Krishnachnadran 1

Aravind Krishnachandran
Mr. Campopiano
Government 1
2 November 2015
Resolving the Vaccine Controversy
Federal public health officials recommend that children should get a total of sixty-nine
doses of sixteen vaccines from the day of their birth to age eighteen (Moritz 14). In the United
States, mandatory vaccination has been a source of much religious and medical controversy. Not
all states allow individuals to receive exemptions, or allow them to go without receiving
vaccines. This is because states want the population to attain herd immunity, a way of making
sure everyone in the population is safe from obtaining preventable diseases. However, many
people have concerns over the usage of vaccines. They believe that vaccines are not safe, and
they have many religious and philosophical beliefs that go against the idea of injecting vaccines
into a human body. Despite their beliefs, they do not have a chance to choose whether they want
to get vaccinated or not, and this may be seen as limiting their freedoms. Less than half of all
states allow more than just religious and medical exemptions. Also, many individuals are afraid
of the toxic ingredients in vaccines, such as formaldehyde and thimerosal, which can lead to
allergies, side effects, and deadly diseases. States should allow individuals to be exempted from
receiving vaccines in order to maintain religious freedom, keep individuals safe from side effects
and allergies, and keep everyone safe from toxic chemicals and ingredients.

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Vaccines should be optional because vaccine requirements conflict with several religious,
philosophical, and moral beliefs. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution gives
people the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression. Mandatory vaccination laws
limit individuals opportunities to express their choices and follow their own religions and
beliefs. Religious and other exemptions to mandatory vaccination laws are not required by the
United States Constitution (Ciolli). Forty-eight out of fifty states allow people to receive
religious exemptions for vaccination, and eighteen allow non-religious cultural or philosophical
objections as valid reasons to exempt individuals from vaccination (Ciolli). These laws are not
consistent among the several states in the nation, meaning that not everyone has an equal
freedom of choice when it comes to vaccines. This is especially true with non-religious beliefs,
with only eighteen states allowing such objections. Vaccines may contain components that were
once a part of a pig, creating controversy for Muslims and Jews, since their religions oppose the
use of pork products (Institute for Vaccine Safety). Islam and Judaism are two of many religions
that are practiced in the United States, and the issues only heighten when Muslims and Jews are
forced to engage in something that is against their own religious laws, preventing them from
attaining full religious freedom. Also, using cell lines from intentionally aborted fetuses brings
into question ethical, moral, and religious values (Institute for Vaccine Safety). Not only do
certain religions prohibit involvement in abortion, but there are also philosophical beliefs people
have about the morality of using cells from aborted fetuses for something like vaccines.
Mandatory vaccination only leads to religious and moral controversy, and this strays away from
the rights given in the First Amendment, but the issues of side effects and allergies related to
vaccines cause even more concern.

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Vaccines can be dangerous for many people as they can cause side effects as well as
adverse or allergic reactions after injection, making vaccines unsafe and unworthy to be
mandated. Many are not aware of the potential allergies and side effects associated with
vaccines. Side effects and allergies can escalate into much larger problems, depending on the
individual receiving the vaccine. The chicken pox vaccine, for example, has potential side
effects that include soreness, swelling, seizures, rashes, and, in the worst case, pneumonia
(Possible Side-effects from Vaccines). Side effects, such as soreness, can be mild, while others,
such as pneumonia, can be severe, but these are all risks associated with receiving vaccines that
may not be fit for everyones medical history. As for vaccine that can cause allergies, the
influenza vaccine is grown in eggs, and some people, about one half of one percent (or about
one in two hundred), are allergic to egg proteins, with symptoms such as hives, difficulty
breathing, low blood pressure, and even shock (Offit and Moser 34). One in two hundred may
not seem like much, but considering the whole population of the United States and the potential
shock risks associated with the influenza vaccine, there should be less of a reason to mandate
vaccines such as this one. Another possible allergic reaction from receiving vaccines is
anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, which is a severe, whole-body allergic reaction that is
life-threatening, with symptoms such as hives, itchiness, nasal congestion, nausea, or
vomiting (Anaphylaxis). Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are known to cause anaphylaxis
or anaphylactic shock after four hours of vaccine administration (Vaccine Injury Table). The
potential for a life-threatening response that encompasses the whole body fairly quickly causes
alarm for many individuals, who would prefer not to receive such vaccines with this type of risk.
Side effects and allergies can be difficult to deal with, but potential harm that comes from toxic
ingredients inside vaccines can be even more devastating and controversial.

