John Tringas

Connie Douglas
English 112
October 21, 2014
Vaccinations have eliminated threats to society secondary only to the atom bomb. When
Dr. Jonas Salk discovered and developed the polio vaccine, it began to eliminate the disease
from the Northern Hemisphere. Vaccines have a reputation for being successful and eliminating
a handful of communicable diseases from the Northern Hemisphere. The harmful effects of all
vaccines are documented and studied by the U.S Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP). Sometimes science is revealed that is highly refuted, such as the link between
autism and the MMR vaccine, and the vaccines are a ploy by the government to sterilize a certain
group of people. However one views vaccines, there is much controversy to read about whether
it is from a concerned parent who just wants to make the best choice, an official government
committee that creates and studies vaccines, or armchair physicians that protest the vaccine
because of the effect that it has had on them or a loved one.
The first voice in this round table discussion consists of concerned parents of
children who need to be inoculated. They are neither for nor against vaccinations; they just want
to make the best choice about whether they are going to vaccinate or not. Concerned parents
want their children to be healthy and happy and not become autistic or injured in any way from
vaccines. Since parents are scared of harming their children they do as much research as
possible, and they want the right information to be published for them to make a decision. There
is so much information published that it is easy to get confused and get stuck on one side of this

very controversial topic. These parents encounter the social debate that is going on that includes
peoples discomfort and distrust of the government, so they bring it to their family physician for
answers and thats bigger than what most medical professionals can handle. Eula Bliss is a
parent turned vaccine author who started out concerned for her childrens safety. (Vaccines)
When she was done answering her own questions, Bliss felt that through her book she could help
other parents make the best decision. Some of the help that is out there is aimed at providing
accurate information about vaccines such as the Global Vaccine Awareness League, a website
for parents and citizens created by parents that have been affected in a negative way by vaccines.
The more official and professional voice, in vaccine controversies are the National
Institute of Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control (CDC), The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), the government, and medical professionals, such as physicians. This group of
professionals says that vaccines are necessary; they create and set the schedule for inoculation of
vaccine preventable diseases. They believe that all people possible should be vaccinated,
particularly children who should have a set vaccination schedule. This government and medical
professional group rigorously tests and retests vaccines starting with rodents, then swine, then
monkeys, and finally to a small group of humans that gradually grows depending on the effects
of the vaccine. Before any vaccine is added to the schedule, the ACIP takes into account all the
data created by the trials in order to understand the practicality of adding a new vaccine to the
schedule.
These medical professional groups work hard to make the best vaccines they can. The
CDCs Roger Brenier says that vaccines are the safest pharmacological interventions for disease
prevention available.(Koch) Though there are some medical professionals that recognize that
vaccines are not completely harmless which is the truth, the medical community stands by the

statement that it is better to take the risk and vaccinate than trying to dodge these diseases.
(Koch) This group faces the brunt of criticisms and slippery myths about vaccines containing
toxic chemicals and vaccine preventable diseases not being dangerous.
The third voice of the round table discussion is what is generally known as the antivaccine movement, various media sources reporting on false science or against vaccinations, and
parents who have children who have been harmed by vaccines or reject vaccinations on the basis
of health, religion, or philosophy. Sometimes articles are written about things that are simply not
true. Michael Snyder writes about how the mercury preservative in vaccines, thimersal, could
theoretically push an infants total exposure of mercury, a neurotoxin, above safe limits.
(Snyder) That fact has been taken away (?) by news media personalities, such as Jenny
McCarthy from The View who claims that vaccines have caused autism in her child. Author Eula
Bliss talks about the anti-vaccine movement in her interview on Morning Edition:
There are so many different reasons people dont vaccinate that Im not even
sure it can be looked at as a cohesive movement. Some people have concerns that
are really health-based, and some people are resisting capitalism when they resist
vaccination. Some people are resisting what they feel is the corrupt
pharmaceutical system and corrupt medical system.
This viewpoint has its own agenda not to vaccinate. Their views are obtained through their own
kind of research whether it be personal experience or false science.
What is most important to note is that all parties in the vaccine controversy conversation
are seeking the same thing. They want to be as healthy as possible and stay alive. Each person as
an individual makes their own choice about whether to vaccinate or not to vaccinate based on

their research or beliefs and the effects of that decision determines the course of their health, it is
no doubt that anyone can be harmed by these vaccinations just as anyone can be harmed in
everyday life, but the main idea of vaccinations is that it benefits the community and the idea of
vaccinating together we win the war against communicable disease. Just as the development and
acceptance of the polio vaccines saved an estimated 50,000+ lives.

Work Cited
Koch, Kathy. Vaccine Controversies. CQ Researcher 25 Aug. 2000; 641-72. Web.14 Oct.
2014
Snyder,Michael. Vaccines Cause Autism. Behavioral Disorders. Ed. Roman Espejo.
Farmington Hills, MI; Greenhaven Press, 2104. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. From
Vaccines and Autism: The Secret That You Are Not Supposed To Know. The
American Dream. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Sept. 2014
Vaccine Controversies Are As Social As They Are Medical. Morning Edition 30 Sept. 2014.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.