Use of Vaccines
Use of vaccines is undoubtedly one of the most significant preventive medicine inventions. The use of vaccines is referred to as vaccination or immunization meaning the administration of a vaccine (an antigenic material) to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity towards a particular pathogen (Largent, 2012). Therefore, through the stimulation of the immune system, use of vaccines can ameliorate or prevent morbidity from infection caused by the pathogens on which someone is vaccinated against. The vaccination effectiveness has been studied widely and subjected to extensive verifications, particularly the vaccines against influenza, HPV, small pox, polio and chicken pox which previously attributed to considerable morbidities and mortalities (Largent, 2012). Currently, use of vaccines has become the most effective method to prevent infectious diseases because of the widespread immunity caused by vaccination which has been largely attributed for the global eradication of smallpox and the restriction of diseases such as tetanus, measles, and polio from much of the world (Largent, 2012).
The basic argument of opposing viewpoints shows that there are those who support the use of vaccines as well as those who oppose the use of vaccines. For example, those who support the use of vaccines claim that vaccination has only been the most effective method to prevent infectious diseases globally because of the widespread adaptive immunity eventually resulting to significant reductions of morbidity and mortality rates from immunizable diseases (Largent, 2012). The proponents of the use of vaccines also claim that it has been successful in eradicating once leading killer disease smallpox as well as achieving significant progress in restricting of diseases such as tetanus, measles, and polio from most parts globally (Largent, 2012). Therefore, use of vaccines has significantly reduced and in some cases totally eliminated diseases that severely disabled or killed people just a few generations ago such as polio and smallpox respectively (Largent, 2012). Furthermore, the proponents of the use of vaccines also claim that vaccines are very safe and effective because they are only administered after careful and long reviews by scientists and healthcare professionals (Largent, 2012). On the other hand, those opposing the use of vaccines argue that vaccines can cause serious reactions among the vulnerable groups of the population particularly due to allergies (Wolfe and Lin, 2002). Also those who oppose use of vaccines claim that there is a correlation between increasing use of vaccines and increasing rates of chronic illnesses such as autism, heart disease, ADHD, diabetes, etc. (Wolfe and Lin, 2002).
The strengths of those supporting the use of vaccines are that more lives will continue to be saved through elimination or reduction of diseases that previously disabled or killed many people (Largent, 2012). Vaccination also saves money and time through significant reduction of morbidity and mortality rates. However, the weakness of this viewpoint is that development is a vaccine is very expensive and time intensive (Wolfe and Lin, 2002). However, the strengths of the opposing viewpoint is that it will result to reduction of serious reactions induced by vaccines as well as reducing chronic diseases believed to be induced by vaccines (Largent, 2012). The weakness of this viewpoint is that more people may continue to be disabled or die from diseases that can be vaccinated (Wolfe and Lin, 2002).
My view is that I agree with the use of vaccines. The first reason why I agree with the use of vaccines is that it has significantly improved healthcare delivery by becoming the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases while at the same time managing to eliminate or restrict diseases that were once very dangerous. The other reason is that a comparison of incidences of serious reactions and chronic diseases that are induced by vaccines with the benefits of vaccination, the latter carries the day.
Works Cited
Largent, Mark A. Vaccine: The Debate in Modern America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012.
Wolfe, Raphael, and Sharp Lin. “Anti-vaccinationists past and present.” BMJ, 325.7361 (2002): 430–432.
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