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Vaccines Should Be mandatory for Children

Health care system is a very multifaceted and fluctuating area of modern

era.However,vaccination is probably the most important and the most significant step which is

being taken in the 20th century in public health sector. Since the invention of the first vaccine

(small pox vaccine), it is indeed a most common primary preventive method from the infectious

diseases. Thus, the childhood vaccination is considered as a normal part of childhood life.

Moreover, it is thought that the vaccination of children promoteshealth and helps in reducing the

mortality and high disease prevalence.

What’s more, there are a number of evidences to prove that the vaccinations are guarding

from particular diseases and provide wide range of health benefits to children, families and

communities actually. Alternatively, in the recent eon the vaccination has become a knotty

problemand a number of parents do not want to vaccinate their children. At the same time, when

we talk about the vaccination and its effects, it can be seen that the result is always good. The

children in their life are exposed to a number of vaccine prevented diseases unwittingly. If, they

are not vaccinated they can be the victim of these deadly infections. Actually, the vaccination

prevents the children as well as the other people for whom you are concerned about. Although, a

number of benefits and adverse effects have been seen about the vaccination yet, the benefits are

more protuberant. The vaccines should be mandatory because these are safe and save lives, cost

effective and protects those people for whom we are much more concerned. The main issue
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which has been seen in the case of vaccination is the willingness of the parents and their

perceived threats regarding vaccination. Sometimes parents are willing but sometimes they

refuse for it. Yaqub, et al.had reviewed some facts which are being described by Pearce et al. in

their study that three quarters of the parents in UK did not vaccinate their children because they

were with traditional assumption, lack of knowledge and misinformation regarding vaccines (2).

Thus, they are not caring about their loved ones and the people around them.

 In order to understand that the vaccination should be mandatory or not we have to see

the benefits and adverse effects ratio of these. These are safe and save the lives of the people.

Law explored that the vaccines are the safest and the effective products which have been used in

the health care sector (5). Anderson elucidated facts regarding the safety of the lifesaving that

vaccines are actually responsible for the substantiality among the children. Moreover, the

introduction of vaccines is helpful in reducing the number of vaccine preventable diseases (1).

However, the Opponents of this idea claim that these are not effective and these are harmful for

the children when these are given. According to their point of view these are dangerous and can

make the children mad by affecting their brains. Law argued that the vaccines are not safe for the

children. These are causing febrile seizures (5).Dixon and Clarke also support the idea that the

vaccines are harmful for the children because these can cause autism (neurological issue) with

the children after vaccination (352). They are right to a certain extent; however, this is medically

proven that the side effects are very rare in nature after vaccination. Law stated that febrile

seizures are the only neurological reaction that is occurring in childhood immunization. Whereas,

it has been clarified that these adverse effects are very rare and happening in less than once when

a thousand doses are given (5).

Secondly, the vaccines are cost effective in nature. These prevent the direct and indirect

cost of the nation and the families. Zhou, et al. stated that the routine childhood vaccination is the

most cost effective and preventive measure in the public health. It helps in the presentation of

fewer cases of VPD (582). Contrary to this, some people may disagree to this fact. They think

that these are not effective and these increase the burden of disease by promoting disease and

disabilities among children. Dixon and Clarke elucidated that a number of health official has

explored that there is coverage among the vaccine controversy has been increased; therefore, the

vaccine uptake has been decreased (352).

Moreover, Andersonstates that the parents are worried about the financial burden which

increases due to the uncommon side effects like; GuillainBarre Syndrome, encephiltis and autism

(3). However, after the aforementioned reasons the idea of the opponents is not strong enough to

be accepted at all. They have point in thinking like that but there are no strong evidences

regarding this fact actual.To prove the fact the Zhou, et al. had explained that vaccinations have

reduced the direct cost burden by reducing inpatient and outpatient visits. On the other end, the

indirect cost burden is also reduced by vaccinating the children in childhood. The indirect costs

include the work loss by missed number of days of work (for care of children, illness and

disability) (580). Thus it is clear that the cost effectiveness increases when giving vaccination.

Moreover, the WHO is helping the countries and nations to fight with the diseases, reducing

mortality and morbidity rates among children by the provision of vaccinations. Therefore,

childhood vaccinations are the main primary preventive measure for Vaccination preventive

diseases.

