Zowee Barnes

English 2010
March 30, 2016
Vaccines: Every Reason to Question Them
Parents who do choose to vaccinate their children often express their fears of anti-vaccine
parents in an harsh, judgmental way. In an article written for the New York Times by Jennifer
Margulis, an individual whos been known to stick her neck out on parenting controversies, It is
a media-driven misperception that parents who claim philosophical or religious exemptions are
uneducated or misinformed. The truth about this is its the exact opposite. These parents are
caring for their children. It is their job to protect them and make choices for them regarding their
health. Sometimes, those choices may be to not vaccinate. Margulis also states in her article that
Most parents who individualize the vaccine schedule are actively educating themselves,
continually assessing their familys specific health needs, and doing everything they can to keep
their children safe and healthy.
Childhood vaccinations are a good thing. They have been proven to protect and reduce
the number of illnesses that can tragically result in the death of a child. Some have been around
for years and others are now just emerging. Vaccines are beneficial in the health of our children,
but like with anything, there are side effects. These side effects are very real and can be very
damaging, sometimes resulting in the thing we are trying to avoid: death of our children.
Often times, the parents who stick to the schedule of vaccines and get every single
injection think they are weighing the risks and benefits from vaccination, but they arent looking
at it as a whole picture. They are vaccinating to avoid the illness. Now their child probably wont
get the disease, resulting in a healthier child. But that isnt always the case. Vaccines dont
protect 100% from a disease. They do however, limit the likelihood of contracting the illness,

which provides many parents with the feeling that they are making the best choices for their
children. The one thing that probably hasnt been taken into consideration in this area is the side
effects that can result from receiving vaccines.
Robyn Charron was a new first time mom to a baby boy. Robyn was educated and
worked in the scientific research field. When it came to the topic of vaccines, she admits her and
her husband didnt put much thought into it. After receiving his first set of vaccines, her son
became a different baby. The screaming and sleepless nights were added up to be nothing but a
severe form of colic. Years later, now that her son is a young child and has a majority of health
issues ranging from allergies to delays, she has come to learn her son was suffering from what is
known as cry-encephalitis, also referred to as the DTap scream. Cry-encephalitis is an
inflammation of the brain. Although it is very rare, it can happen due to vaccination because the
baby lacks the protective layer of myelin sheath that covers their nervous system. Its described
as having an allergic reaction in the brain from the vaccine. Because of this, Robyn has declined
to vaccinate her new child, a little girl, who is living a perfectly healthy and happy normal life
without them.
Lets paint a picture of the beginning stages of vaccination. At birth, your new baby is
given the hepatitis B vaccine. This vaccine, you think, is extremely vital in starting out their life.
But have you really asked yourself, is this vaccine really necessary? Lets take into consideration
what situations that hepatitis B vaccine may come in useful. The way you contract hepatitis B is
very unlikely to happen to your newborn baby. According to WEB MD, the way you may
contract Hep B is having unprotected sex, sharing needles with an infected person during IV
drug use, getting a tattoo or a piercing using non sterilized needles or sharing personal items such
as a toothbrush with an infected person. These arent behaviors you will typically see a newborn

engaging in. You cannot get Hep B from engaging in regular physical contact such as kissing and
hugging, or even sneezing and coughing. So why are they promoting this vaccine to our newborn
population? The vaccine effectiveness will be worn off by the time the individual starts
participating in these events. This is why hep B booster shots are recommended throughout life.
Vaccine injuries are a very real thing in the United States. The government has several
different programs dealing with vaccine injuries. In the event your child is injured by a vaccine,
you are to report it to the Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS website
states that they receive roughly 30,000 reports of vaccine injuries per year with 13% of those
reports being classified as a serious effect. 85-90% of the effects reported to VAERS are mild
side effects with no long lasting trauma. However, these numbers alone should make you more
aware that it does happen, and it can happen to your child.
Another concerning point on vaccine injury is the fact that the government has placed
protection over vaccine manufacturers. In the event that your child is injured by a vaccine, you
cannot seek legal accountability against the manufacturer. This was done with the intent to keep
companies wanting to make these vaccines the government wanted. If they cannot be held
accountable, there is no risk to them when something goes wrong.
Bad vaccines have been manufactured and later pulled from medical offices after having
a large number of injuries. An example of this is when the original rotavirus vaccine, a vaccine
routinely given to infants to protect them against gastroenteritis, was recalled due to infants
having such severe intestinal problems they were requiring surgery in attempt to fix them. You
can even find that the CDC still lists a type of bowel blockage as being a rare side effect of this

vaccine. This could mean that a vaccine meant to prevent a stomach bug, could potentially end
with you in a surgery unit of a hospital with your new baby.
There are negative effects of choosing to not vaccinate your children. Herd immunity, a
term used to describe a community of which the majority of individuals are vaccinated resulting
in protection for those who cannot be, will be compromised. Herd immunity is most effective
while a large majority is vaccinated. Having a growing number of children whose parents are
choosing to no vaccinate can affect the immunity of a group. This can allow others who were
unable to be vaccinated for a wide range of health reasons to get sick if an outbreak of a disease
were to occur.
While vaccines are a major contribution to our current containment of certain diseases,
they pose plenty of risks. There are risks with everything that you do and all decisions you make.
Those decisions are yours to weigh the risks and the benefits and decide if the possible outcomes
are something you are willing to deal with. Living in the United States offers us a choice of many
freedoms. The Freedom of Liberty is something that you have the right too. Continue to educate
yourself and make the choices best fitting for your family situation.