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Natalie Lutz

ENG 112-970

2/19/19

The Controversies dealing with vaccinations

Do vaccinations help you or hurt you? They may physically hurt you, but are they

causing psychological disorders? Some people believe that vaccinations are to help

give you lifelong protection from certain illnesses and diseases. This has stayed true for

many kids and parents. However, many people are going against this reasoning

because they think that vaccines can cause lifelong psychological disorders. Many

discussions are coming about pertaining to whether vaccinations are used to help you

or that they are used to only make you worse. “​Over the last twenty years or so,

vaccines have developed as one of the standard examples of major public scientific

controversies, alongside climate change and genetically modified foods” (Hicks, Daniel

J).

Vaccination controversies are not just occuring in the United States. Many other

countries are also experiencing this problem. With people believing that vaccinations

are more harmful than helpful, the rates of those getting immune is going down. This

would mean that more people are getting diagnosed because they are not getting their

lifelong protection from the vaccine. “The internet has played an important role in

France in the emergence of a controversy over the safety of the new vaccines” (Ward,

Jeremy K). One can post anything on the internet for others to read and believe. You do
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not know if the information is correct or false. One may choose to believe what they

have read and change their feelings towards getting a vaccine. “We have found that

internet users using google are more likely to find critical information when querying

about controversial vaccines such as HPV and aluminium adjuvants than when

querying about vaccination and vaccines in general” (Ward, Jeremy K). Controversies

were also being thrown around in Great Britain. The internet, along with not enough

information on the vaccines, played a huge factor in the beliefs of vaccinations here as

well. “​ ​A study in Britain of parental attitudes toward vaccination found that many

parents, especially those against vaccinations, considered doctors too likely to "toe the

party line" with respect to vaccine safety” (Colgrove, James, and Ronald Bayer). This

may make one believe that doctors try to get you to get a vaccination without actually

telling you information on it. This is one of the many reasons that parents are unaware

of risks they are taking. They tend to look up information on the internet that is against

vaccinations to make them to believe that they are harmful to your body. Although,

vaccinations can be harmful to your body and you may wish to never get one because

of the problems that could occur as side effects.

“Since an outbreak of measles began at California's Disneyland last month, the

debate on vaccination has been thrust into the national spotlight” (Zettel, Jen). They

wanted everyone to get a vaccination in order to be protected from getting this disease

and spreading it even more. This also occurs in schools. They want all kids to come

after they are vaccinated to help protect them from getting exposed to certain things.

They cannot force you to get a vaccination because some religions and other factors
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are against getting vaccinations. “Parents can choose not to vaccinate their children for

medical, religious or personal reasons by checking a box on their child's immunization

record” (Zettel, Jen). In the end, it is your choice on whether you wish to let your child

receive a vaccination or not. You are risking problems on both sides. By getting a

vaccination, you are risking side effects that could occur. By not getting a vaccination,

you are risking the exposure in getting certain diseases that other kids are already

protected from.

Some may have reasons for not getting vaccinated. They may believe that it will

lead to a psychological disorder. “One of the most contentious vaccine controversies to

date is the proposed causal relationship between the receipt of the

measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism” (Chatterjee, Archana, and

Catherine O'Keefe). Even though this may not have been a relevant relationship with

the vaccine and autism, many guardians are still believing this. There were not many

cases of this occurring and they could not prove that they were directly linked together.

Others are choosing to believe that they are running this risk if they choose to get

vaccinated at any time during their life. “In spite of overwhelming scientific evidence to

the contrary, the debate rages on with media reports fueling the general public's fear

and erosion of confidence in vaccines” (Chatterjee, Archana, and Catherine O'Keefe).

There are also many links that others believe with HPV and cervical cancer. You were

encouraged to get this vaccine around your beginning teenage years, but many parents

did not agree to doing this. “Parents and some healthcare providers argue that receipt

of the HPV vaccine should be a matter of individual choice, particularly since the
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vaccine is designed to prevent a sexually transmitted infection​” (​ C

​ hatterjee, Archana,

and Catherine O'Keefe). They did not want their kids to be exposed to this vaccination

to make it seem like they were bad kids.

Although there are many risks in getting vaccinations, there are also plenty of

benefits in receiving them. “Physicians and researchers have worked to develop

vaccinations to prevent many diseases known to kill and maim vulnerable members of

the population, such as children, the sick, and the elderly” (Bar-Yam, N). One may

believe that vaccines are the reason that they never get sick. Many children start to get

vaccinated at an early age in order to get the lifelong protection that they need. There

are vaccinations for fatal diseases and certain illnesses. “​Many parents are willing and

eager to vaccinate their children against polio, measles, and pertussis. However, they

think twice about vaccinating against chicken pox, which rarely has consequences

beyond the seven to ten days of illness” (Bar-Yam, N). Experts are continuing to

enhance different vaccinations to make them even better than they are now.

Many different controversies are being talked over about vaccinations. Some

may believe that they are extremely useful in order to keep you healthy and away from

certain illnesses. Others may believe that vaccines are what causes certain illnesses.

Whichever side you choose to believe is your choice. Factors throughout the world may

be impacting your decision. Are vaccines worth it?

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Works Cited

Bar-Yam, N. (2000). Political issues: Calling the shots; A brief look at the vaccination controversy.

International Journal of Childbirth Education, 15​(1), 39-41. Retrieved from

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/212855296?

accountid=10163

Chatterjee, Archana, and Catherine O'Keefe. "Current Controversies in the USA regarding

Vaccine Safety."​ Expert Review of Vaccines,​ vol. 9, no. 5, 2010, pp. 497-502​.

ProQuest,​

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/199924286?

accountid=10163, doi:​http://dx.doi.org/10.1586/erv.10.36​.

Colgrove, James, and Ronald Bayer. "Could it Happen here? Vaccine Risk Controversies and the

Specter of Derailment."​ Health Affairs,​ vol. 24, no. 3, 2005, pp. 729-39​. ProQuest​,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/20464583

5?accountid=10163, doi:​http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.24.3.729​.

Hicks, Daniel J. "Vaccine: The Debate in Modern America."​ Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal,​

vol. 26, no. 4, 2016, pp. E10-E25​. ProQuest,​

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/18760558

14?accountid=10163​.

Ward, Jeremy K., et al. "Vaccine-Criticism on the Internet: New Insights Based on

French-Speaking Websites."​ Vaccine,​ vol. 33, no. 8, 2015, pp. 1063-1070​. ProQuest,​

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/16498257

28?accountid=10163, doi:​http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.12.064​.
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Zettel, Jen. "Vaccination Controversy."​ The Post - Crescent​, Feb 09, 2015, pp. 1​. ProQuest,​

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/165245590

7?accountid=10163​.