Child vaccines should be optional (this is a PERSUASIVE PAPER) Essay

Child vaccines should be optional (this is a PERSUASIVE PAPER) - Essay Example By doing this, it stimulates the immune system in order to fight the disease if the child catches it. This is known as vaccination. McTaggart contradicts that vaccines are helpful by to children by pointing out that vaccination problems far outweigh those of going unvaccinated. Therefore, there are many questions concerning the safety and effectiveness of vaccines as opposed to those of going unvaccinated (McTaggart 1992, 1-5). Vaccines can cause complications that are more harmful than those of going unvaccinated or even the disease itself. Professor of epidemiology at the university of Washington, Dr Russell Alexander, points out that the people that determine the risks of vaccination does not compare it to those risks of being unvaccinated (Miller 1993, 9-9). This means that the research done by the panel, which said vaccination risks are 'too small to count', contains many weaknesses. McTaggart links the appearance of learning disabilities, autism, and hyperactivity to the beginning of the mass vaccination programs. Thus, vaccination is directly related to many diseases; and some are still unknown. McTaggart adds that the mumps vaccine has proved to be a direct cause of seizures, meningitis, deafness, and encephalitis. These diseases are extremely dangerous and cannot be cured. Dr J Anthony Morris, an immunization specialist formerly of America's 'National Institutes of Health' and 'Food and Drug Admin istration' states that in several of the studies, the measles vaccine strain has been recovered from the spines of the victims. This shows conclusively that the vaccine caused the encephalitis' (McTaggart 1992, 5-5). As a medical authority, Doctor Morris relates the measles vaccine to deadly diseases; such as encephalitis. On the other hand, the risks of catching the disease for unvaccinated children are similar, but less, to the risks of developing harmful complications due to the vaccine. Therefore, vaccination is more risky to your child than going unvaccinated. In addition to the safety problems, vaccines have also proven to be ineffective among many children. McTaggart reasons the current debate about vaccination and states that the measles portion of the triple shot is not working. This means that children who receive the MMR shot, also known as the measles, mumps, and rubella, are not completely immune against these diseases. McTaggart adds that the cases of measles have increased during the last decade. Similar to measles, McTaggart states that rubella's portion of the vaccine showed failure to prevent this fatal disease (McTaggart 1992, 13-13). Therefore, the fact that vaccination is not effective is common in many diseases. According to the 'Centers for Disease Control Morbidity and Mortality' in 1985, about 80 percent of measles cases occurring in children in America were in vaccinated ones who were vaccinated at the appropriate age (McTaggart 1992 3-3). Therefore it has been proven that vaccinations are ineffective against some dise ases. Vaccine supporters defend vaccines by claiming that vaccines caused a reduction in the number of disease