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David Yee
Ms. Gardner
Honors English 10 Period 0
3 May 2014
Vaccinations: The Cure to the Epidemic Called Misinformation
A limbless child is not a sight that one would expect to see in a first-world country, like
the United States; however, such is the case with 10 year-old Jeremiah Mitchell. Four years ago,
doctors amputated the limbs of the six year-old due to meningitis, a disease that can be prevented
through the use of vaccines (Alcindor). Vaccines are mandatory for public schools, yet
exemptions can be made for medical or religious reasons. Still, some parents seek exemption
from the mandatory vaccines for philosophical reasonsthe primary reason being safety issues.
However, exemption from mandatory vaccines can cause a resurgence of the disease, which is
why parents are required to vaccinate their child for measles and rubella in all 50 states (National
Vaccine Information Center). Therefore, parents should not be allowed to exempt their children
from vaccinations due to philosophical reasons because vaccines are safe, vaccines protect their
children from diseases, and vaccines prevent resurgences of once-repressed diseases.
Although vaccines are considered safe, they have been linked to negative side effects.
According to a paper published by former doctor Andrew Wakefield, vaccines, specifically the
measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, are linked to autism, a disease that affects the normal
brains social and communication skills (Szabo). There are also controversial ingredients
contained in vaccines, ranging from monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, to Thimerosal,
a preservative containing mercury, which has been proven to be harmful to children in large
amounts (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Yet another notable side effect of vaccines
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is paranoia, as adversaries of vaccines believe that vaccines actually cause sickness, and that the
government is working with the pharmaceutical companies, also known as Big Pharma, in
order to make money (Winsten et al.). Julie Leask and Peter McIntyre, co-authors of the article
Public Opponents of Vaccinations: A Case Study, include leading opponents of vaccinations,
such as Dr. Viera Scheibner a retired micropalaeontologist, without any formal training in
health-related sciences, who tours the world claiming that vaccines are ineffective and dangerous
and lead to a host of ills such as cancer and asthma.
Despite the host of facts on both sides of the vaccination issue, one might find it hard to
believe that opponents of vaccines and supporters of vaccines have completely contradictory
points, yet this vast contrast of views is due to misinformation provided by fear-mongrels,
celebrities, and genuinely concerned yet mislead parents. Former Playboy model and current
chat show host Jenny McCarthy helps spearhead the anti-vaccination charge, writing to Chicago
Sun Times that If you ask a parent of an autistic child if they want the measles or the autism,
we will stand in line for the measles (qtd. in Time). However, vaccines are safe, help protect
against infectious diseases, and prevent resurgences of older diseases.
Certainly, vaccines are credited with the cause of disease and dangerous side effects. In
actuality, they have been rendered virtually harmless due to advancements in technology. Frank
DeStefano, lead author of the new paper and director of the Immunization Safety Office at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, notes that the body is now only exposed to six or
seven antigens, which are the proteins of a virus that activate the white blood cellsin
comparison, scientists used to inject and entire dead cell into the body, which exposed the child
to over 3,000 antigens (Szabo). Safer injections lead to less negative reactions from the vaccines,
meaning that more and more children can be safely vaccinated. Another crucial fact in the
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discrediting of the anti-vaccination movement, points out Maria Cheng, author of the Sirs article
Measles Surge in UK Years After Flawed Research, is that the paper published by former
doctor Andrew Wakefield has been retracted, and his license to practice medicine in the U.K.
was revoked due to what Britains top medical board called a callous disregard for the safety
of the children in his study. This is due, Cheng writes, to several large scientific studies failing to
find any connection between autism and the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Many articles
like Chengs clearly state that autism has no connection to vaccines, citing credible sources such
as scientific studies, yet many anti-vaccination supporters continue to ignore the facts. Another
controversy about vaccines includes the ingredients of vaccines, stating that the ingredients are
harmful for children (Winsten et al.). Even though potentially harmful ingredients are found in
vaccines, they are found in minimal amounts. Mercury, a particularly controversial ingredient
once found in vaccines, has been removed from vaccines altogether due to potential safety
concerns (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). It is important for parents to be
thoroughly informed about the so-called negative side effects that correlate with vaccines, in
order to realize that vaccines are extremely safe for children.
In addition to realizing the safety of vaccines, it is also important for parents to be
thoroughly informed about the beneficial qualities of vaccines. Hinman, a senior public health
scientist at the Task Force for Global Health describes a phenomenon known as herd immunity,
in which high vaccination rates can protect even unvaccinated people by lowering the level of
infectious disease in the community. The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely
anyone in that community will be infected. Herd immunity plays a key role in protecting those
that have cannot be administered vaccines due to allergic reactions, says Anne Schuchat, the
CDC's director of immunizations and respiratory diseases (Alcindor). By surrounding
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unvaccinated children with vaccinated children, the unvaccinated children do not come into
contact with the disease, and therefore have a much lesser risk of acquiring it. One example of
the dangers the disappearance of herd immunity can create, writes Hannah Dreir, author of the
Sirs article Private School Vaccine Opt-Outs Rise, is East Bay Waldorf School in El Sobrante,
California. The elementary school had a 50 percent vaccination rate among the students; in
contrast, health officials believe that a 90 percent immunization rate is critical in preventing a
disease outbreak (Dreier). Due to 12 students becoming infected with pertussis, also known as
whooping cough, the school had to be temporarily closed. Other schools with lower percentages
of unvaccinated children also tend to have more cases of diseases (Finley). Based on these facts
and statistics, it is proven that higher vaccination rates in public schools not only protect the
vaccinated students, but also the unvaccinated students. Therefore, all children that can be
vaccinated should be vaccinated in order to protect those that cannot be administered
vaccinations.
Vaccines can also eradicate diseases given enough time, and stop repressed diseases from
resurging. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the smallpox vaccine is
no longer administered because of the eradication of the disease due to the vaccine; routine
vaccinations were stopped in 1972. However, misinformation provided by anti-vaccine
supporters caused significant drops in vaccinations ratesin 2012, the U.K. experienced a
record number of 2,000 measles cases, largely due to a lack of vaccinations administered
(Cheng). The most effective method of keeping a community healthy is by keeping children
vaccinated, or else the measles outbreak in the U.K. may occur elsewhere, in greater numbers.
Already, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that countries such as the United
States are suffering resurgences of diseases such as whooping cough and measles, which can
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easily be mitigated through the use of vaccines. Leon Farrant, a graphic designer in Purchase,
New York, aptly captures the impacts that vaccinations have on the health of the citizens of the
United States (see fig. 1). If citizens do not continue to vaccinate their children, countries such as
the United States or the United Kingdom could face resurgences in deadly diseases, such as
whooping cough and measles. Thus, citizens should continue to vaccinate their children in order
to keep diseases repressed.

