OConnor Coates 1

Lily OConnor Coates

Mrs. Honey
Government 2
23 October 2015
Dont Hesitate, Just Vaccinate!
On a worldwide scale approximately 7.6 million children under the age of five die every
year; it is estimated that two thirds of these deaths are caused by easily preventable or treatable
conditions (World Health Organization). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
lists twenty-six vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States; of those twenty-six, 57% of
them are labeled as childhood diseases. Although it may seem like twenty-six is not a high
number, these diseases have the potential to infect and kill millions of people. Without the
development and use of vaccines, these diseases would still be a common tragedy in the United
States. Due to their immature immune systems, children are particularly susceptible to these
diseases. Vaccinations should be mandatory for children, ages zero to seventeen, because they
decrease the risk of catching a disease while increasing population health, they are the most costeffective medical treatment in the United States, and they are a safe way to protect children and
defend against disease.
The United States has a large population of people, many of whom live in close
proximity to each other; but with so many densely packed people, how does the country fight
rampant disease? A common idea for protection today is herd immunity. Herd immunity is, a
form of immunity that occurs when the vaccination of a significant portion of a population (or
herd) provides a measure of protection for individuals who have not developed immunity
(Vaccines Today). This concept, as explained by its definition, uses the immunity of a majority of

OConnor Coates 2
the population to protect those who are vulnerable. However, in the United States, because of the
decrease in willingness to get vaccinated, the herd puts the vulnerable at risk. People who are
unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons and/or children who are not yet the right age for
certain vaccinations are at constant risk of contracting disease. Unlike many people in the United
States seem to believe, vaccine-preventable diseases are not extinct (American Osteopathic
Association). In fact, because of the anti-vaccine movement, certain diseaseslike measles and
whooping coughhave recently broken out in several regions across the nation (Council on
Foreign Relations). The Council on Foreign Relations reported clusters of whooping cough and
measles for 2014 and 2015; the most dramatic outbreak was in 2014 in California. This
whooping cough event was classified as an epidemic, infecting over 10,000 people on the West
Coast. A year later measles hit the United States and Canada, infecting more than a hundred
people. Although easily preventable, these diseases made major impacts because of an uniformed
or misinformed public who were not willing to vaccinate themselves or their children. Vaccines
save lives worldwide and are constantly being researched and tested. They are designed to
protect people from harmful and fatal diseases; they do all this and save the country a lot of
money.
If you think research is expensive, try disease (Lasker). The cost of a vaccine is
minimal when compared to what it costs to take care of a vaccine-preventable disease. When a
child gets sick, parents must pay for doctors visits, medicines, and the time they take from work
to care for that child. In some cases illnesses can do permanent damage leading to lifelong
treatment and care; without healthcare, these expenses are even more detrimental to families in
the United States. A pamphlet created by Research America states that, The series of seven
vaccines given to children in the U.S. is estimated to save $53 billion in direct and societal costs

OConnor Coates 3
over the lifetime of those born in a single year. Instead of putting 53 billion dollars into treating
an illnessor the aftershocks of an illnessthat could have been prevented with a vaccine, the
government could put that money into medical research and pro-vaccination campaigns. The
research done with this money can further improve the countrys wellness and health; more
vaccines could be developed, others could be improved, and people could be protected. Even
families without healthcare do not have to suffer without vaccinations. The Vaccines For
Children (VFC) program is used to maintain the health and vaccinations of eligible children
under the age of nineteen; it even provides immunization for the parents! Proving itself to be an
effective measure the VFC program saves parents and enrolled providers more than $1184.61
per child in out-of-pocket expenses for vaccines (PA.gov). Programs like VFC help to protect
and promote health in America; more programs could be set up to provide vaccines to children,
such as in-school immunizations and clinics in impoverished regions. A profitable, safe method
protecting the world over, vaccines are saving money and saving millions of lives.
Not only have they proven to be cost-efficient and cost-effective, but vaccines are also a
safe way to protect children and prevent disease. Vaccines are made of a small amount of the
virus or pathogen they are being used to defend against. Whether the vaccine is live or not, it
helps the bodys immune system build up antibodies towards the foreign invasion, thus giving
the body the necessary weapon to fight off a possible infection. Before getting injected into a
patient, every single vaccine must go through extensive testing before it is licensed by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), not only that, but, the vaccines safety is continually monitored
throughout its use (immunize.org). Vaccines must first be presented to the FDA for approval and
are then given pre-licensure clinical trails. If it passes, the company must file another application,
submit to a facility inspection and then give a presentation on the findings of their vaccines test.

OConnor Coates 4
After further approval, the vaccine is licensed and the company is subject to random inspections
and can only use the vaccine if they hold a license. This lengthy process ensures that immunizers
are safe and effective; the effort from this process provides doctors and patients with information
about specific vaccines and reenforces the safety of immunizing. A common thread of accusation
that has resurfaced in recent years is that vaccines are causing autism. However, several
experiments and tests have been done and doctors have not found any links between vaccinations
and the development of autism (Every Child By Two). It is more likely that contracting a
vaccine-preventable disease will lead to the development of permanent damage than any vaccine
would. The supposed link between immunizing children and the development of autism is a scare
tactic used to sway indecisive parents from vaccinating their children. This kind of thinking is
why the anti-vaccination movement has gained such a strong advantage and why there have been
outbreak clusters and epidemics in the past few years. There are several issues revolving around
vaccinations, the main one being the parents who fight against them.
Despite research supporting the use of vaccinations, there are many parents in America
who fight them and choose not to have their children immunized because they are born with
natural immunity and that vaccines are not 100 percent effective. In an argument found on
Wheels of Light.org, a mother makes the point that children were born with a natural immunity
and have their own defense system, even going as far as stating that, since the beginning of
time, people have overcome infections and disease. Our parents and grandparents didnt have
nearly as many vaccinations that are being introduced to our children now (wheelsoflight.org).
Although she stated that past generations have lived through such diseases, she forgot to mention
that these diseases also killed millions of them, and those that werent killed often had
everlasting effects that crippled them for the rest of their lives. What this woman fails to realize

