Since their creation in 1796, vaccines have faced controversy over whether or not they are safe for human use. From concerns over causing measles and autism to the simple insistence that people have the right to choose, public opinions remain divided.
Some people believe that getting vaccinated is an infringement of their personal right to choose. Starting with the first smallpox vaccine in the early 1800s, people were already skeptical about its uses. While it was a novel solution and did its job well, people thought it wasn’t right to use on humans because the vaccine originated from an animal. This led to one of the first disagreements on the safety of vaccines. While some saw Dr. Jenner’s work on vaccines as revolutionary, others found it to be violating. This situation only worsened in 1853 due to the Vaccination Act. The Vaccination Act made it mandatory for infants to get vaccinated at three months old. The creation of this act directly led to many anti-vaccination groups popping up. Many people were concerned about vaccinating their children because they worried that vaccinations would make them sick; however, that’s not exactly how vaccinations work.
According to WHO, a vaccine is a small portion of a disease that is used to train your body to respond to an antigen. After being vaccinated, your immune system will be able to recognize the virus or invading bacteria. This allows it to respond faster to protect you in the future. Without vaccines, people are at risk for several different diseases such as measles, meningitis, pneumonia, smallpox, tetanus, and polio, just to name a few. WHO estimates that vaccines save over 4 million people a year. Knowing all this, how did vaccines become so demonized? Some people began to worry about the potential side effects of vaccines. It was originally thought that vaccines caused things like autism, but eventually that was debunked due to the flawed study. This concern did not subside, however, and to this day people continue to worry about the potential harmful effects of vaccines while completely ignoring the positive aspects of them. While it’s not a bad thing to be concerned about your health, it is bad to ignore medical interventions that could potentially save lives. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to decide what is best for themselves.
You may be wondering, why are there so many restrictions in place that force people to get vaccinations if they want to go to schools or get a job? Well not only are vaccinations important to protect yourself, it also protects others. Choosing not to be vaccinated puts other people at risk, especially those who are older or already have pre-existing health conditions. Simply being around these people, even if the disease isn’t affecting you currently, could be life-threatening to them. It’s perfectly understandable to have concerns about vaccines, but that fear shouldn’t endanger your safety or the safety of others. If you do have concerns, speak with a healthcare provider to become more educated on the long-term and short term effects of vaccines. Vaccines are a vital part of healthcare in order to ensure that everyone remains safe and can continue working without worry.
It’s easy to be blindsided by all the negativity surrounding vaccines, but it’s important to look at the positive aspects of it too. Vaccines have managed to prevent millions of deaths each year as well as reduce hospitalizations. This takes some of the strain off of the economy as well as boosting productivity in hospitals. Less diseases in the hospitals means that we have more opportunities to treat people who really need the help. Not only do vaccines prevent several diseases, but they also prepare us for the future. If we encounter something like smallpox, then we have the knowledge and technology available to find a cure. Just as vaccines have protected us since the 1700s, they remain essential today.
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