Running Head: WHY VACCINATE YOUR CHILDREN

Why Vaccinate Your Children; An Ongoing Controversy

Sandra Kubica

English 102

Arizona State University

Entry 1: What is the Controversy About?

Kubica, P. (2019, March 21). Personal Interview.

In a recent interview with a PA-S1 (physician assistant, year one student), the student

goes on to explain the running controversy of whether or not parents should vaccinate their

children. She began by stating that the argument began when an article was published that

identified a cause and effect relationship between vaccines and autism. After that article was

published, it was very quickly discredited. However, it still had time to make its way around

social media such as Facebook. Parents saw the article and very quickly formed their opinion

about it, not checking other sources. The student was then asked what she would say, being a

medical provider, to a parent worried about getting their child vaccinated. The student talked

about the different worries parents have. Other than the untrue rumor involving a link to autism,

she states reasons that ease the parents worry that there are too many vaccines being given to a

child who is only five months old. She states that a way to fight this issue is to find a way to

inform people about vaccines through medical professionals, and then let them form their

opinions about whether or not they choose to vaccinate their children.

Kubica asked to keep her school anonymous for this interview, however, she is a first

year student studying to be a physician assistant. She graduated from the University of Arizona

with a BSN and earned the award of Summa Cum Laude.

“I just think many people have forgotten the harms of the diseases we have come close to

eradicating”
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“I also think it is important to educate the parents on how vaccines actually work as this

would remove any false theories regarding vaccines.”

Entry 2: Understanding Vaccines

Shuman, A. (2016, November 30). Vaccines 101: Too Much Too Soon? Retrieved March 20,

2019, from

https://thescientificparent.org/vaccines-101-too-much-too-soon/?fbclid=IwAR040A4fH1

JPSYL1ZKhGIqRKF4C4XH7kSnNnvDS-8gZcF5FelPMWFSnNRO0

This article covers many of the initial worries a parent has when it comes to vaccinating a

child. The author of this article states that children are infected for over half of their life as an

infant and exposed to more antigens from crawling, eating, and simply living, than from

vaccines. Parents are only worried about vaccines because they care about their child's health and

safety, however, not vaccinating them will put their chances of getting a disease at a much higher

rate. The fact that these diseases are completely preventable, parents are doing more harm to

their child not vaccinating them.

Dr. Shuman graduated Valedictorian from Rutgers Medical School and completed her

Pediatric Residency and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at New York Presbyterian

Hospital Komansky Children's Hospital in New York City. since 2008, she has been a Pediatric
WHY VACCINATE YOUR CHILDREN 4

Hospitalist and General Pediatrician in Ventura County. She served as the Chair of Pediatrics

and Director of Pediatric Hospital Medicine for Community Memorial Hospital.

“I support vaccinating because my years of medical education, training and hands-on

experience have shown me that the science and extensive research accurately reflects how safe

our vaccines are. I have had the misfortune of seeing how quickly these preventable diseases can

injure or even kill a child.”

Entry 3: It is Imperative for the Public to Understand Vaccines

Federman R. S. (2014). Understanding vaccines: a public imperative. ​The Yale journal of biology

and medicine​, ​87​(4), 417-22. Retrieved March 20, 2019, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4257029/

This article covers what vaccines really are. When getting a vaccine, a person is injected

with a pathogen that acts like a virus. The immune system treats it as if it was a virus. Then, the

antibodies that were present in killing the specific virus are in the person's body, ready if a more

serious, harmful virus was contracted. The author states vaccines as one of the most powerful

medicines ever created, yet people are still denying them, but why? Time and time again, article

after article, researchers have proven there to be no like between vaccines and autism however,

parents still believe this myth. A main reason is because autism starts to show its signs in

children around the same age vaccines are to be administered, so parents see the similar time
WHY VACCINATE YOUR CHILDREN 5

frame as a valid argument. To conclude his article, the author states that an important thing to do

is to keep trying to educate those around us with the evidence, the facts, and the research that

clearly points people in the right direction.

Ross S. Federman graduated from Yale School of Arts and Sciences. Has extensive

knowledge in biological & biomedical sciences. He was apart of Immunobiology Graduate

Program, and is affiliated with DiMaio Laboratory, Department of Genetics.

“Teach them not that they are wrong to believe that vaccinating is dangerous and not

worthwhile, but teach them what a vaccine truly is.”

“It is crucial that we make more of an effort to clarify that vaccines and our own immune

systems are working ​together.​ ”

Entry 4: Biology Background

Saladin, K. S. (2018). ​Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity and Form of Function Eighth Edition.

