According to Groark & Song (2012), “although vaccinations carry some risks and possible side effects, a child is generally at much greater risk for illness, which could be deadly, if the child is not vaccinated” (Section 6.4). The short and long-term side effects of vaccines have been receiving more and more attention. For this discussion, review both sides of the vaccine debate by reading “Safety & Prevention: How Safe are Vaccines?” from American Academy of Pediatrics and “KNOW…The Vaccine Controversy” from Vaccine Awareness of North Florida. Using these articles as well as information from Chapter 6, construct an argument either in favor of or against the use of vaccines based on the following:
If your birthday falls between July and December: Argue against vaccines
Be sure to support your stance with reference to at least one additional source (and include an APA-formatted reference for that source). Your discussion post should be at least 200 words in length.
Answer preview
The advantages of immunization are many. Immunization can save a child’s life as a result of advances made in the medical field. A result of effective vaccination is the complete eradication of some diseases and near extinction of others. Polio is an example of a disease that has been greatly dealt with through vaccinations globally. Vaccinations offer protection to children from serious illness and complications arising from preventable diseases such as paralysis, brain damage, and death. Immunization not only protects one’s child, it protects other children as well (Phadke et al., 2016). Diseases such as a whooping cough recur quite often. Immunization prevents the spread of the disease to other children who are either too young to be fully vaccinated or cannot receive the vaccination due to severe allergic reactions.
