The Pros And Cons Of Vaccines

The Vaccine Controversy What would the world be like without vaccines? The debate around vaccines is prominent in today’s society. Currently, all states require kindergarten students to be up to date on their vaccinations before starting school, but there are loopholes. Parents can choose not to vaccinate their child for religious or philosophical beliefs. (current event) Some think that vaccines are harmful, while others believe they are beneficial. All children should be required to be completely vaccinated before entering kindergarten because vaccines prevent disease outbreaks and save lives and money.

High childhood vaccination rates prevent outbreaks of deadly diseases. In December 2014, an outbreak of measles affected California.

In an article based on research done by the CDC and written by Cynthia G. Whitney, M.D., she summarized the effects of vaccination on children born from 1994 to 2013, or VFC era. According to Whitney, “Modeling estimated that, among children born during 1994- 2013, vaccination will prevent an estimated 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations, and 732,000 deaths over the course of their lifetimes, at a net savings of $295 billion in direct costs and $1.38 trillion in total societal costs” (325). This quote shows the positive influence on vaccination on the population by saving not only families money, but also saving the society money. The research also shows the health benefits of vaccines for children; fewer kids will get sick, have to go to the hospital or die. Additionally, later in the same article, the author quotes an article written by Walter Orenstein about the role of immunization on eliminating illnesses. The article states that multiple diseases are now uncommon in the U.S. because of vaccines. For example, the report says, “Measles was declared no longer endemic in the United States in 2000, in contrast to model estimates that 71 million cases would have occurred in children born in the VFC era without immunization” (qtd. In Whitney et al. 354). Vaccines save children’s lives, which benefits society as a whole. Overall, research has proven that childhood immunization prevents illnesses, death and saves