Introduction
Vaccines are substances that activate the human’s immune system without making them sick. Dangerous infections are preventable in this compelling and straightforward way. Medical organizations, including World Health Organization (WHO) across the world, encourage prevention of deadly diseases through immunization which is safe and available from local healthcare facilities. Protection against viruses is a necessary process that everyone should undertake to keep society healthy. Despite public controversy and mild side effects which are manageable through simple treatments, vaccinations stop the spread of harmful illnesses; save time and money spent on medication and prevent loss of lives, protecting future generations.
Background Information
Humans are constantly exposed to dangerous bacteria, microbes, and viruses in their daily activities. The body’s immune system is designed to protect people against diseases. When the body encounters a virus, the immune system triggers responses to deactivate the microbes and minimize any harmful effects that might occur. The presence of an infectious illness offers lifelong immunity that helps an individual not to contract the same sickness again (Frederiksen et al., 2020). The system remembers the microorganism and fights efficiently to eradicate it from the body.
Benefits of Vaccines
The benefits of vaccines in society outweigh the beliefs that vaccines are unsafe. Some communities, religious cults, races, and other ethnic groups do not believe in the safety of immunizations. Independent medical organizations test these injections and approve them before they are released to society. They are proven to be harmless and effective, according to researchers. Through technological advances, scientists can design substances that are helpful to human bodies regarding disease protection. They are verified extensively before they are administered to people. They can explain how inoculations work through the power of technology.
Many campaigns around the world about vaccination for vaccine-preventable infections have worked. For instance, the recent global pandemic, COVID-19, was reduced by the strength of immunization. The virus was new, requiring new approaches to produce the vaccine. The injection was effective and safe, saving people’s lives. Over 5 million deaths were reported before the coronavirus epidemic’s end (Ioannidis, 2021). The WHO ensured that the vaccination process was well-organized to be efficient, available, and beneficial to society. The COVID-19 affected many nations worldwide, causing many countries to shut down their businesses. The economy was entirely impacted by the action that was taken, including self-quarantine of individuals who had been infected. When the vaccine was invented and availed to people, the situation changed. Socialization was restored to the citizens, and the economy was rising again. The jab has guaranteed protection among persons, and safety has been tested and proven.
Vaccine-preventable diseases are known to be life-threatening, and, in some cases, they cause permanent injuries or disabilities. Such may result in a weak economy since the sick depend on a few working individuals to provide for them. In other families, it may lead to some members leaving their jobs to care for the sick who need their constant attention. This means that the economic growth rate is low because the dependent people are many. Lack of vaccination or poor follow-up schedules results in lifelong disorders, particularly in children. The parents or guardians have no choice but to stay around them for nursing and do everything for them. Such dependency becomes the norm, affecting the economy in the long run since they generate no income by staying idle at home.
The process saves the community money and time spent treating the actual infection. It can be costly to medicate a sick person, which involves hospitalizations, doctor visits, and premature deaths. In addition, the government may spend funds and workforce to respond to vaccine-preventable illnesses. For instance, the United States of America has saved millions of dollars through timely vaccinations (Ashworth et al., 2021). Vaccine side effects are rare and mild, and they do not last long compared to the symptoms of the actual disease. They may include high temperatures, swells, redness in the area of the jab, restlessness in babies, and pain, among others. The signs are treatable through home remedies involving painkillers or can be handled instantly by the medical team issuing the injections.
In a community, there is a vulnerable population, including older adults, too-young babies, or individuals with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving vaccinations. The vaccination process ensures that this group of people of protected through vaccinating others who are vaccinable. This procedure is known as herd immunity, and it aids in preventing families, friends, and those who cannot be immunized from virus attacks (Frederiksen et al., 2020). They help keep the relatives safe and updated without getting infected. When the persons around these weak ones are vaccinated, it guarantees health and a safe environment for them, and they can carry on with their activities without threats of being infected hence exposing them to early death. The disease spreads slowly or stops to escalate since most of these microbes move from one person to another.
Different ages tolerate vaccines, including infants, adolescents, and adults. Depending on the kind of disease one needs to protect themselves against, the substances are designed for diverse generations and can accommodate them. For instance, before babies are born, the womb prepares the immune system of the babies to tackle microbes that are encountered after birth. The boosters are offered to improve the capacity of the body to fight diseases that might attack them. Some child-related viruses include polio, measles, rotavirus, Hepatitis A, meningitis, and pneumonia. The newborns stand vaccination well, including several jabs that are administered at the same time. The only side effects the baby might experience include fever, getting upset, and pain, all manageable by the parents without the doctor’s attention. This reduces the risks of contracting infections hence keeping the baby healthy (Frederiksen et al., 2020). The babies can achieve their milestones at their respective ages because they do not get sick, which makes them slow down their growth pace.
