September 21, 2016

Dear Future President,

Vaccinations should not be required for children. Receiving a vaccination can be painful, and may include feeling sick in the days afterwards. Diseases the vaccinations supposedly prevent include Polio, Measles, Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), Rubella (German measles), Mumps, Tetanus, Rotavirus, Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib), and many more. These diseases are potentially deadly if not treated, however can be hard to contract in the first place.

Receiving the vaccines to prevent these diseases may have side effects other than potentially preventing a child from contracting a deadly disease. For example, the MMR vaccine manufacturer states that diabetes, thrombocytopenia (blood disorder), arthritis, encephalitis (brain inflammation), Guillain-Barre syndrome (paralysis), and death were reported during the clinical trial of the vaccine for MMR. The CDC states that all vaccines carry risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction in one in one million children, which is actually more than it sounds like as there are over 7 billion people in the world and of those, 27% are children under the age of 15. In my opinion, side effects outweigh the pros for having vaccinations. There may be something in the vaccination which the child is allergic to, causing an unexpected allergic reaction and stress on parents.

In the USA, vaccines are required for an education, even for a free public education. This does not make sense as the vaccines which are required, are not as easily contracted as the common cold or the flu. The flu is easily caught by children, but there is still a vaccination for it. Influenza is a harmless illness, and everyone catches the flu at some point in their life. Parents of children should make the decision whether or not their children should receive vaccination. Besides, there is still a chance of contracting the disease as the vaccine is only a preventative measure and will not always protect children from the disease it states. In Illinois, the following vaccinations are required for students K-12: Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis, Measles, Rubella, Mumps, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Hepatitis B, and Varicella. I can already hear the screams of children being held down and forced to receive these vaccinations in order to receive a free public education. Even though parents are paying taxes and fees for their children’s education, the vaccinations may cost more than an education.

The government should not intervene in personal medical choices of parents of the children. Side effects of the vaccinations might outweigh the pros for some parents, while cost might scare others. Vaccinations can cost anywhere from $10 to $120, and for parents with multiple children the cost can quickly add up. Dependent on the vaccine, it may need to be re-administered multiple times to allow children to stay immune to the virus, costing parents more money and time at the doctor's office.

Cost. Side effects. Screaming children. Death. Vaccinations should not be required for children.

Sincerely,

                  Brooke Tomkins