Arguments Against Vaccination Research

Concerns regarding vaccine safety have been a growing point of contention within the United States. Parental refusal of vaccines has continued to steadily increase, in spite of scientific evidence disproving the myths of vaccines causing autism. Some arguments regarding vaccines that have been openly debated throughout the years are the relationship between vaccines and the cause of autism, the use of the preservative thimerosal in vaccines, the public perception of the vaccine industry, and religious viewpoints towards vaccinations. Although the majority of the misconceptions surrounding vaccines have been disproved, the debate continues on due to false media reports, activists and misinformation from the internet and television personalities.

Autism and the Immunization Debate

Vaccines are one of the most valuable contributions to society. They aid in protecting us from serious illnesses and complications from numerous diseases. However, even with unhindered vaccination availability, there has been an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, every year, due to …show more content…
“Herd immunity is when the rate of immunization within a society reaches an appropriate level.” (Fadda, 2015) When this level is achieved, the population as a whole is protected from that particular disease. This “stops the disease from spreading throughout the community, since there are not enough susceptible people for the disease to spread to. For example, if a community lost its herd immunity against polio and a traveler from a country affected by polio visited that community, polio could be reintroduced back into the population.” (Hall, 2009) Clustering is particularly associated with these types of disease outbreaks because when herd immunity is compromised, diseases can spread easily. Clustering is often derived from groups of people, who live in communities close together, who share similar beliefs about

Show More