English 102
The Duty as Parents
In the early 1900's, poliomyelitis, a disease that causes paralysis ran rampid throughout the
population of the United States. This disease was the most notorious disease of the 20th century
until AIDS appeared. Parents worried about bringing their children out in public, especially to
schools around other susceptible children. Children were particulary affected with some being
permanently put into a device called the iron lung to help them breathe due to lung paralysis.
Even the country's president at the time from 1933 to 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was
paralyzed from the waist down due to polio. "In the late 1940s and early 1950s, polio crippled an
average of more than 35,000 people in the United States each year" (History of Polio). "The
1916 toll nationwide was 27,000 cases and 6,000 deaths" (History of Polio) and "in 1952, the
United States saw a record 57,628 cases" (History of Polio). The vaccine was introduced in 1955
and saw a dramatic decrease in the occurrence of the disease and helped parents become less
fearful over their children's health when it came to contracting this disease. In just 24 short
years, from when the vaccine was first introduced, the United States became polio free in 1979.
Vaccines have completely eradicated certain debilitating and deadly diseases in the United
States and most countries around the world while also making formly well documented diseases
Lowe 2
rare. In today's society, more and more parents are choosing not to have their children
vaccinated which puts their children's lives and other people's lives in jeopardy. Today's
generation has not felt the fear of diseases like polio, measles, and diphtheria. Diseases that are
rare or eradicated in the United States could still make a comeback in the non immune
community because these diseases are still occurring around the world and can make their way
into the U.S. population. Parents need to vaccinate their children in order to maintain the health
of their families and he people around them as well as understand that vaccines do not cause
autism.
Vaccines are made by the microorganisms that cause the disease, but are killed or weakened to
the point where they can't make people sick. It stimulates the immune system to produce
antibodies which develop the body into having an immunity to the disease if it were to ever come
in contact with it ultimately preventing the disease from ever occurring. Natural immunity is
possible, but children would have to become infected with a debilitating and deadly disease and
risk death which is highly unsafe compared to vaccinations. One reason parents choose not to
have their children vaccinated is the fear that the additives formaldehyde, mercury, and
aluminum harms their child's health negatively. Vaccines do contain formaldehyde,
mercury, and aluminum, but at non harmful levels that makes some parents choice to have their
children unvaccinated unwarranted. Only trace amounts of formaldehyde are in vaccines and,
"according to the FDA and CDC, formaldehyde is produced at higher rates by our own metabolic
systems" (Vaccines). The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has said that,
"there is no scientific evidence that the low levels of this chemical, mercury, or aluminum in
Lowe 3
vaccines can be harmful" (Vaccines). Some common diseases vaccines prevent are: diphtheria,
Hepatitis B, Measles, and Tetanus.
Diphtheria is a bacterial disease of the respiratory system that can cause a thick covering in the
back of the throat leading to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and death. Up to half of
the people who caught the disease died from it before a vaccine was invented. "The U.S.
recorded 206,000 cases of diphtheria in 1921, resulting in 15,520 deaths" (Diphtheria
Vaccination). "In the past decade, there were less than five cases of diphtheria in the U.S.
reported to the CDC" (Diphtheria Vaccination). This disease is still seen in other countries and is
not completely eradicated from the U.S. population, so prevention by vaccinations are important
in order for this disease to not make a comeback.
Hepatitis B is a viral disease that affects the liver causing lifelong infection, cirrhosis of the
liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. Hepatitis B is 50-100 times more infectious than HIV
and can be passed through the exchange of body fluids.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease causing high fevers and rashes to develop.
Measles is the most deadly of all childhood rash/fever illnesses. "In 1980, before widespread
vaccination, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year" (Measles Vaccination).
"During 2000-2013, measles vaccination prevented an estimated 15.6 million deaths" (Measles
Vaccination). It was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 after the vaccine became
available in 1963.
Tetanus, or lockjaw, is a disease that causes painful tightening of the muscles all over the body
Lowe 4
which can lead to death in 1 out of 10 cases. It is caused by a bacteria that is found in the soil,
dust, and manure. "Nearly all cases of tetanus are among people who have never received a
tetanus vaccine, or adults who don't stay up to date on their 10-year booster shots" (Tetanus
(lockjaw) Vaccination).
If vaccine numbers continue to decline, preventable diseases would make a comeback.
Diseases uncommon or eradicated in the United States are still having an effect around the world
and can find its way back into the U.S. population if parents continue to have their children
unvaccinated. For example, in 1974, Japan's pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination program
had nearly 80% of their children vaccinated throughout the country. That same year only 393
cases of the disease were reported, and parents experienced no deaths of their son or daughter.
Eventually rumors began to spread that people no longer needed to have their children
vaccinated against pertussis and that the vaccine was not safe, and by 1976, just two years after
no deaths were reported, only 10% of infants were getting the vaccine. A major pertussis
epidemic hit Japan in 1979 with having 41 deaths and over 13,000 cases reported.
