Ventura 1

Andrea Ventura

Prof. Watson

English 1001

March 25, 2019

Freedom of Immunizations

When you become a parent you have the most important occupation in the entire world. Commented [yw1]: Add a comma here.

You have a tiny child that depends entirely on you to take care of them. This is physically,

mentally and all in between. One of the toughest decisions a parent has to make is if they are

going to have their child vaccinated. This two sided argument incurs backlash from parents Commented [yw2]: *two-sided

deciding to vaccinate their children versus the parents who choose not to vaccinate their children.

The recent outbreaks of the measles and chickenpox has become a verbal fist fight between both

sides, and now the Government feels as though they must intervene. The Government has begun

making vaccinations mandatory, we have seen this in the recent laws being passed in Minnesota. Commented [yw3]: Interesting way of looking at it here!
Yes, the issues with vaccination have gotten this far.
Making the restrictions for vaccine exemptions harder to obtain. These laws have begun to

impede on America’s fundamental and core values of freedom, and that is not okay.

One of the biggest reason parents choose not to vaccinate their children is because of the

impending doom of a serious vaccine reaction. These reactions could leave your child physically

impaired or in the worst case the loss of life. The importance of vaccinations are well known. Commented [yw4]: This is possibly true. What physical
complications arise from it, though?
Americans are reminded almost daily with media coverage, brochures and family Doctors. Every

person is given information on how important immunizations are and what they protect a person

from if they work as they are supposed to, but it is rare they go over the fine print. The fine print

is a long list of serious reactions that your child could have from one of these immunizations.
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The side effects are not talked about until the reaction is already happening, and these reactions

could be fatal if not stopped immediately.

This is a big worry of parents deciding what is best for their child when confronted about

vaccinating their child. Many children will not even experience a reaction at all to vaccinations,

but a parent must make this choice. Just because the majority of children do not have reactions

does not mean none will, and this is an important factor. Immunizations protect the individual

and the community, but when it come to the one who could have a deadly reaction is the

community more important? It is extremely important that every parent makes the best informed

decision for what is best for their family. Commented [yw5]: This is a good point! yes, not all
children have negative reactions to these vaccines.
When making the decision on vaccination for your child it is important to know the

importance of vaccinations and how they protect not only the individual but also the community.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “the best way to protect your

child is to make sure they have all of their vaccinations” (Vaccinate Your Child). The U.S

Department of Health and Human Services also gives five reasons for vaccinating your children

they state that, “Immunizations can save your child’s life, vaccinations are safe and effective,

immunizations protect others you care about, immunizations can save your family time and

money, and lastly immunizations protect future generations” (Vaccinate Your Child). All of

these are very important, but how true are they? Vaccinations are safe for some, but are not safe

for all. Every human has a different genetic code and their bodies may react differently to

vaccinations. Commented [yw6]: Yes, good point. vaccinating your

children can help the community become healthier, based on
who is in contact with the child.
There are other reasons why Americans choose not to vaccinate as well. These reason could
Commented [yw7]: *reasons
be religious, personal beliefs, safety concerns, and a desire for additional information. According

to Chephra McKee, PharmD, Department of Pharmacy Practice, and Kristin Bohannon, a Doctor
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of Pharmacy candidate, that “The prevalence of religious exemption increased from an average

of 0.23% in 2000 to 0.45% in 2011” (105). Most states allow these exemptions, but soon these Commented [yw8]: Would this exemption be related to
vaccination? It doesn’t seem to state that clearly here.
liberties will be tightened and nearly taken away. The Government is making exemptions

extremely difficult to obtain. If the Government begins taking away the basic right of

vaccinations there is no distinction of how far they will go. The Government must have checks

and balances on the laws they are enforcing; Even if the Government does mandate all

vaccinations there is a possibility that these diseases will still spread. Immunizations are a

precaution and most of the time very effective, but they have been known not to work. If the

person injected with the vaccination was too young or their body didn’t build up the proper

immunity even with the shot. The whooping cough, measles and chicken pox can spread through

a school of vaccinated children, and they all could still get these diseases even if they have been

vaccinated. So was there a point of putting your tiny baby through multiple shots and pain when

they were babies, just for them to get the sickness they were supposed to be protected from. Is Commented [yw9]: What a good point here! So, the
question you present after this is the same one I have here.
immunity from vaccinations not as effective as actually getting the disease and building up your

own immunity?

