Vaccination is the use of synthesized drugs that trigger the body, to react to infections and thereby averting potential attacks by dangerous diseases. Vaccines build immunity, which is the response of the body, particularlythe white blood cells to disease causing microorganisms. In this case, the disease causing agent is the avian virus. Without vaccination, the population is at a greater risk of Infection (Goldsby, 2003).
It is not a requirement that everyone gets vaccinated, but a large number of the population should be vaccinated. The vaccinated population will act as a shield of the other section of the population that is not vaccinated. This provides a ‘herd immunity’ type of protection. Herd immunity, is protection provided by vaccinatinga large number of the population. Infection, which has a greater rate of spread, will require that a huge number of people be vaccinated, reducing the number of newavailable hosts to the infectious virus. Through reduction of potential hosts, the infection rate can be easily controlled. Herd immunity is attained through everyone knowing that survival of those around them highly depends on them. (Madigan, 2006).
Vaccinating a small population is disadvantageous in that the disease can spreadrapidly. There is a need to know about the extreme effects of a disease. Diseases can cause damage to a population, if measures are not taken, to ensure that the lives of people in the affected area are protected by vaccination. Viral diseases, like in this case, are spread at high rates and there is need to come up with urgent preventive measures. Making the vaccine compulsory may not be favorable to some groups of people such as the pregnant women, people with pre-existing conditions and infants (Tortora, 2010).
There are groups of people, who out rightly oppose the use vaccines, because they believe that the drugs used are a danger to their health. Groups of these nature tend to think that the government is ‘out to get them’. Vaccination, in some cases, like that of pregnant women, may cause damaging effects to the fetus, leading to loss of pregnancies through spontaneous abortions and maternal mortalities (Ray, 2004).
If other disease control measures are put in place, other than vaccination, the spread can be easily controlled. Most diseasesare greatly influenced by the standards of hygiene. Good hygiene practices can go along way in countering outbreaks. Simple measures include washing of hands, isolation of the sick, avoiding contact with infected people in public places. These hygiene measures are vital in countering the spread of infection. Isolation and destruction of the infected cases are important.
Generally, vaccination is important in the control of diseases, but making it compulsory creates a major injustice to groups that may be rendered ineligible, by their physiological predisposition. A better way towards prevention of the virus lies in the liberty to choose whether to undergo the vaccination process, or to choose other measures of prevention. This makes my case that the American citizens can be protected without vaccinating everyone.
References
Goldsby, R. A. (2003). Immunology. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman& Sons Ltd.
Madigan, M. (2006).Brock Biology of Microorganisms. New York: Pearson Education.
Ray, C. G. (2004). Sherri’s Medical Microbiology. New York: McGraw Hill.
Tortora, G. J. (2010).Microbiology: An Introduction.New York: W. W. Wiley & Sons Company.