several reasons that a parent may not want their child to be vaccinated. For example, religious beliefs or fear of “unnecessary chemicals” in the child’s body may influence whether or not one is vaccinated. However, the most common reason and misconception is that measles causes autism. In 1998, scientist Andrew Wakefield released a research paper in support of this claim. He believed that because children received the measles vaccine at age two, the age at which autism begins to show in children, that the vaccine must be the cause of the disorder. However, his paper was disproved when retried by other scientists that had different results. Additionally, it was found that Wakefield published the study purely for profit, had abused the autistic children from his research, and had faked results from his tests. He was later prohibited from practicing medicine in the UK.
Overall, the measles vaccination has a sense of importance. Whether or not a child is vaccinated, there is still a 5% chance they can still catch the virus from a child that is not vaccinated. This is why vaccines should be mandatory for anybody enrolling in school, public or private. Although some claim that a mandatory vaccine is a violation of freedom, many also argue that one without the vaccine has the power to endanger others. Measles, one of the world’s most deadly viruses, must be eliminated once and for all through mandatory vaccines, no question about it.
December 2014. A woman and her six children fly to Disneyland California. Her family has not been vaccinated for measles due to the belief that it causes autism. The family wanders throughout the park, unknowingly spreading the virus, which can attract up to 15,000,00 people from all around the world on a daily basis. Because of this woman’s decision not to vaccinate her children, 26 people went home that day with measles. Since then, 106 cases of measles have been reported in 14 states, more cases than from all of 2012.
There are several reasons that a parent may not want their child to be vaccinated. For example, religious beliefs or fear of “unnecessary chemicals” in the child’s body may influence whether or not one is vaccinated. However, the most common reason and misconception is that measles causes autism. In 1998, scientist Andrew Wakefield released a research paper in support of this claim. He believed that because children received the measles vaccine at age two, the age at which autism begins to show in children, that the vaccine must be the cause of the disorder. However, his paper was disproved when retried by other scientists that had different results. Additionally, it was found that Wakefield published the study purely for profit, had abused the autistic children from his research, and had faked results from his tests. He was later prohibited from practicing medicine in the UK.
Overall, the measles vaccination has a sense of importance. Whether or not a child is vaccinated, there is still a 5% chance they can still catch the virus from a child that is not vaccinated. This is why vaccines should be mandatory for anybody enrolling in school, public or private. Although some claim that a mandatory vaccine is a violation of freedom, many also argue that one without the vaccine has the power to endanger others. Measles, one of the world’s most deadly viruses, must be eliminated once and for all through mandatory vaccines, no question about it.