Grace Dry

9 March 2016
English 2 Gifted
Gilliland 6th Hour

Rhetorical Analysis
New York Times
Big Pharma and Vaccinations
Many people are aware of a name that often brings cringes or immediate negative thoughts:
Big Pharma. This name refers to the major pharmaceutical companies that produce the medicine
that is widespread throughout the nation in independently owned or chain pharmacies. Big
Pharma has a bad reputation, but credit often isnt given where its due.
While, yes, corruption, money, and insider deals are undoubtedly involved in the
production and sale of medicine, these companies are also partially responsible for the best
health that America has had ever, in the terms of infectious disease. An article name Big
Pharma addresses what Big Pharma is,
The industry demonstrates its power, political might and social influence over the
nations governments and agencies, its health care systems, its doctors and hospitals, as well as
the psyche of the American people.
Diseases such as obesity and diabetes have increased in number, but the infectious diseases
that used to ravage the nation are very rare now, thanks to the availability of medicine.
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Vaccinations, developed by Big Pharma, are often under the most scrutiny. People against
vaccinations often see them as a way for the government or people in power, such as an
economic tycoon, to get whatever substance they want into the children of the country under a
premise that this substance will help the child. People are skepticalas it is in their nature to be
for parents concerned about their child. An argument against vaccinations is often that the
diseases they are used to prevent are no longer a threat, but the reason that they aren't a threat os
because of the vaccinations.
An Article from the New York Times elaborates:
Vaccines help protect against many diseases that used to be much more common.
Examples include tetanus, diphtheria, mumps, measles, pertussis (whooping cough),
meningitis, and polio. Many of these infections can cause serious or life-threatening
illnesses and may lead to lifelong health problems. Because of vaccines, many of these
illnesses are now rare. (Vaccines (Immunizations) Overview)
People are naturally suspicious. They look for things to be careful around, and while a large
company, or a few large companies, that control the sale of medicine for the whole country is
something to be wary of, the major pharmaceutical companies have done a great job at keeping
the spread of disease at bay and the overall health of the nation at a very high level.

Works Cited:

McNell, Donald. "Vaccines (Immunizations) - Overview." New York Times. The New York
Times Company, n.d. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2016.
"Big Pharma Manufacturers Drug & Device Companies; Lawsuits & Facts."
DrugWatch. DrugWatch, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.