A vaccine is a substance that is given to us to in order to protect from disease, they protect the body from diseases it can’t naturally fight off. Vaccines have been proven to significantly decrease the likelihood of contracting deadly illnesses like polio, whooping cough, and measles. Because of vaccines, the diseases like polio and smallpox has been almost if not completely eliminated. The main argument with vaccines is whether or not to immunize. However, what people don’t realize is that immunization is not a choice, it is a public health issue.
Immunization has always been viewed as a parental choice. However, most people don’t realize that the choice does not only affect that one child or one family, it creates serious problems for the entire community. The sole purpose of vaccines is to protect the body from disease and to stop the spread of disease. Children are most the susceptible to disease and the only way to keep them from getting sick is to try and stop the virus from spreading by getting vaccinated. In
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In the early 1990s a new department developed solely for the purpose of conducting safe vaccinations was opened (Allen 316). The program had received its own center at the CDC called the National Immunization Program (Allen 316). In 1978, Alan Hinman created a system to ensure the safety of vaccines by monitoring the adverse effects of the vaccine (Allen 316). Another way the NIP shaped the vaccine safety in the world was by creating the vaccine court that was made possible by passing the 1986 act (Allen 317). The vaccine court is a panel consisting of Institute of Medicine experts in order to examine the controversial issues of vaccine safety (Allen 317). The steps that were taken is to ensure that people make the decision to get immunized were only made to reassure the public that vaccines protect society, and that there are no deliberate measures taken to harm