In the United States 169 people have become infected with measles this year alone from
January 1st to May 1st 2015. The outbreak stretches across 20 states, but most of the infections
stemmed from visiting an amusement park in California. In 2014, the CDC (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention) reported a record of 668 cases since Measles was documented as being
eliminated from the U.S. in 2000. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Health has said that the main reason for
outbreaks of the disease, once thought eliminated, is that "not everyone who could and should be
Lowe 5
vaccinated is getting vaccinated" (Massimo). When parents chose to not have their children
vaccinated, he says, "you leave a gap in the protection umbrella that you have over society"
(Massimo).
America is seeing it's own epidemic of parents using the excuse for not having their children
vaccinated because of their fear of the theory that there is a link between autism and vaccines.
"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders,
characterized by social impairment, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and
stereotyped patterns of behaviors" (Lord). Researchers have identified a number of genes
associated with the disorder.
The man behind the idea that vaccines cause autism, Dr. Andrew Wafefield, has been found to
have misrepresented or altered the medical histories of all 12 of the patients in his 1988 study. In
a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, their findings "indicate no harmful
association between MMR vaccine receipt and ASD even among children already at higher risk
for ASD" (Anjali).
Groups like Age of Autism play onto parents emotions to push on their belief that vaccines
cause autism while Autism Speaks, an accredited charity, acknowledge logical evidence based
on science not emotions. "Over the last two decades, extensive research have asked whether
there is any link between childhood vaccinations and autism. The results of this research are
clear: Vaccines do not cause autism. We urge that all children be fully vaccinated" (Autism
Speaks).
The United States government makes getting children vaccinated simple and easy to follow
Lowe 6
with parents being able to take advantage of free vaccination clinics and gleaning information
from numerous accredited websites like cdc.gov/vaccines/ by the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention and vaccineinformation.org by the Immunization Action
Coalition. Individual states have their own recommended vaccination schedules to follow that
show parents what vaccines to get their children at what age and how many shots are necessary
to provide immunity to their family members. Vaccinations are required for children to attend
public schools and into their adult lives they are also required to attend public colleges and
universities as well as join the military. Some countries around the world also have vaccination
requirements for U.S. citizens planning on visiting their country.
Vaccines are extremely important in today's society. The U.S. is constantly coming in contact
with other countries around the world thanks to trade and the ease of travel now bringing the
threat of infectious diseases along. Parents have a duty to their families and the community
around them to have their children vaccinated so that diseases like measles, diphtheria, and
tetanus do not find its way into the population and cause harm and even death to citizens.
Vaccines do not cause autism and traces of mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde do not harm
the body making these two reasons to have children unvaccinated unwarranted.
I need to work on having more detail in my research paper. I feel like I have enough detail in some parts and am lacking in others. For example, I need to find more information about autism and maybe write more on the group Age of Autism that has a strong following. Also, I need to find more on other common diseases we get vaccinated for. The detail I could put into the essay will help make my paper the 8 pages that I need. My paper is too short write now with only 6 pages. Also, I need to put my own findings about asking parents if they have their children vaccinated and why/why not. My paper starts off with a sort of history review with my thesis and main intro being in the second paragraph. Other than that, I feel like I have a good draft I can use a review to fix up into a final paper.
Lowe 7
Works Cited
"AGE OF AUTISM." AGE OF AUTISM. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
Anjali, Jain, Ami Buikema, Jaclyn Marshall, Tim Bancroft, Jonathan P. Kelly, and Craig J.
Newschaffer. "Autism Occurrence by MMR Vaccine Status Among U.S. Children." JAMA
Network. The Journal of the American Medical Association. 21 Apr. 2015. Web 15 May 2015.
"Autism Fact Sheet."National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). N.p.,
n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Diphtheria Vaccination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Diseases and Vaccines" National Vaccine Information
Center (NVIC). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Hepatitis B Vaccination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 03 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 May 2015.
"History of Polio." History of Vaccines RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
Lord, Catherine, Edwin H Cook, Bennett L. Leventhal, and David G. Amaral. "Autism Spectrum
Disorders." Neuron. Science Direct. Nov. 2000. Web. 15 May 2015.
Lowe 8
Massimo, Rick. "Expert: The Lesson from Recent Measles Case? Vaccinate." WTOP. N.p., 21
May 2015. Web. 22 May 2015.
"Measles Vaccination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 07 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Tetanus (Lockjaw) Vaccination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Vaccines." Vaccine Benefits. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, n. d. Web.
Apr. 2015.
"Vaccines and Autism." Autism Speaks. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Vaccine Myths Debunked." Understanding Vaccines. Public Health, n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.
"What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?" Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 May 2014. Web. 20 May 2015.
