Should Vaccines Be Required for Children?

Should Vaccines Be Required for Children?

Terry J. Vervenne

DeVry University

Should Vaccines Be Required for Children?

Shots, inoculations, vaccines, do children need them? This is the issue that needs to be discussed. Why are vaccines a necessity of current times? Even though vaccines may have some side effects, they have saved many lives as everyone already knows. They prevent many types of diseases and stop the spread of others. Just image having to send your children to school that’s filled with other children carrying diseases and viruses. Viruses such as small pox, measles, and mumps that could invade your child’s body which in most circumstances will then be brought home and spread to other family members. Therefore, every child in America needs to be vaccinated before beginning school because vaccines can prevent disease, save lives, and alleviate sick days at school.

Firstly, many of these contagious diseases in children are preventable. Many of the viruses that cause diseases such as measles, mumps, or small pox are very dangerous. Sometimes the symptoms are very mild or not even noticed. While other times the symptoms can be severe, possibly even leaving a residual effect. For example, as everyone knows, if an adult male contracts mumps, this may cause sterility. Another example is polio, although preventable, once this disease is contracted it can lead to permanent muscle weakness. Once someone contracts one of these types of disease, it can possibly be fatal. Fortunately, these types of diseases are now avoidable thanks to vaccines.

All of these viruses and more now have an enemy, it’s called a vaccine. From the “Feed a cold, starve a fever” type of medicinal cure all, to the current prescription researched vaccines, today’s inoculations are the brick wall that diseases run into. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics "most childhood vaccines are 90%-99% effective in preventing disease" (Pro & Con Arguments: "Should Any...