OConnor Coates 5
is that many people are still dyingapproximately 42,000 adults and 300 children die on a
yearly basis from vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States (Immunization and
Infectious Diseases). Vaccines have given children around the world a safer and healthier life
because they are administered in order to prevent infection and possible death from these
diseases. Vaccines are not 100 percent effective, however, they have significantly reduced
infections not only in the United States, but around the world. Despite the lack of one hundred
percent guarantee, vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable
diseases by more than 90% (American Academy of Pediatrics). If the nation followed the herd
immunity concept then the lack of 100 percent would be less of a risk because the majority who
would be vaccinated would protect the minority who have not been or cannot be vaccinated.
Overall, vaccines have done their job in preventing disease and protecting the people of the
United States. They have saved millions of lives and given many children the chance to grow up
and experience life at its best.
Vaccines should become mandatory because they protect the herd, are cost-effective,
and are a safe way to protect against disease. They are a major issue facing the United States in
this age because of the risk that anti-vaccinators pose to the concept of herd immunity. The
children of today and the future generations will suffer if something is not done to ensure that
vaccines become a mandatory medical treatment. Immunization has proven to be effective
around the world, not only in saving lives, but also in saving money. The economy benefits
alongside American families from the protection and cost-effectiveness of vaccinations.
Immunization should be promoted in the United States as a mandatory and safe practice that can,
has, and will continue save the lives of millions.

OConnor Coates 6

Works Cited
"About Vaccines." Vaccinate Your Baby: Ingredients. Every Child By Two, 2015. Web. 23 Oct.
2015.

OConnor Coates 7
"Immunization and Infectious Diseases." Immunization and Infectious Diseases. Healthy People/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
"Immunization." WHO. World Health Organization, 2015. Web. 31 Oct. 2015.
JHSPH.edu. Johns Hopkins University, 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
Khan, Kamran, and Peter A. Muennig. "Cost-Effectiveness of Vaccination versus Treatment of
Influenza in Healthy Adolescents and Adults." Clinical Infectious Disease. Oxford
Journals, 19 July 2001. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
Lasker, Mary. Statement. Research America. The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, 2008.
Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
"Questions Parents Ask About Schools." (n.d.): n. pag. Immunize.org. Immunization Action
Coalition. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
"Should Your Child Be Vaccinated?" Should Your Child Be Vaccinated? American Osteopathic
Association, 2015. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
" Vaccination Debate." Wheels of Light. Wheels of Light - Reiki & Yoga, 2015. Web. 23 Oct.
2015.
"Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
"Vaccines For Children Program (VFC). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S
Department of Health and Human Services, 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
"Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program." PA.gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2015. Web.
22 Oct. 2015.
"Vaccines." (n.d.): n. pag. Research America. The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation I, 2008.
Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

OConnor Coates 8
"Vaccine Preventable Outbreaks." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations,
2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
"What Is Herd Immunity?" Vaccines Today. N.p., 9 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Why Immunize Your Child." HealthyChildren.org. American Academy of Pediatrics, 20 Aug.
2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015

Works Consulted
"About VFC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
Brenzel, Logan. "Chapter 20: Vaccine-Preventable Diseases." Disease Control Priorities in
Developing Countries. 2nd ed. Washington DC: World Bank, 2006. N. pag.

OConnor Coates 9
Vaccine-

Preventable Diseases. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2006. Web. 23

Sept. 2015.
"Frequently Asked Questions About Immunizations." KidsHealth. Ed. Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph.
The Nemours Foundation, 01 Feb. 2015. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
"Immunization." ChildStats. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2015.
Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
"Immunization." Child Trends Data Bank. Child Trends, 04 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Oct. 2015
"Immunizations Policy Issues Overview." NCSL. National Conference of State Legislatures, 12
Jan. 2015. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
Payne DC, Boom JA, Staat MA, et al. Effectiveness of Pentavalent and Monovalent Rotavirus
Vaccines in Concurrent Use Among US Children <5 Years of Age, 20092011.
Clinical

Infectious Diseases. 2013;57(1):13-20.

"Questions Parents Ask About Schools." (n.d.): n. pag. Immunize.org. Immunization Action
Coalition. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
"Report Shows 20-year US Immunization Program Spares Millions of Children from Diseases."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention,

24 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.

"Should Your Child Be Vaccinated?" Should Your Child Be Vaccinated? American Osteopathic
Association, 2015. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
"Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Sept. 2015
"Vaccine Resource Library." PATH : Childhood Immunization. PATH, Sept. 2015. Web. 18 Oct.
2015.

OConnor Coates 10
"The Vaccine War." KQED. FRONTLINE, 23 Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
"11 Facts About Vaccines." Do Something.org. Yahoo, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.