Lowe 9
The Duty as Parents
In the early 1900's, poliomyelitis, a disease that causes paralysis ran rampid throughout the
population of the United States. This disease was the most notorious disease of the 20th century
until AIDS appeared. Parents worried about bringing their children out in public, especially to
schools around other susceptible children. Children were particulary affected with some being
permanently put into a device called the iron lung to help them breathe due to lung paralysis.
Even the country's president at the time from 1933 to 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was
paralyzed from the waist down due to polio. "In the late 1940s and early 1950s, polio crippled an
average of more than 35,000 people in the United States each year" (History of Polio). "The
1916 toll nationwide was 27,000 cases and 6,000 deaths" (History of Polio) and "in 1952, the
United States saw a record 57,628 cases" (History of Polio). The vaccine was introduced in 1955
and saw a dramatic decrease in the occurrence of the disease and helped parents become less
fearful over their children's health when it came to contracting this disease. In just 24 short
years, from when the vaccine was first introduced, the United States became polio free in 1979.
Vaccines have completely eradicated certain debilitating and deadly diseases in the United
States and most countries around the world while also making formly well documented diseases
Lowe 2
rare. In today's society, more and more parents are choosing not to have their children
vaccinated which puts their children's lives and other people's lives in jeopardy. Today's
generation has not felt the fear of diseases like polio, measles, and diphtheria. Diseases that are
rare or eradicated in the United States could still make a comeback in the non immune
community because these diseases are still occurring around the world and can make their way
into the U.S. population. Parents need to vaccinate their children in order to maintain the health
of their families and he people around them as well as understand that vaccines do not cause
autism.
Vaccines are made by the microorganisms that cause the disease, but are killed or weakened to
the point where they can't make people sick. It stimulates the immune system to produce
antibodies which develop the body into having an immunity to the disease if it were to ever come
in contact with it ultimately preventing the disease from ever occurring. Natural immunity is
possible, but children would have to become infected with a debilitating and deadly disease and
risk death which is highly unsafe compared to vaccinations. One reason parents choose not to
have their children vaccinated is the fear that the additives formaldehyde, mercury, and
aluminum harms their child's health negatively. Vaccines do contain formaldehyde,
mercury, and aluminum, but at non harmful levels that makes some parents choice to have their
children unvaccinated unwarranted. Only trace amounts of formaldehyde are in vaccines and,
"according to the FDA and CDC, formaldehyde is produced at higher rates by our own metabolic
systems" (Vaccines). The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has said that,
"there is no scientific evidence that the low levels of this chemical, mercury, or aluminum in
Lowe 3
vaccines can be harmful" (Vaccines). Some common diseases vaccines prevent are: diphtheria,
Hepatitis B, Measles, and Tetanus.
Diphtheria is a bacterial disease of the respiratory system that can cause a thick covering in the
back of the throat leading to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and death. Up to half of
the people who caught the disease died from it before a vaccine was invented. "The U.S.
recorded 206,000 cases of diphtheria in 1921, resulting in 15,520 deaths" (Diphtheria
Vaccination). "In the past decade, there were less than five cases of diphtheria in the U.S.
reported to the CDC" (Diphtheria Vaccination). This disease is still seen in other countries and is
not completely eradicated from the U.S. population, so prevention by vaccinations are important
in order for this disease to not make a comeback.
Hepatitis B is a viral disease that affects the liver causing lifelong infection, cirrhosis of the
liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. Hepatitis B is 50-100 times more infectious than HIV
and can be passed through the exchange of body fluids.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease causing high fevers and rashes to develop.
Measles is the most deadly of all childhood rash/fever illnesses. "In 1980, before widespread
vaccination, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year" (Measles Vaccination).
"During 2000-2013, measles vaccination prevented an estimated 15.6 million deaths" (Measles
Vaccination). It was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 after the vaccine became
available in 1963.
Tetanus, or lockjaw, is a disease that causes painful tightening of the muscles all over the body
Lowe 4
which can lead to death in 1 out of 10 cases. It is caused by a bacteria that is found in the soil,
dust, and manure. "Nearly all cases of tetanus are among people who have never received a
tetanus vaccine, or adults who don't stay up to date on their 10-year booster shots" (Tetanus
(lockjaw) Vaccination).
If vaccine numbers continue to decline, preventable diseases would make a comeback.
Diseases uncommon or eradicated in the United States are still having an effect around the world
and can find its way back into the U.S. population if parents continue to have their children
unvaccinated. For example, in 1974, Japan's pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination program
had nearly 80% of their children vaccinated throughout the country. That same year only 393
cases of the disease were reported, and parents experienced no deaths of their son or daughter.
Eventually rumors began to spread that people no longer needed to have their children
vaccinated against pertussis and that the vaccine was not safe, and by 1976, just two years after
no deaths were reported, only 10% of infants were getting the vaccine. A major pertussis
epidemic hit Japan in 1979 with having 41 deaths and over 13,000 cases reported.