Failure to take children for vaccination may result in isolation and quarantine. The child might contract a vaccine-preventable illness that forces them to be isolated from others to avoid spread (Arslanoglu et al., 2022). There is a need to stay away from daycare or school to minimize the risk of transmission. The young one cannot participate in events or activities related to the curriculum. The kid will also not interact with vulnerable people if the disease they are suffering from is contagious. Lack of participation in immunization affects the parents who cannot go to work for the duration of their child’s illness. Adults are forced to stop their daily routines to concentrate on their healing process, which may take longer than expected.
Diseases that are preventable through vaccines are still a threat to society. Some parents do not vaccinate their children because they think the viruses are weak and cannot attack their babies. Several of these infections, including measles and mumps, are common and can be contracted through social interactions. Caregivers need to understand that herd immunity does not guarantee protection for infants who are not vaccinated. “Vaccine hesitancy denies vaccines only to those who choose to delay vaccination; vaccine hesitancy nationalism denies vaccines to tens of thousands who want to be vaccinated. This failure to respect citizen’s autonomy can also cause them great harm” (Shaw, 2021, p. 3). The notion is that defense against these vaccine-preventable viruses is inactive in a vaccinated population. Some of these illnesses, including tetanus, are not preventable through communal immunization.
In some countries, the vaccination practice is mandatory for some professionals. The government considers these people’s exposure and protects society by forcing all workers to vaccinate. It is a policy that all health workers in other states must produce their immunization certificates. For instance, the global COVID-19 pandemic was highly infectious, and an individual could be infected by sharing objects or touching surfaces contaminated by a sick person (Ke et al., 2021). To avoid the spread, medical practitioners, including nurses, are encouraged to vaccinate to protect themselves and patients who might have ot her diseases that weaken their immune systems.
The medical bodies encourage vaccination to prevent the spread of dangerous infections. They ensure that the dosages are available to people and can easily be accessed. They have provided the local healthcare facilities with the recommended immunization schedule regarding the required prescriptions and the children’s timing. Public health officials prepare plans according to clinical evidence and relevant data (Shaw, 2021). It is crucial to follow the commendations provided by the practitioners to ensure that society has protection against contagious diseases that can further lead to untimely deaths.
Counter Argument
However, some communities do not vaccinate due to their diverse cultural beliefs and religions that do not allow the practice. Research shows that faiths and theories based on these ethical dilemmas make them believe vaccines are made from human tissues. Others trust that the human body is sacred and that it is against the will of God to accept foreign substances to protect them. Political influence through some leaders who oppose the vaccination process also contributes to the predicament. Most fear the side effects associated with the injections, which on infrequent occasions, pose risks. Potential reactions after vaccinations do not last long, and the signs disappear on their own (Arslanoglu et al., 2022). All these factors hinder society from living healthy and free from diseases. The facts against the immunization process are weak and outweighed by its benefits. These myths should be avoided to maintain a community’s safety and health.
Conclusion
Vaccines are cheap as compared to treatment, and it is advisable to get involved in the programs by receiving all that is endorsed without cohesion and keep safe and the entire population free from contaminating any virus. Other injections are offered free of charge to the community, ensuring that people are included during the process. The immune system remembers the bacteria or microbes in case it attacks an individual, and it is easy to fight because the symptoms are mild and disappear quickly. The vaccination process protects people in a society from deadly diseases, thus guaranteeing a long life span. Ethnic groups that do not support the immunization program should be educated on the importance and the benefits obtained from the practice.
References
Arslanoglu Aydin, E., Baglan, E., Bagrul, I., Tuncez, S., Ozdel, S., & Bulbul, M. (2022). Safety of COVID-19 vaccines and disease flares after vaccines in children with rheumatic disease.Postgraduate Medicine, 134(6), 616-621. Web.
Ashworth, M., Thunström, L., Cherry, T. L., Newbold, S. C., & Finnoff, D. C. (2021). Emphasize personal health benefits to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(32), e2108225118. Web.
Frederiksen, L. S. F., Zhang, Y., Foged, C., & Thakur, A. (2020). The long road toward COVID-19 herd immunity: vaccine platform technologies and mass immunization strategies.Frontiers in Immunology, 11, 1817. Web.
Ioannidis, J. (2021). Over-and under-estimation of COVID-19 deaths. European journal of epidemiology, 36(6), 581-588. Web.
Ke, Y., Zhou, J., & Lu, J. A. (2021). The impact of neighbor-reliant immunity on vaccination for COVID-19. arXiv preprint arXiv:2111.03428. Web.
Shaw, D. (2021). The side effects of not being vaccinated: Individual risk and vaccine hesitancy nationalism.Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 1-4.Web.