Discussion 2: Whooping Cough Returns
“Childhood vaccines are one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. Indeed, parents whose children are vaccinated no longer have to worry about their child’s death or disability from whooping cough, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis, or a host of other infections.” (Emanuel)
Is it conceivable that outbreaks can be prevented with just dispensing a vaccination to our children? Can we eliminate dreadful diseases completely? Why are parents refusing to vaccinate their children? Vaccinations have virtually eradicated some diseases in the United States ever since the turn of the 20th century. At present, there are over twenty various diseases in the US and over fifty available vaccinations. (Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.) The benefits far out way the risks of not vaccinating. A number of reasons are: it reduces the spread of the disease and lowers the possibility of infection.
Reading the article on Whooping cough and the outbreak in Kentucky supports the argument that vaccinations are tremendously essential. “In February 2012, officials in Ocean County, NJ had 14 confirmed cases of whooping cough and were investing more.” (Nee) To minimize more
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We want to make sure are children are healthy from preventable diseases and life-threatening illnesses. Vaccinations are the operative way to ensure that. Outbreaks of preventable diseases transpire when parents neglect to get their children vaccinated. When children are not vaccinated, they can spread the disease to children who ae too young to be vaccinated or to people with weakened immune systems, for example: transplant recipients or individuals who have cancer. This can lead to death or long term complications for these vulnerable people. We all have a commitment to our society, and that is to protect each other and each other’s children by vaccinating our own family members.