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Many vaccines contain various toxic chemicals and ingredients, including thimerosal,
formaldehyde, phenol, and aluminum, that can cause dangerous long-term effects. Small dosages
of these ingredients are included in the manufacturing of vaccines. Cumulative vaccine injections
can result in long-term diseases. Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative included in
vaccines that can cause redness and swelling at the injection site, as well as allergic reactions
(Thimerosal in Vaccines). The mercury in thimerosal is metabolized by the human body when
given a vaccination, and then it is converted to an inorganic compound that stays in body tissues,
capable of causing chronic diseases such as autism, Alzheimers disease, and thyroid disease.
Mandating vaccines containing thimerosal is not the safest way of maintaining herd immunity.
Formaldehyde, another ingredient in vaccines, was classified by the Environmental Protection
Agency in 1987 as a probable human carcinogen under conditions of unusually high or
prolonged exposure (Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk). High exposure is possible since multiple
vaccines are given to infants over a short period of time, meaning that vaccines can be unsafe as
they can potentially cause cancer. Another toxic substance in vaccines is phenol. Phenol is
known to cause chronic effects, such as anorexia, progressive weight loss, diarrhea, vertigo,
salivation, as well as gastrointestinal irritation and blood and liver effects (Phenol). Since
many infants are vaccinated, the effects of ingredients such as phenol can last a lifetime and is
something many people will not be able to tolerate. Aluminum is a common substance found in
vaccines, which can be dangerous if ingested into the body. Kidney dialysis patients have
developed disorders of the brain and bones due to the aluminum (Vaccine Ingredients
Aluminum). Although kidney dialysis patients only refer to a certain group of people, the
potential for vaccines to cause damage to something as important as the brain or the bones,
which are important in carrying out life processes, is alarming. Despite the medical

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complications resulting from toxic chemicals in vaccines, some still argue that vaccines should
be required in all states.
Although there are many concerns associated with making vaccines mandatory, people
argue otherwise, saying that infants need multiple vaccines to prevent dangerous infectious
diseases, and that vaccines are not at all capable of causing diseases such as autism. One
argument is that vaccination should be mandated, especially for infants and children, since they
are most vulnerable to acquiring dangerous infectious diseases during the first months of their
lives and thus need several vaccinations in a short period of time. However, More than ten
million vaccines are given to infants less than one year old every year, which is when infants are
at the greatest risk for fevers, seizures, and sudden infant death syndrome (VAERS). Vaccines
are capable of causing sudden infant death syndrome, which is a case in which babies suddenly
die in their sleep. It is true that infants are very vulnerable in the early stages of life, but the risks
of giving several vaccines with side effects such as these associated with each vaccine is much
more dangerous than the infant actually getting infected with a disease that can be vaccinated
against. Also, the natural immunity that babies receive after getting past a disease is much safer
and healthier than receiving multiple vaccinations. Another argument supporting the
implementation of compulsory vaccination is that there is no evidence supporting that vaccines
cause autism, meaning that vaccines are safe to mandate for the public. Autism is a mental
disorder in which one is incapable of interacting and communicating properly with others. The
Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration allowed
mercury in childhood vaccines to more than double between 1988 and 1992, and the
corresponding autism incidence went from one in every ten thousand births in the 1980s to one
in five hundred in the late 1990s (Kirby xiv). Autism incidence has continued to grow ever

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since, and although these numbers do not exactly show that vaccines cause autism, they do
indicate a relationship between the increased presence of mercury (such as thimerosal) in
vaccines and the increased presence of autism in kids. Even the potential for such risks as sudden
infant death syndrome and autism should get rid of any thought about mandating vaccination, as
well as raise concerns for parents and their children.
The federal government must give individuals the choice to opt out of receiving
vaccinations in order to allow them to practice their own beliefs, stay away from adverse
reactions, and stay away from dangerous chemicals that can cause chronic diseases. The issue of
vaccination is a large one, considering every state has differing laws when it comes to the
subject, and the U.S. Constitution does not say anything specifically regarding the federal
government involving itself with mandatory vaccination. This gives rise to a larger question: Is it
our job or the governments job to decide what we can and cannot put into our bodies? We must
persuade and encourage all states to give people a choice when it comes to the topic of
vaccination.

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Works Cited
"Anaphylaxis." University of Maryland Medical Center. N.p., 11 May 2014. Web. 01 Nov. 2015.
Ciolli, Anthony. "Mandatory School Vaccinations: The Role of Tort Law." The Yale Journal of
Biology and Medicine. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
"Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk." National Cancer Institute. National Institutes of Health, n.d.
Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
"Institute for Vaccine Safety - Religion and Vaccines." Institute for Vaccine Safety - Religion and
Vaccines. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
Kirby, David. Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic. New York:
Griffin, 2006. Print.
Moritz, Andreas. Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time. N.p.: Ener-Chi
Wellness Center, 2011. Print.
Offit, Paul A., and Charlotte A. Moser. Vaccines & Your Child: Separating Fact from Fiction.
New York: Columbia UP, 2011. Print.
"Phenol." Phenol. United States Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2015.

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"Possible Side-effects from Vaccines." Possible Side-effects from Vaccines. N.p., n.d. Web. 25
Sept. 2015.
"Thimerosal in Vaccines." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
"Vaccine Ingredients - Aluminum." The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. N.p., 4 Nov. 2014.
Web. 01 Nov. 2015.
"Vaccine Injury Table." Vaccine Injury Table. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2015.
"VAERS - Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System." VAERS Data. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept.
2015.