With all the recent fuss about vaccines and their seemingly harmful effects, a lot of parents are thinking twice about having their kids immunized. They need to be reminded that diseases that used to be common in this country such as polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis, rubella, mumps, tetanus, rotavirus and Haemophilus influenzae type b can all be prevented by vaccination.
So why are the parents hesitant? Don’t the realize that vaccines are important? Here we tell you how truly essential vaccinations are and how they work exactly. In doing so, we may be able to eliminate some misconceptions about them.
Immunity is the body’s way of preventing disease. Children are born with an immune system that has components that recognizes germs entering the body as foreign substances. The immune system then produces proteins called antibodies to fight these bacteria and viruses. However, some specific dangerous infectious diseases can be preventable even before exposure to the bacteria or virus. This is practical, right? Why be infected to have immunity when you can have immunity right from the start? That’s where vaccinations come in.
Immunizations can save your child’s life. Because of advances in medical science, your child can be protected from the aforementioned conditions. Some diseases that once injured or killed thousands of children, have been eliminated completely and others are close to extinction in fact. In having your kids immunized, you are not just helping him or her, you are actually helping a worldwide attempt to eliminate infectious diseases from being spreading as well.
Another thing to consider is that a child with a vaccine-preventable disease can be denied attendance at schools or child care facilities. Also, some vaccine-preventable diseases can result in prolonged disabilities which can possibly result in long-term disabilities and more medical expenses.
Vaccination is very safe and effective. Although sometimes it will involve some discomfort and may cause pain, redness, or tenderness at the site of injection, that’s all there is. Serious side effects following vaccination are very rare and there have been only few documented cases. Some of these cases do not even establish a link between the vaccine itself and the side effects. The benefits of the vaccination outweigh the possible risks.
Unfortunately, the message we want everyone to realize has not come across yet. In the past few years, we have seen resurgences of measles and whooping cough, maybe due to decreased awareness or increased ideas of misconception. So do spread the word, help out, and have your kids vaccinated now. If all of us just chose to continue vaccinating our kids completely, parents in the future may be able to trust that some diseases of today will no longer be around to infect their subsequent generations. Wouldn’t you like something like that?
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