On the other hand, Bihr gains an audience related advantage of safety values when she addresses the topic of protecting children from harm; Bihr explains that administering vaccines helps protect children from illnesses like the influenza virus or rotavirus. Researchers Ferdinands et al. (2014) found that the “…influenza vaccination was associated with about a three-quarters reduction in risk of influenza-related critical illness in children…Our results highlight the value of increasing the use of influenza vaccines among children” (Ferdinands et al., 2014, p. 681); while Dr. Cave’s (2014) piece, Adolescent refusal of MMR inoculation: F (mother) v F (father), adds that “A global vaccination campaign has led to a 71 per cent drop in measles-related deaths between 2000 and 2011, making a huge impact on the death rate which was estimated at 2.6 million deaths per year in the 1980s” (Cave, 2014, p. 631). In both sources, vaccinations were statistically proven to reduce the risks of illnesses and appeals to those who agree that vaccinations are a safe option for protection, giving support to Bihr’s push for vaccinations. …show more content…
The Pew Research Center reported in July 2015 that 68 percent of white, 66% of black, and 75% of Hispanic parents believe that all children should be required to be vaccinated (Funk & Rainie, 2015, p. 16). As the Pew Research Center shows, “There are no significant differences in views about this issue by race and ethnicity” (Funk & Rainie, 2015, p. 17), which leads to the audience having similar expectations of the rhetoric and provides an advantage for the rhetor in addressing all