Fig. 1. This infographic designed by Leon Farrant captures the positive impact of vaccines on
society.

In conclusion, vaccines are safe, beneficial, and necessary for the well being of the
children in the communities. Vaccinations provide a safe and vital method to mitigate sickness
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from diseases, and to halt the reemergence of controlled diseases. More information should be
provided to parents that are genuinely concerned about the effects of vaccines on their children.
For the general well being of children in constant contact with one another, people can no longer
be misinformed about the benefits of vaccines to society.



















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Works Cited
Alcindor, Yamiche. "Anti-Vaccine Movement Is Giving Diseases a 2nd Life." Gannett News
Service. 05 Apr. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 May. 2014.
Cheng, Maria. "Measles Surge in UK Years After Flawed Research." The Call. 20 May. 2013:
n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 May. 2014.
Dreier, Hannah. "Private School Vaccine Opt-Outs Rise." Statesman Journal. 10 Sep. 2012: n.p.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 May. 2014.
Farrant, Leon. "Vaccine Infographic." Behance. Behance, 14 Jan. 2012. Web. 06 May 2014.
Gram, Dave. "Vt. Debates Letting Parents Say No to Vaccines." Times Argus. 22 Apr. 2012: n.p.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 May. 2014.
"Ingredients of Vaccines - Fact Sheet." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 22 Feb. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Kluger, Jeffrey. "No, Jenny McCarthy, You Can't Duck Your Anti-Vaccine Nonsense Now."
Time. Time, 12 Apr. 2014. Web. 05 May 2014.
Leask, Julie, and Peter Mcintyre. "Public Opponents of Vaccination: A Case Study." Vaccine
21.32 (2003): 4700-703. Print.
"NVIC Vaccine Law Information." National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC). National
Vaccine Information Center, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Szabo, Liz. "Full Vaccine Schedule Safe for Kids, No Link to Autism." Gannett News Service.
28 Mar. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 May. 2014.
"Vaccine Overview." CDC Smallpox. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web. 28
Apr. 2014.
Winsten, Jay, and Emily Serazin. "Rolling Back the War on Vaccines." Wall Street Journal. 07
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Feb. 2013: A.15. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.