The Epidemic Of Smallpox And Vaccines - 1327 Words

When a vaccine is given, the human body produces antibodies against the foreign substance, thus creating a defense mechanism for immunity to occur. A vaccine is defined as â€Å"any preparation used as a preventive inoculation to confer immunity against a specific disease, usually employing an innocuous form of the disease agent, as killed or weakened bacteria or viruses, to stimulate antibody production† (dictionary.com). The epidemic of smallpox is one of the most groundbreaking moments in medical history, It created the usage of vaccination to be extremely normal. Smallpox had managed to kill millions of people, which was a large part of the population at the time. Edward Jenner came up with a vaccine that could treat the outbreak of†¦show more content†¦As a culture are we getting vaccines because they are mandatory and a part of the social norm or is it because they actually work? Many infants and children are dying around the world due to preventable diseases; D r. Robert Pearl says, â€Å"There is nothing more disheartening for a physician than watching a patient die from a preventable cause. And, of course, the loss for the family involved is unimaginable† (Forbes). The parents of children in underdeveloped nations of the world are in need of vaccines. However, in the United States it is a different story, where parents demand their children not to be vaccinated. Vaccines are readily available to people, yet they refuse for many different reasons. Most of the reasons given for not vaccinating children are because of religious reasons, forgetfulness, moral beliefs, monetary issues and the theory that vaccines cause other health related issues, such as autism. The citizens of the United States have been privileged with support from the government to vaccinate all people who requested to be vaccinated against preventable diseases. Many people around the world are powerless in getting vaccinated and die due to the lack of healthcare an d resources and money. If parents have a choice to make about keeping their children protected then why are parents not vaccinating their children against preventable diseases? Immunizations