There are many preventable diseases that can be stopped with the proper vaccines. If

vaccines become mandated how many will be forced on children? Will the number from 14

mandated vaccinations rise to the 20s or even the 30s. How many of these are actually Commented [yw10]: Change to a question mark.

preventing deadly diseases. Will there be checks and balances on the amount the Government Commented [yw11]: Change to a question mark.

will force on our children. Some children are genetically susceptible to vaccine injuries (Fisher). Commented [yw12]: Change to a question mark.

They can have permanent repercussions that can leave this child disabled or brain dead. Some

vaccines treat diseases that the body can fight off without a vaccine and create natural antibodies.

Forcing parents to vaccinate when they don’t feel it is the right thing to do will cause tyranny
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within the community (Fisher) . Also Vaccinations are not 100% affective. Which means just Commented [yw13]: Detail fragment
Commented [yw14]: Is there any way that one can
because a child is vaccinated does not mean they will not got the disease. ascertain which vaccines cause these outcomes?
Commented [yw15]: *get
With the knowledge that some vaccines are important , which ones should we not be giving
Commented [yw16]: This is true. Good point!

our children. Is the chicken pox vaccine truly important, are we afraid that smallpox will begin to Commented [yw17]: Change to a question mark.

resurface? 69 doses of 16 vaccines in 18 years seems a little excessive, and 14 of these vaccines

are given before the age six (Fisher). Who will control this Multi-Trillion Dollar U.S. Health

Care System? Every parent should have the choice of personal belief vaccine exemption. Barbra

Loe Fisher states this quite frankly as, “[t]he most rational and compelling arguments for

defending health freedom, including vaccine freedom of choice, are grounded in ethics, law,

science and economics. The human right to voluntary, informed consent to vaccinations is the

best example of why Americans must not wait any longer to stand up and defend without

compromise the inalienable right to autonomy and protection of bodily integrity” (Fisher). Commented [yw18]: This is a great quote, but long. It is
best placed in block style with the quotation marks removed.
Mothers are with their child every day and understand their child. They shouldn’t have to play

roulette with their child’s life. Public health laws that fail to respect biodiversity and force

everyone to be treated the same are unethical and dangerous (Fisher). Fisher States, “[e]ach one

of us is born with different genes and a unique microbiome influenced by epigenetics that affect

how we respond to the environments we live in. We do not all respond the same way to

infectious diseases and we do not all respond the same way to pharmaceutical products like

vaccines (Fisher). Commented [yw19]: Good point although a little

redundant now. What could be a solution? Any
counterarguments ahead?
The individual risk of vaccine refusal are that the child is more at risk for getting and
Commented [yw20]: *is
transmitting vaccine-preventable diseases (Omer, Salmon, Orenstein, et al…1983). The New

England Journal of Medicine states that, “children were 35 times as likely to contract measles as

nonexempt children” ((Omer, Salmon, Orenstein, et al…1983). Yes, these diseases are Commented [yw21]: Quotes must not begin a paragraph.
Remember the quote sandwich!
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preventable by vaccinations, but it is the sole human right to choose whether or not to receive a

vaccine. The New England Journal of Medicine also covers how “[m]ultiple studies have shown

an increase in the local risk of vaccine-preventable diseases when there is geographic

aggregation of persons refusing vaccinations” (Omer, Salmon, Orenstein, et al…1983). Ellen C.

Tolsma even goes as far to say that “public good comes before individual liberty when

discussing vaccination” (336). These groups of people have the thought of the community on the

mind, which in itself isn’t bad, but to say that the individual who refuses vaccinations for their

child is wrong and should be forced to vaccinate is also wrong. Vaccine refusal is tied to the

recent increase in measles cases of over 200 people (Tolsma 313). Catching the measles is not a

death sentence, and 200 people with the population of America being over two million is a

significantly small number to try and force vaccinations. Commented [yw22]: Hmmm…this is a good point. so, if
we suffer the measles, could we also strengthen our immune
system against other diseases? I wonder this.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that, “most childhood vaccinations are 90%-99%

effective in preventing disease” (Should any Vaccines). Whereas the CDC explains that, “ all

vaccines carry a risk of life threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)” (Should any Vaccines).

