The Factual Evidence of Vaccine Safety
Final Project
07/20/2014
Linda Rodriquez
Forty three years after the measles vaccine was introduced this disease is making a comeback. According to a press release from the CDC measles outbreaks are the highest they've been in 20 years. This has been the largest number of measles cases in the United States in the first five months of a year since 1994. (CDC Media Relations, 2014) If we have a vaccine, why are diseases like measles making a strong comeback? The answer lies in the disturbing trend of choosing not to vaccinate children. Parents are choosing not to vaccinate children because they fear that vaccinations are more harmful than helpful, and can cause irreparable damage.
For example, many people are convinced that autism is caused by immunizations, although there is no real evidence that supports this theory. This belief has led to a dangerous trend that has been driven by false data, and the media. Unfortunately this has led to outbreaks in preventable diseases and poses a danger to others. This growing movement of "anti-vaxxers" is putting the public at risk even though the CDC reports that “nearly all of the measles cases this year have been associated with international travel by unvaccinated people.” (CDC Media Relations, 2014, para. 1)
Vaccines are one of the greatest developments of the modern world and have allowed us to all but eradicate small pox and protect our children from other horrible diseases which used to kill hundreds of children every year. Vaccinations were first introduced in 1776 by Dr. Edward Jenner when he developed the smallpox vaccine. Imagine the labored breathing and unmistakable sound of whooping cough; the braces and iron lungs intended for kids crippled with polio; and the shocking birth defects that were caused by rubella: To most of us, these contagious menaces instantaneously stir thoughts of dread and signify obscure illnesses of the...