Maddie

Collier
Adam Padgett
English 102, Section 33
September 12, 2016

Are Vaccinations a Thing of the Past?

One of the most argued issues in todays society is whether it is ethical for the
government to require parents to vaccinate their children. I have always been

Adam Padgett 10/7/2016 5:15 PM

Comment [1]: Im not sure if this is true.

vaccinated and so have both my parents and my sister. It is just something my

family believes in doing and it is probably something that we will continue to do in
the future. Measles are a very rare disease in this day in age, however in 2014 the
CDC reported a spike of more than 600 measles cases. This was the first large jump
of its kind in over 10 years. This outbreak was traced down to an Oklahoma Amish
community where no one gets vaccinated. From just briefly skimming the news in
the past couple years I have seen numerous articles from those who critique
vaccinations and their reasoning. I have also noticed multiple people my age
become increasingly vocal about their oppositions and suspicions in regards to
vaccinations. I have heard them talk about the unperceived risks no one really
knows about yet and how there has been research done on safer alternatives to
vaccinations like probiotics and vitamin supplements. Now, the only reason I put
safer in quotations is that it has not been proven that vaccinations are necessarily
unsafe. In my personal opinion, I dont believe that vaccinations are harmful and I

Adam Padgett 10/7/2016 5:15 PM

Deleted: known to be
Adam Padgett 10/7/2016 5:15 PM
Deleted: case

find it hard to believe that natural alternatives would do the same job as the
immunizations do. My question is what is it about young adults today that make
them increasingly against vaccinations?
An article from the Pew Research Center claims that it is an increasing trend
in todays society for young adults to not believe in vaccinations being something
the government can regulate as a mandated health service. This article cites that
unvaccinated individuals are the main cause of the spread of the measles disease. A
majority of Americans do believe that children should be required to be vaccinated,
however the trend is that young adults are the highest percentage of those who
believe that parents should decide if they want their child vaccinated. This article,
author, and website are very credible because they back all of their information up
with statistics and even have a chart so it is easier to look at what they are saying in
the article. This article does not have an opinion or bias to it, the author just lists
straight facts from research they have done or gathered from others.
An article from The Healthy Home Economist states peoples reasoning against
vaccinations. The authors main reasons against vaccinations is that pharmaceutical
companies and even doctors cant be trusted, and that she believes vaccinations are
very unsafe in all aspects. This author cannot believe that some people would inject
chemicals and other poisons directly into their childs body. Although this is an
excellent view into the other side of the argument, this article does not seem very
credible. The author is extremely biased, almost to the point where she wont
believe anything positive about vaccinations because she is already so against them.

In an article from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, it is

stated that the reason why so many people are against vaccinations and do not
support them is that a lot of people have never witnessed the diseases that these
vaccinations kill which allows complacency toward immunization requirements
The articles cites the widespread controversy of whether or not vaccinations are
linked to autism. The internet then publishes articles about the fears and harms of

Adam Padgett 10/7/2016 5:21 PM

Comment [2]: This is an interesting idea.
So it seems to be an explanation as to why
these immunizations lapses are happening.

vaccinations which then in turn causes parents to be wary of them and not get their
children vaccinated. The author of this article also mentions a couple reasons why
people are against vaccinations, some being religious and philosophical beliefs,
freedom and individualism concerns, and the misinformation about the risks. This is
a credible article, not only because it comes from a legitimate source but also
because they present both sides of the argument. This is also the first article Ive
read that have touched on the different aspects that make people wary of
vaccinations.
What is it about young adults in todays society that makes them so against
vaccinations? Are government-mandated vaccinations unethical? What are some
alternatives to getting your child vaccinated? These are the questions I want to
research and hopefully find out more about.
I think my first and second question will definitely be the hardest to research
just because it is such a new concept that I know it will be hard to find reliable
information about it. The last question I think will be pretty easy to research as it is
just a basic question with semi-concrete answers. The second source I found
definitely disagrees the most because it argues against vaccinations, which is the

Adam Padgett 10/7/2016 5:23 PM

Comment [3]: I feel like youve begun to
answer this question above.
Adam Padgett 10/7/2016 5:23 PM
Comment [4]: This could be a fruitful
question.

least popular opinion that is not widely held by the population. After reading the
article arguing against vaccinations has reaffirmed my support of vaccinations,
mostly because the author sounded crazy. I think I just need to research this topic
more so I have a better understanding of vaccinations in general.
Maddie,
Youve done a good job entering the discussion of vaccinations here. This is a
tricky subject, because I think the book has been closed on this topic of if
vaccinations are okay. In other words, I think youd be hard-pressed to find an
expert who would say that vaccines are not a good idea. Having that said, there is
still some useful and worthwhile inquiry to be had here. so the parents right to
vaccinate is one place. My advice would be to read widely and see if you encounter
other, more nuanced discussions on this topic. The articles about why people came
to believe vaccines are not necessary sounded interesting. Essentially, I dont want
you to write an argument that says: the sky in indeed blue. There really wouldnt be
a point, right? Let me know if you are unclear on any of this. Again, to reiterate,
there are some good ideas here and you have some options for inquiry, but an
argument simply for or against vaccines might not be one worth having. Looking
forward to seeing how this progresses.