Introduction
Nowadays, all types of preventive vaccinations are available to children, but some parents restrict access to this care because of their beliefs that vaccinations cause autism. According to the Chicago Policy Review journal, the number of parents not vaccinating their children has grown drastically in the last years (Antas, 2015). As more data on the influence of vaccines is available, more parents become skeptical about the advantage of vaccines, predominantly on the subject of whether vaccines generate autism.
Regardless of scientific evidence refuting the claim that vaccinations cause autism, parents are still fearful of vaccinating their children. This anxiety has led to a civic health dispute about the civil liberties of parents to decide whether to vaccinate their children, along with the state regulation on vaccinations to guard the wellbeing of its citizens.
Biblical Viewpoint
One of the viewpoints emphasizing the decision of not vaccinating children is supported by the Bible. As it is stated in the Holy Bible, one should know that his or her body is a holy place of the Holy Spirit within him or her, and one has it from God. It does not belong to anyone, but God (1 Cor. 6:19-20, The Holy Bible). To inject acknowledged neurotoxins into the children, that have notorious health risks, would be a desecration of this biblical postulate.
Founded on the wisdom of the Holy Bible, for some people, it is a religious principle not to have their children inoculated. They wish to be in harmony with those who may think in a different way than they do on this topic. People who believe in the damage brought by vaccinations wish to protect their children from the neurotoxins and overseas animal proteins contained in vaccinations.
Scientific Viewpoint
As opposed to the Biblical point of view, a connecting relationship between vaccinations and autism is not supported by the evidence from well-made and implemented clinical studies. But more and more parents choose not to vaccinate their children. They believe that the risk of autism outweighs the disease-prevention benefits or consequences of polio or other diseases (Parritz & Troy, 2014). As the ratio of unvaccinated children in the area rises, the danger of epidemics of diseases intensifies, producing hypothetically serious public health difficulties.
Furthermore, as the vaccination numbers decline in industrialized countries, it becomes more problematic to defend vaccinations in countries with lower levels of human progress, consequently deteriorating the health of children worldwide. The co-founder of Autism Speaks Association stated the following in his speech on vaccinations:
Over the last twenty years, an all-embracing investigation has questioned whether there is any connection between childhood vaccines and autism. A systematic examination has not directly associated autism with vaccines. Vaccines are vital. Parents should choose whether to protect their kids or not. Hard work must be recurrently done to instruct parents on vaccine protection. If parents choose not to inoculate, they must be conscious of the aftermath. (Wright, 2015)
Conclusion
It is of great importance to remember that children are our future, and we should do everything to protect them from all the dangers of this world, including various infectious diseases. Nonetheless, it is important to pay attention to the personal preferences of their parents, because the government is not the only instance that is truly responsible for the wellbeing of our children. We, as a society, should attempt to come to a common public solution that would resolve the issue in the most peaceful and reasonable way.
References
Antas, N. (2015). Philosophy vs. Science in New York Vaccine Debate. Chicago Policy Review (Online). Web.
Parritz, R. H., & Troy, M. F. (2014). Disorders of Childhood: Development and Psychopathology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Wright, B. (2015). Vaccines and Autism. Web.