To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate A common issue that has caused much controversy in America is immunization. Vaccine safety is constantly debated in today’s media. Various topics that have been given attention lately are the connections between autism and certain vaccines, the legal requirements for vaccines in some states, and other interests. Although “vaccines face a tougher safety standard than most pharmaceutical products,” researchers and concerned parents continue to challenge the claims of certain medical personnel that immunizations are safe (Kwok 436). The American public wants to know whether modern vaccines are truly safe for children. Researchers continually experiment in an effort to put the minds of parents at rest. Two viewpoints …show more content…
The debate about whether to get vaccinated becomes quite complicated when patients have various issues such as asthma, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and other special conditions that allow for a patient to be vulnerable to the severe side effects of a vaccine or occasions when patients have been taking immune-suppressive drugs. Fortunately, “inactivated vaccines [such as tetanus, hepatitis A, and diphtheria] can be given safely,” but “live attenuated viral vaccines [such as measles and chickenpox] are a different story” (Offit and Moser 91). Unfortunately, “people who are immune compromised are at greater risk for severe infections caused by vaccine-preventable diseases” and cannot always have live vaccines because the risk is sometimes too great (Offit and Moser 91). A person with AIDS would not be able to receive all the same vaccines as a normal, healthy person because he or she might suffer from severe side effects. While researchers attempt to improve the safety of vaccines, doctors advise select people about the potential dangers of immunization. Some people are at a huge risk when getting vaccinated, and medical personnel are informing the public that vaccines are not always the best idea. Immune deficiencies in humans make a point that vaccines are not beneficial for