The TRUTH about vaccines

Dear Future President of the United States,                                                                                    11/3/16

     For as long as humanity has been around, death has followed. The human race has had to fight against crippling diseases like cancer, Polio, AIDS, and Measles. Medical miracles like vaccines have kept us ahead of diseases. However, a new trend is on the rise that threatens that advantage, Anti Vaccination Conspiracies. The new idea is that vaccines are actually harmful and are currently being covered up. This can open the door for diseases, that were once eradicated and could lead to death. An example of the dangers of anti vaccination is the possible return of polio. The CDC exemplifies “ Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease that is caused by poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis. Polio was eliminated in the United States with vaccination, and continued use of polio vaccine has kept this country polio-free. But, polio is still a threat in some other countries. Making sure that infants and children are vaccinated is the best way to prevent polio from returning” (8). Polio could become a big problem for us, unless we fight it with vaccinations. Therefore this brings up the question. Should children get vaccinated? The answer is yes children should be vaccinated because it protects them and the people around them from the spread of infectious diseases.

     Vaccinations are used for the protection from diseases. However people say that vaccines aren't effective. However, if you take a look at both variations of the hepatitis disease, you will see the effectiveness and need for vaccines. The CDC stated “The Hepatitis A vaccine was developed in 1995 and since then has cut the number of cases dramatically in the United States. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease and is transmitted through person-to-person contact or through contaminated food and water.” (6). Vaccines had cut the number of reported cases of Hepatitis A in the united states. Another form of Hepatitis is threatening the United States, Hepatitis B. The CDC Illustrates “Did you know more than 780,000 people per year die from complications to Hepatitis B? Hepatitis B is transmitted through bodily fluids, but it can live for seven days without a host! It’s especially dangerous for babies, since many moms with hepatitis B don’t even know they are infected. About nine out of every 10 infants who contract it from their mothers become chronically infected, which is why babies get the vaccine before they even leave the hospital.” (6). This exemplifies the need for vaccines because Hepatitis B is still a big danger. The threat of diseases can be curbed with vaccinations but people will let misjudgment get in the way of their health. Making it even more important that Children should be vaccinated because it protects them and the people around them from the spread of infectious diseases.

     Vaccines are used to protect people from diseases. The mistrust of people and vaccines can come from ludacris claims. One of these ideas is that vaccines can cause autism. “Despite worries about a connection between autism and vaccines, the evidence does not support a causal link between the two. The number of vaccines given and the additives in vaccines have all been proven to be safe, including the mercury-containing compound thimerosal. The rumors about a connection between the MMR (measles,mumps, and rubella) vaccine and autism were started by a British journal article that has since been retracted.” (“Vaccines” 1). The british journal that started this anti vaccination movement was retracted. There is also a debate whether or not vaccines can cause autism. However “Developmental specialists, however, can identify early signs of autism in children when they are much younger, before their parents have noticed anything unusual. This research supports the scientific consensus that, in most cases, the precursors of autism are present before a child is born” (“Vaccines” 2). This shows that vaccines are safe and they should be taken for protection from diseases because children should be vaccinated because it protects them and the people around them from the spread of infectious diseases.

     The source of this Anti Vaccination conspiracy come from many claims that vaccines are unsafe and can harm people. Neil Z. Miller quoted "At the infamous Simpsonwood conference held in Norcross, Georgia in June 2000, experts knew that Thimerosal (mercury) in vaccines was damaging children. They had irrefutable proof—the very reason for convening the meeting. (Dr. Tom Verstraeten, a CDC epidemiologist whose research was the focus of the meeting, had analyzed the agency's massive Vaccine Safety Datalink database containing thousands of medical records of vaccinated children. He declared: "We have found statistically significant relationships between exposure [to mercury in vaccines] and outcomes. At two months of age, developmental delay; exposure at three months, tics; at six months, attention deficit disorder. Exposures at one, three and six months, language and speech delays—the entire category of neurodevelopmental delays.") (2). This statement is incorrect because thimerosal is not harmful for humans. “The mercury compound in thimerosal—ethylmercury—is chemically different from methylmercury, which is widely recognized as an environmental pollutant. Two key differences are that, unlike methylmercury, ethylmercury is (1) excreted from the body quickly, and (2) not easily transported across the blood-brain barrier (a structure of tightly packed cells that keeps potentially harmful substances in the bloodstream from entering the brain)” (“Vaccines” 5). This proves that Thimerosal is safe and can be used in vaccines because it's different than its poisonous counterpart and can be removed from the body easily. This is an example why it's more important to keep our children safe because vaccines are discredited because of false claims. The science cannot be denied. People are putting their children and themselves at risk, because of false information! Therefore children should be vaccinated because it protects them and the people around them from the spread of infectious diseases.

     Vaccines are an integral part of our society, as it has protected us from infectious diseases and cutting the rates of infection of various diseases dramatically. A trend getting popular is threatening our defense against diseases and is backed up by false information. Therefore Children should be vaccinated because it protects them and the people around them from the spread of infectious diseases. Future president of the United States I am asking you to fight and protect the people of your country.

Sincerely,

Anthony Ortega