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Melissa Tilghman

Dr. Stacy Thorne Stuewe

English 1301

08/01/17

Vaccines: Should They Be Mandatory?

Citizens should be able to trust our doctors and our government when it comes to public

safety and medical laws. However, there is a controversial subject, where some of the public

remains suspicious. That subject is vaccines. Regardless the many years of studies and

discussions, there is still a minority that harbors doubts. Since medical advancements are initially

based on the trial-and-error of medical studies; we learn new information every year. Therefore,

our medicine and medical legislation are constantly changing. For example, there has been an

increase in laws that require vaccines.

Vaccines have been around since 1976 (3); with the sole purpose to prevent disease

outbreaks. By introducing the killed or weakened germs that cause diseases, our immune system

is supposed to strengthen when it makes antibodies to defend itself; which builds an immunity to

the disease. Despite the benefits, according to the CDC, no vaccine is actually 100% safe or

effective for everyone because each persons body reacts to vaccines differently (6).

Some argue that the potential side effects outweigh the possible benefits. Any vaccine

can cause side effects. Mild side effects include minor headaches, upper respiratory infections,

and abdominal pain (7). Whereas severe side effects include deafness, long term seizures,

pneumonia, lowered consciousness, and permanent brain damage (7). Being that these severe

side effects are labeled as rare, unless their child was directly affected, most people continue

vaccinating without concern because that is what they are taught. Much of the population relies
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on their doctors for information, instead of doing their own research. Even though that is how it

should be, there are too many factors that prevent any medicine from being 100% safe for every

single adult or child.

Doctors used to wait to vaccinate a child until they were two years old. Now infants are

being vaccinated indirectly, when pregnant women receive the vaccines, and directly, when they

are vaccinated right after birth. Unfortunately, the Blood Brain Barrier, which protects the brain

from "foreign substances, is not fully developed in infants or toddlers (8). So, it is very alarming

that the vaccine ingredients that are deemed dangerous, such as, formaldehyde, thimerosal, and

aluminum, might pass directly into the brain (9). Some parents try to wait until their children are

older, but they can only wait so long.

Since school aged children are thought have a high potential of disease outbreak, by

1999, all states but four (Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina, and West Virginia), had law

enforced requirements of vaccines from kindergarten through 12th (3). As of 2017, there are 13

vaccines on the immunization schedule for the average child, totaling a minimum of 32 doses,

starting from birth to 18yrs of age (4). Despite the requirement of some vaccines for public

school, most states have exemption options, for either medical or religious/conscious reasons.

Last year, however, a law passed in California, where children must be immunized against 10

diseases if they want to attend public schools, private schools, or child care centers, without the

option of religious/conscious exemptions (10). Many parents rallied and the bill is currently

being challenged. However, if some parents are still unsure whether to vaccinate, the court may

decide for you.

Starting from the first mandatory vaccine to the present, there have been many court

cases where the State would go against parents who did not want to vaccinate their child. As the
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vaccine schedule grows, so does the pressure to get vaccinated. Despite the parents rights, the

court often favors the state. In the case, Cude v. State, the court determined that despite the

allowed religious exemption, the parents did not have the legal right to not vaccinate their child,

which was ruled as child neglect (11). This conclusion always comes as a shock, to think parents

no longer have full authority of what is injected into their children. Most vaccines, after much

concern, finally had the ingredient thimerosal removed. As years go by, more harmful

ingredients may be removed, but what happens when ingredients are added? Do parents then get

a choice?

If someone or their child did experience side effects, minor or severe, the established

National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) allows them to file a petition for

compensation. Since the beginning of the compensation program, over 16,000 petitions were

filed, and over 1000 of those petitions were filed under death resulted from vaccine (12). It is

argued that the potential numbers for all those that mightve died due to disease exposure,

without vaccine protection, outweighs the amount of lives lost due to the vaccines themselves.

Many are terrified of the growing minority against mandatory vaccines. The fear

inducing hypothesis is, that if everyone stopped vaccinating, almost eradicated diseases, such as

measles, polio, and pertussis (whooping cough), could suddenly return (2). If most of the

community stayed vaccinated, those who cannot be, due to compromised immune systems, are

still protected through herd immunity (1). Therefore, anyone that does not get their

vaccinations, are told they are not just putting themselves in danger, but everyone else too (5).

Even if that is true, wouldnt you still want a choice?

If the CDC can admit that vaccines are not 100% safe, why should 100% of the

population be required to vaccinate? Why not continue to work for safer vaccines that are
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optional and do not infringe on the freedom of people? Although some people disregard the

number of deaths from vaccines, the immediate and long-term side effects need to be studied

more to become safer. We cannot forget that science, especially medical science, is flawed.

Vaccines are an example of inconsistent medicine, which should not be forced upon the public.

Especially when it is mandatory to administer them at the most crucial development time for our

children, our future. We, the people, should always have a choice.
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Works Cited

1. Hopkins, Joye, et al. Have You Heard About Heard Immunity? cdc.gov/, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013,

www.cdc.gov/scienceambassador/documents/herd-immunity-2013.pdf.

2. What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations? cdc.gov/, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 Mar. 2017,

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm.

3. Malone, Kevin M., and Alan R. Hinman. Vaccination Mandates: The Public Health

Imperative and Individual Rights. cdc.gov/, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), 2003, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/guides-

pubs/downloads/vacc_mandates_chptr13.pdf.

4. Recommend Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or

Younger. cdc.gov/. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2017,

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-

schedule.pdf.

5. Carroll, Aaron. Why You Must Vaccinate Your Kids. CNN. Cable News Network, 9

July 2014, www.cnn.com/2014/07/09/opinion/carroll-vaccinate-kids/index.html.

6. History of Vaccine Safety. cdc.gov/, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), 29 Sept. 2015, www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/ensuringsafety/history/index.html.

7. Possible Side-Effects from Vaccines. vaccines.gov, U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS), 11 Oct. 2006,

www.vaccines.gov/basics/safety/side_effects/index.html.
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8. Cave, Stephanie. Injecting Vaccines before a Childs Blood Brain Barrier Is Fully

Developed. vaccinesbytheoutliers, The Outliers, 5 Dec. 2015,

vaccinesbytheoutliers.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/injecting-vaccines-before-a-childs-

blood-brain-barrier-is-fully-developed/.

9. Shcherbakova, L N, et al. Permeability of the Blood-Brain Barrier to Intra-Arterial

Formaldehyde. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 1986,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3779084.

10. Adams, Jane Meredith. What Schools and Parents Need to Know about the New

Vaccination Law. edsource.org, EdSource, 10 July 2017, edsource.org/2015/what-

schools-and-parents-need-to-know-about-the-new-vaccination-law/82242.

11. SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. Cude v. State. biotech.law.lsu.edu, Supreme Court of

Arkansas, 6 Apr. 1964, biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/vaccines/cude.htm.

12. National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). hrsa.gov/, Health Resources

and Services Administration (HRSA), 3 Feb. 2016,

www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/vicpmonthlyreport02032016.pdf%20Pg.%205.