These reactions may be rare, but they do happen. Every day Americans are exposed to many

diseases even if we are vaccinated we may still catch a disease we were vaccinated for. Those

who are not vaccinated are exposed to these same diseases, but that does not mean they will get

the disease either, and if they do, our bodies are designed to build up natural antibodies. Commented [yw23]: So, the vaccines don’t really keep us
from getting really sick. Interesting! Why do doctors insist
that we get vaccinated, I wonder?
I am a pro vaccinator. My child is up to date on all of his immunizations

. He has no reaction to any he has had so far, but this isn’t the case for all families. This is a

moral issue. These are the rights of American people. You cannot force a person to vaccinate

their child when the parent feels that vaccine will put their child close to danger. The Commented [yw24]: Yes, understandable. It becomes a
complicated issue.
Government should not be allowed to force these parents, against their will, to vaccinate their
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children. This is not freedom. This is not what our Country was founded on. We must stand true

to our core values or we will lose more than just our right to choose vaccines or not. The more

power we give Government the more they will take. When will there be an end. Will any

American have any freedoms left? Commented [yw25]: You bring somewhat of an effective
closure to this interesting topic here! However, you are shy a
couple of pages of your requirement. More information is
needed.
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Works Cited

Fisher, Barbara Loe. “Vaccination: Defending Your Right to Know and Freedom to Choose.”

National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), www.nvic.org/nvic-vaccine-

news/november-2014/vaccination--defending-your-right-to-know-and-free.aspx.

Fisher, Barbara Loe. “Zero Tolerance Vaccine Laws in America: Will You Defend Vaccine Commented [yw26]: ---

Freedom? - NVIC Newsletter.” National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC),

www.nvic.org/nvic-vaccine-news/july-2018/zero-tolerance-vaccine-laws-in-

america.aspx.

“Five Important Reasons to Vaccinate Your Child.” Vaccines,

www.vaccines.gov/getting/for_parents/five_reasons/index.html.

McKee, Chephra, and Kristin Bohannon. "Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of

Vaccines." The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics : JPPT : The

Official Journal of PPAG, vol. 21, no. 2, 2016, pp. 104-109.

Omer, Saad B., et al. "Vaccine Refusal, Mandatory Immunization, and the Risks of Vaccine-

Preventable Diseases." The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 360, no. 19, 2009, pp.

1981-1988.

“Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?” ProConorg Headlines, vaccines.procon.org/.

Tolsma, Ellen C. "Protecting our herd: how a national mandatory vaccination policy protects

public health by ensuring herd immunity." Journal of Gender, Race and Justice, Winter

2015, p. 313+. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context,http://link.galegroup.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/apps/doc/A406991811/OVIC?u

=ucinc_main&sid=OVIC&xid=4f8c606f. Accessed 13 Mar. 2019.

You bring out some very good points on the issues regarding the controversy surrounding child
vaccination. Good work! however, you could add more points and particulars and also have more
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sources to support these. You can effectively examine both sides of your topic; there are quite a
few and you could explain these on a deeper level. You must have at least seven pages of typed
work, so more details are needed here. You could add more counterarguments and flesh these out
more. Also, I noted that you are missing a source on your works cited page. Adding a source will
help you to flesh out your points as well; they can be fillers! I made a note of your mechanical
issues as well.
Please see the rubric for your grade and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
95-100 Points 85-94 Points 75-84 Points 66-74 Points 0-65 Points

Excellent Good Satisfactory Minimal Poor/Unacceptable

English 1001 Final Research Argument Essay Rubric

Ideas__25___/30%

 Subject is appropriate: not “off-limits” or overly opinionated/emotional

 Thesis statement is well structured and presents a clear position
 Shows awareness of audience and potential counterarguments
 Readers find your argument persuasive

Details__20___ /25%

 “Shows” rather than “tells” –specific evidence from sources supports your points
 Relies on a fair number of solid claims/reasons on your side
 Counterarguments are raised and addressed effectively if applicable
 Argument is original but supported by research
 Sources are used right away in the introduction

Organization___15___ /15%

 Argument builds from clear thesis at the beginning to persuasive ending with sources evident
 Essay stays focused on thesis until the end
 Introduction gets reader’s attention and makes him/her want to keep reading
 Paragraphs are focused and unified, with clear transitions between criteria.
 Counterarguments are logically placed and addressed
 Conclusion ties up loose ends and closes effectively

Style____10_/15%

 Interesting and correct word choice

 Good sentence variety
 Punctuation, grammar, and spelling are correct
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 Writing is clear and concise

 Tone of language is objective, appropriate, and respectful – convincing to readers

Format___15__ /15%

 Uses MLA style manuscript form.

 All quotes, stats, opinions of others and little-known facts are cited with correct parenthetical citations.
 Works cited page contains complete publication data, in MLA format.

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Final Research Essay Final Draft Total points: ____85__/100 85% B