To Vaccinate or Not Vaccinate? - Pros and Cons of Vaccination

Running head: FAMILY NURSING CONCEPT PAPER 1
To Vaccinate or Not Vaccinate?
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FAMILY NURSING CONCEPT PAPER 2
Pros of Vaccination
Vaccine is attenuated or dead disease causing micro-organism (Cornelissen, Harvey, &
Fisher, 2012). Vaccination is administration of antigenic materials into an individual’s immune
system in order to trigger immunity against disease causing micro-organism. Vaccination helps
to save a life of a child (Ozawa, et.al, 2012). Many fatal diseases such as polio, which can cause
deaths and paralysis among the children can be immunized and hence save the child from these
complications. This is because of the many medical advances that have been established. If
children are not vaccinated they risk getting such diseases hence becoming vulnerable to such
diseases. Some viruses such as human papilloma virus can cause cervical cancer. But since it can
be immunized, such complications are prevented.
Immunizing the children also helps to protect others too. Some communicable diseases
such as whooping cough and measles can be prevented from spreading by vaccination
(Greenwood, 2014). Some children may not be able to receive vaccination due to their young age
and others due to immune weakening conditions such as leukemia and HIV infected children
while some may not get the vaccination due to allergy associated reasons. Hence these
vulnerable groups get protected when many children are vaccinated due to curbing of spread of
the disease.
Vaccination helps to save money and resources in the family and community. For
example, when children are immunized against various diseases, the money that could have been
spent for clearing medication bills due to those diseases are used elsewhere. In other words,
immunization is cost effective as little money is used as compared to real treatment (Fuchs,
2011). Also resources like time are saved when children are vaccinated because the parents or
guardians will be saved that could have been spent while taking the ailing children to the hospital
for treatment.

FAMILY NURSING CONCEPT PAPER 3
Vaccination do protect the next generations. Some of the diseases like small pox have
been eliminated completely through vaccination hence the future generations are spared by the
disease. Many diseases that used to pose threat have been able to be controlled by vaccination.
Vaccination is a key component leading to poverty reduction. Diseases like polio causes
paralysis therefore, making paralyzed people dependent on others. Also since the productive
group will be physically disabled, the general economy is likely to go down or get crippled.
Cons of Vaccinations
A vaccine has ability to cause allergic reactions for example type four hypersensitivity
reactions, immediately after administration. Some of these reactions can be fatal if no
interventional measures are taken immediately.
Vaccinations can also cause mild problems such as skin rashes, swelling of the lymph
nodes on the neck and cheeks, and fever. Some vaccinations also cause moderate problems such
as pain, muscle stiffness and seizures. Another moderate complication is thrombocytopenia (low
platelet count) hence leading to bleeding disorders.
One of the rare complications of vaccination is Guillain-Barre (Sejvar, Baughman, Wise,
& Morgan, 2011), which is an autoimmune reaction. It is also speculated that vaccination can
cause autism though there is no scientific evidence to prove the relationship between the
vaccines and such developmental disorders
Vaccines sometimes may fail to fulfill intended purpose where the body may not be able
to trigger normal immune responses. This will likely to consequently cause damage to vaccines.
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