In the United States 169 people have become infected with measles this year alone from
January 1st to May 1st 2015. The outbreak stretches across 20 states, but most of the infections
stemmed from visiting an amusement park in California. In 2014, the CDC (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention) reported a record of 668 cases since Measles was documented as being
eliminated from the U.S. in 2000. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Health has said that the main reason for
outbreaks of the disease, once thought eliminated, is that "not everyone who could and should be
Lowe 5
vaccinated is getting vaccinated" (Massimo). When parents chose to not have their children
vaccinated, he says, "you leave a gap in the protection umbrella that you have over society"
(Massimo).
America is seeing it's own epidemic of parents using the excuse for not having their children
vaccinated because of their fear of the theory that there is a link between autism and vaccines.
"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders,
characterized by social impairment, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and
stereotyped patterns of behaviors" (Lord). Researchers have identified a number of genes
associated with the disorder.
The man behind the idea that vaccines cause autism, Dr. Andrew Wafefield, has been found to
have misrepresented or altered the medical histories of all 12 of the patients in his 1988 study. In
a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, their findings "indicate no harmful
association between MMR vaccine receipt and ASD even among children already at higher risk
for ASD" (Anjali).
Groups like Age of Autism play onto parents emotions to push on their belief that vaccines
cause autism while Autism Speaks, an accredited charity, acknowledge logical evidence based
on science not emotions. "Over the last two decades, extensive research have asked whether
there is any link between childhood vaccinations and autism. The results of this research are
clear: Vaccines do not cause autism. We urge that all children be fully vaccinated" (Autism
Speaks).
The United States government makes getting children vaccinated simple and easy to follow
Lowe 6
with parents being able to take advantage of free vaccination clinics and gleaning information
from numerous accredited websites like cdc.gov/vaccines/ by the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention and vaccineinformation.org by the Immunization Action
Coalition. Individual states have their own recommended vaccination schedules to follow that
show parents what vaccines to get their children at what age and how many shots are necessary
to provide immunity to their family members. Vaccinations are required for children to attend
public schools and into their adult lives they are also required to attend public colleges and
universities as well as join the military. Some countries around the world also have vaccination
requirements for U.S. citizens planning on visiting their country.
Vaccines are extremely important in today's society. The U.S. is constantly coming in contact
with other countries around the world thanks to trade and the ease of travel now bringing the
threat of infectious diseases along. Parents have a duty to their families and the community
around them to have their children vaccinated so that diseases like measles, diphtheria, and
tetanus do not find its way into the population and cause harm and even death to citizens.
Vaccines do not cause autism and traces of mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde do not harm
the body making these two reasons to have children unvaccinated unwarranted.
I need to work on having more detail in my research paper. I feel like I have enough detail in some parts and am lacking in others. For example, I need to find more information about autism and maybe write more on the group Age of Autism that has a strong following. Also, I need to find more on other common diseases we get vaccinated for. The detail I could put into the essay will help make my paper the 8 pages that I need. My paper is too short write now with only 6 pages. Also, I need to put my own findings about asking parents if they have their children vaccinated and why/why not. My paper starts off with a sort of history review with my thesis and main intro being in the second paragraph. Other than that, I feel like I have a good draft I can use a review to fix up into a final paper.
Lowe 7
Works Cited
"AGE OF AUTISM." AGE OF AUTISM. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
Anjali, Jain, Ami Buikema, Jaclyn Marshall, Tim Bancroft, Jonathan P. Kelly, and Craig J.
Newschaffer. "Autism Occurrence by MMR Vaccine Status Among U.S. Children." JAMA
Network. The Journal of the American Medical Association. 21 Apr. 2015. Web 15 May 2015.
"Autism Fact Sheet."National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). N.p.,
n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Diphtheria Vaccination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Diseases and Vaccines" National Vaccine Information
Center (NVIC). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Hepatitis B Vaccination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 03 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 May 2015.
"History of Polio." History of Vaccines RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
Lord, Catherine, Edwin H Cook, Bennett L. Leventhal, and David G. Amaral. "Autism Spectrum
Disorders." Neuron. Science Direct. Nov. 2000. Web. 15 May 2015.
Lowe 8
Massimo, Rick. "Expert: The Lesson from Recent Measles Case? Vaccinate." WTOP. N.p., 21
May 2015. Web. 22 May 2015.
"Measles Vaccination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 07 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Tetanus (Lockjaw) Vaccination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Vaccines." Vaccine Benefits. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, n. d. Web.
Apr. 2015.
"Vaccines and Autism." Autism Speaks. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Vaccine Myths Debunked." Understanding Vaccines. Public Health, n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.
"What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?" Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 May 2014. Web. 20 May 2015.
Lowe 9