Retrieved March 20, 2​019, from ​https://player.mheducation.com

This is a book used commonly for a Bio201 class. It going into detail about what the

immune system actually is and how it works. This book states that a pathogen is anything

harmful to the human body. The immune system works in three steps, the first second and third

line of defense. The first line of defense includes the skin and mucous membranes. It is our

initial barrier against everyday pathogens. The second line of defense includes protections for
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when the pathogens get through the epithelial barrier. the third line of defense is a notably

important one when discussing vaccines; the body's ability to remember the pathogen. This

allows the body to kill it much quicker and easier if it ever reenters the body.

The author is Dr. Saladin. He graduated from Georgia College and State University. he

has also received many rewards and recognition that is listed in the book.

“A vaccine consists of either dead or attenuated pathogens that can stimulate an immune

response but cause little or no discomfort or disease.”

“Vaccination has eliminated smallpox worldwide and greatly reduced the incidence of

life-threatening childhood diseases, but many people continue to die from influenza and other

diseases that could be prevented by vaccination. Even polio, once nearly eradicated worldwide,

has lately made a comeback in some countries because of antivaccination superstition”

Entry 5: Immune System

Offit P, Quarles J, Gerber M, et al. Addressing Parents' Concerns: Do Multiple Vaccines

Overwhelm or Weaken the Infant's Immune System? ​Pediatrics.​ 2002;109(1):124-129.

Retrieved March 20, 2019, from

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/109/1/124.full

The author makes many points regarding parents worries that their infant is receiving so

many vaccines at once. It is stated that infants are more than capable of handling all of the
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vaccines. If a child is given the same vaccines but spread along a wider timeline, they exhibit

nearly the same responses. Infants are exposed to so many pathogens during birth and after as

well. The vaccines only “use” 0.1% of the infants immune system. Infants immune systems are

very capable of handling vaccines. People have to consider the amount of bacteria and other

pathogens babies come across every single day. From the random object they put in their

mouths, to tummy time.

The author of this article is apart of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The article has

been reviewed and revised by many different people. It also contains many sources the

information has been gathered from, including studies and other articles.

“The neonate is capable of mounting a protective immune response to vaccines within

hours of birth. For example, neonates born to mothers with hepatitis B virus infection mount an

excellent protective immune response to hepatitis B vaccine given at birth”

Entry 6: Five Important Reasons

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2006, October 11). Five Important Reasons to

Vaccinate Your Child. Retrieved March 20, 2019, from

https://www.vaccines.gov/getting/for_parents/five_reasons/index.html

The author talks about the many advantages of getting your child vaccinated, including

very different views. The author mentions a financial advantage in vaccinating the child. Parents

would have to spend so much more money if their child was to get sick with a preventable
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disease. Babies that are too young for vaccinations die from these preventable diseases. They

also talk about how carefully these vaccines have been reviewed by doctors and specialists.

The article is derived from a government website, however, it does not state the author. It

does have a date when it was last reviewed by someone though. The article also has many peer

reviewed sources cited throughout the page for validity.

Investigative Essay

The ongoing debate about why vaccines are important is very common among doctors

and parents. Many people hold different views on why they believe that vaccines should or

should not be mandatory for all children. Different sources believe that a child being ill for a

couple days after getting vaccinated is worth it in the long run due to being so close to

eradicating diseases. Many parents are scared their children will have to get so many shots at

only six months and that those shots will cause their child to develop autism. These sources state

that although it is a lot of shots to be given, children come in contact with so much more bacteria

from their everyday life. For example, crawling on the floor, putting things in their mouths, and

tummy time. These vaccines will only be “using” 0.1% of the infants immune system, which is

practically nothing to them (​Offit, P. 2002). As for the child developing autism, autism does not

just show up one day in a child, however, it has signs that slowly become more and more

noticeable as the child grows up. Parents start to see that their child is not developing like other

children do, the first signs just happen to be around the same time as vaccines are recommended

to be given (Kubica, P. 2019). Different sources have different methods of resolving this issue of
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parents not giving their child vaccines. Many believe that parents should simply be educated on

this. However, other sources say this is not enough. This is where the contradictions begin. Many

believe that forcing parents to vaccinate their children is unethical. This is a choice only the legal

guardians of that child can make. On the other side, people are saying it is not okay to be letting

unvaccinated kids near their own kids. The studies done on this topic show how close people

were to eradicating these diseases completely, thanks to vaccines. The authors of these articles

believe the only reason these diseases, such as polio, still exist, is because of parents that do not

vaccinate. Is it ethical to force parents to vaccinate even when it means an entire life-threatening

disease will be eradicated? Both sides of the situation have to be considered. Parents are only

trying to do what is best for their children; which is the reason for this debate being so heated.