Vaccination is a topic that many people have differing opinions are. It was interesting to sit with a small group of people and talk about the benefits of vaccinations that become obscured when people make arguments that are not backed by science. Being interested in public health, I believe that vaccines are an extremely important tool in keeping the population healthy. Herd immunity is extremely important and is something that is easily jeopardized by people refusing vaccines. This puts the health of others who are unable to be vaccinated at risk.
I think there is a moral obligation for everyone to be vaccinated. Vaccines have been used for a very long time and have been tested thoroughly to ensure minimal side effects. At this talk, we also discussed the different types of vaccines and how technologies have progressed. New vaccines such as the one for HPV are recombinants. As more research is done, more efficient ways to produce vaccines become available. Some old vaccines are still being used, such as the oral polio vaccine as it eliminates the need for hypodermic needles.
Overall I think that vaccines should be mandatory for everyone. I believe that the first step to making this happen is by making it more difficult to be exempt form vaccinating your child. Currently, people are able to refuse vaccines based upon personal or moral reasons that do not connect to religion or health concerns. Overall there is a lack of education around the topic of vaccination and what the benefits and risks are. Many people take the face value of what they hear and read and do not question who the information was put out by or what the agenda of that company may be. Overall, I believe that vaccinations are necessary and are the key to improving health worldwide. We have the power to eradicate diseases and now we just need to get everyone on board.
Growing up, I had a friend whose family did not believe in vaccines. She had trouble enrolling in certain schools and I was never sure how she was allowed to attend our school. When we were in 7th grade, she travelled outside the country to Egypt and Greece. As a child she had also been to Europe with her family. To this day I am amazed that her parents were not worried about her exposure to different cultures and people without the protection of vaccines. In today’s world, it is crazy to go out in New York City much less go abroad without vaccinations.
I completely agree with the points you have made. The general population’s ignorance about this topic has dangerous implications for the safety of all people. It concerns me that pop science continues to be an issue here, and people continue to question the validity of something that is so certainly beneficial and necessary.