Thirdly, this helps in self-protection and protection of those for whom you want safety.

People are being affected by the infected persons. When parents refuse to vaccinate their
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children they are actually playing with the health and lives of them and other people around

them. It has been seen that most of the outbreaks are due to infected and unvaccinated persons in

the society. Anderson has shown in the study that the most of the infection outbreaks in any area

are related to the people who are not vaccinated. Whenever, the outbreak of VPD occurs the

reason is always an unvaccinated person. It is natural to expose with the infections however, the

prevention is always the primary method (2).

What’s more, the vaccination of the children is always showing that the parents are more

concerned about their children. On the other side, this is indirectly involved in the care of the

other family members. To give an illustration of what I mean to say let’s have an example of a

child who is not vaccinated, then he is a source of infection for others (other children, pregnant

women and old people with less immunity). Therefore, the example is showing the concern

about all these. In contrast to this, the opponents are not supporting this argument and according

to them there are no things like this. The infections and diseases are natural and these cannot be

stopped. Furthermore, introduction of living organisms in the bodies in the form of vaccines is

also an act of evil according to them. Yaqub, et al.has revealed that the health care professionals

are the people who are mainly involved in the patient care. Therefore, they used to get

vaccinated and emphasis on the vaccination of the patients as well. Self-vaccination is a tool that

helps in self-protection andprotection of the non-patient and patients (3). After seeing the

evidence there is no way to agree with the idea that the children should not be vaccinated. The

people who are caring about their family, society and want to save the society and nation from

outbreaks of the diseases should follow the legislations and laws regarding vaccination of the

children.
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On the whole, we can say that there is a need of laws and legislations to promote

vaccination. Thus, the importance of these chemicals is demanding to make these mandatory for

children. According to Law it is clear that when the parents are choosing their children for the

vaccination they have to follow the recommended schedule, hence, they are maintaining a

measure to prevent from disease. Moreover, in comparison to this, it has been disclosed that all

the vaccines are not 100% safe. Therefore, these might be containing some side effects; febrile

seizure, fever and pain (5). The health care professionals have a great responsibility on their

shoulders to explain the right information to the patients and their families as well as about the

vaccination and its side effects and effects.

Laws are actually changing regularly regarding the vaccination and its implementation on

different basis. More vaccinations are being added in the schedule and being removed from the

schedule after introduction of the new combination of the vaccines. Therefore the families and

parents have threat in their minds and some ethical issues are also present regarding vaccination.

In addition to this, religious point of view also hinders the people to vaccinate their children. In

number of countries the EPI (expended program of immunization) is being stopped and

postponed. It is the misfortune of those children who had gotten their doses and then they were

not able to get the next doses of vaccinations and became the reservoir of the infection; a threat

for the others.

On the whole I would like to summarize briefly that a firm and applicable policy must be

build to make the vaccines mandatory around the globe because a number of benefits and

adverse effects have been seen about the vaccination yet, the benefits are more protuberant. The

vaccines should be mandatory because these are safe and save lives, cost effective and protects

those people for whom we are much more concerne

References

Anderson, V. L. "Promoting Childhood Immunizati." The Journal for Nurse Practitioners,

vol. 11, no. 1, 2015, pp. 1-11, www.npjournal.org. Accessed 21 Nov. 2016.

Dixon, G., and C. Clarke."The effect of falsely balanced reporting of the autism-vaccine

controversy on vaccine safety perceptions and behavioral intentions." Health Education

Research, vol. 28, no. 2, 2012, pp. 352-359.

Law, B. "encyclopedia on early childhood development." Encyclopedia on Early Childhood

Development, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada, 2013, www.child-

encyclopedia.com/sites/default/files/textes-experts/en/902/neurological-adverse-events-

after-vaccination.pdf.Accessed 21 Nov. 2016.

Yaqub, Ohid, et al. "Attitudes to vaccination: A critical review." Social Science & Medicine,

vol. 112, 2014, pp. 1-11.

Zhou, F., et al. "Economic Evaluation of the Routine Childhood Immunization Program in the

United States, 2009." PEDIATRICS, vol. 133, no. 4, 2014, pp. 577-585.