Essay Example on Measles Outbreaks: Vaccine Hesitancy Poses Serious Threat to US Health

Research links the recent outbreak of measles in the US to vaccine hesitancy. The reoccurrence of measles can be attributed to the increasing tendency of many parents refusing to have their children vaccinated. Even though there have been numerous efforts to counter the ever-increasing anti-vaccination attitudes among parents by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the steps have bored little fruits. The US was declared measles free in 2000; however, 644 cases were recorded in 2014 representing a threefold increase in the cases reported in 2013. To reverse this trend, people must be persuaded to vaccinate children by explaining the need for vaccines in stopping the spread of infectious diseases

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First, vaccination can save your children's lives. Improvements in medical technology have revolutionized methods for disease control and cure. Through medical technology, we have been able to control and get rid of many diseases that once led to the deaths of many children around the world. This has been achieved through the effective and safe use of vaccines. As it is said that prevention is better than cure, vaccination is the cheapest and the most effective way of controlling dangerous diseases.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), diseases such measles, polio, Whooping cough (pertussis), rubella, diphtheria, Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b), tetanus, rotavirus and mumps posed severe health risks and even death to millions of children around the world before the development of vaccines against such diseases. Polio, for example, was one of the most feared diseases in America that resulted in paralysis and death across the country. Currently, Polio has been wholly eradicated from America, all thanks to vaccination.

Vaccines are very safe and effective. Vaccination is only carried out after careful review of vaccines by scientists, medical doctors and other health practitioners. When administered, vaccines may result in mild side effects such as pain at the injected part. However, this may not be as expensive as the trauma, discomfort, pain and even death that may result from the vaccine-preventable diseases. Research by the US Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) indicates that very few individuals would report serious side effects accompanied by the administration of vaccines. For this reason, the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the potential health risks in all children.

Apart from protecting your children, vaccination also ensures the safety of the other children you care about. It contributes to stopping the spread of highly contagious vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio. According to HHS, there are still cases of vaccine-preventable diseases. The claim was confirmed by the 667 cases of measles recorded in 27 states across the country. This was a notable increase from the 55 points that were recorded in 2012. Also, around 10, 000 to 50,000 pertussis cases were recorded yearly in the US since 2010 leading to the death of between 10 and 20 babies, some of whom had not attained the pertussis immunization age. For example, measles a disease characterized by rashes, running nose, fever, red, watery eyes and cough is highly infectious and dangerous among young children.

Due to the weakened immune system resulting from conditions such as leukaemia, severe allergies and other health complications, some children may not benefit from certain vaccinations. To keep these children safe, it is advisable that parents, together with their other children who can take vaccines to be fully immunized. Immunization protects members of your family and help in stopping the spread of infectious diseases to your loved ones and friends.

Vaccination can help you save money and time. Vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio can result in prolonged disabilities that may cause a financial burden to your family. Such children require specialized healthcare and parental care leading to loss of time at work and high medical bills. They may also be denied access to child care facilities and school attendance. It is a requirement in all the US states that children be vaccinated against preventable diseases including mumps, measles, whooping cough and rubella to be able to access school. This law applies to all children in private and public schools as well as daycare facilities. Parents should, therefore, invest in the health of their children by vaccinating them to prevent them from incurring financial losses. Vaccination program for children is federally funded, and vaccines are provided free of charge to all children of low-income parents.

Vaccination is essential in protecting future generations. Many diseases that severely disabled or killed many people several years ago have been reduced or eliminated by vaccines. Smallpox, for example, has been eliminated throughout the world. Presently, most children do not have to get smallpox vaccination since the disease has been eradicated. Vaccinating children against German measles (rubella) has reduced the risk of expectant mothers passing it on to their unborn babies. Ensuring that every child is vaccinated is a step towards eliminating all the vaccine-preventable disease, and consequently guaranteeing a condition from the world in the years to come.

Conclusion

In conclusion, vaccination is the only sure way of preventing and controlling vaccine-preventable diseases. In vaccinating their children, parents contribute towards saving lives that would otherwise be lost to vaccine-preventable diseases, protecting their children and other people from such conditions, saving money and time spent on taking care of affected children and safeguard the futures generations. Reports from the HHS indicates that vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles are highly prevalent among unvaccinated populations, especially, children. Data from the CDC and Prevention also show that vaccination can successfully subdue the prevalence of these diseases. Even though there should be continued research to determine the safety and effectiveness of all vaccines, it is essential to vaccinate all children to contain and prevent future outbreaks of these diseases.

Works Cited

Rossen, Isabel, et al. "Accepters, fence-sitters, or rejecters: Moral profiles of vaccination attitudes." Social Science & Medicine 224 (2019): 23-27. Available online at http://mark-hurlstone.github.io/RHDL.19.pdf

"Five Important Reasons to Vaccinate Your Child | Vaccines". Vaccines.Gov, 2020, https://www.vaccines.gov/getting/for_parents/five_reasons. Accessed 1 May 2020. Available online at https://www.vaccines.gov/getting/for_parents/five_reasons

Horne, Zachary, et al. "Countering antivaccination attitudes." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112.33 (2015): 10321-10324. Available online at https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/112/33/10321.full.pdf

"Vaccines: Vac-Gen/Why Are Childhood Vaccines So Important?". Cdc.Gov, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/howvpd.htm. Accessed 1 May 2020. Available online at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/howvpd.htm