“Prevention is better than cure.” This common statement could not relate any better than it does with the controversy surrounding the morality, effectiveness, and safety of childhood immunizations. The major argument is whether or not laws should be established to declare vaccination mandatory for all children. “The US food and Drug administration (FDA) regulates all vaccines to ensure safety and effectiveness,” (ProCon.org, 2012) therefor there should not be any reason to risk the health of any child. Vaccinating our children not only ensures their safety but also that of their future to come. The first major concern parents have when it comes to childhood vaccinations is that of the health and safety of their children. Some parents
Many parents refused the vaccine only to result in the highest rate of whooping cough in the US. Such devastations as these could have been easily avoided if parents would have took simple, proper precautions and got their children immunized. The best gift any parent could ever give a child is to simply choose to give up-to-date immunizations. Opponents argue that vaccines are unnecessary. Common childhood vaccinations may cause rare yet serious side effects and reactions including paralysis, anaphylactic shock, and sudden death. Opponents believe that these risks just aren’t worth taking. It is also believed that certain vaccines can cause auto-immune disorders, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and other disorders. Vaccines also cause immune system suppression. This could ultimately lead to permanent damage to the natural immune system. Children who do not undergo vaccinations are thought to strengthen their immune systems through fighting off infection. It has also been stated that the DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) vaccine can cause shallow breathing in the young which has been linked to sleep apnea and may be a factor in SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) There are also many claims out there that vaccines can cause autism. The case that started the uproar in parents choosing to no vaccinate their children was that of Doctor John Wakefield. “In 1998, British