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:

1. If your birthday falls between January and June: Argue for vaccines
2. If your birthday falls between July and December: Argue against vaccine

Answer preview

It is every parent’s wish that their newborn children are always in good health. Vaccination is always the best option as it offers protection from preventable diseases. There are those, however, who believe that vaccination causes more harm than good to children. They diminish the benefits and imply non-effectiveness of immunization. They are mistaken because vaccines go through rigorous testing sessions before it is approved and licensed for mass production (Phadke et al., 2016). The American Academy of Pediatrics and government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cannot approve a vaccine that has not satisfied the criteria for safety and effectiveness. A child may have a reaction to a certain vaccine but it passes within a short period.(369words)