Immunizations: Vital or Unnecessary?

Let’s do an exercise. Think back to when you were a child. What is the one thing that you hated more than anything when you heard the words “doctor visit”? While some would automatically recall those nasty cold remedies or the infamous stethoscope, most would say preventative shots. The cognitive realization that a sharp needle will be injected into you is enough to make anyone cringe, especially a child.

When you look at vaccines this way, no wonder many parents are against them, right? However, childhood vaccines are considered to be a necessary evil. They help prevent the spread of measles, chicken pox, and other illnesses. Some parents choose to opt out of these immunizations altogether. The problem is, while these individuals have made a distinct and separate choice for their own children, they cannot be detached from other students at school or individuals at daycare in the same way. For this reason, critics are blaming the lack of vaccinations on the resurgence of cases of measles and other diseases.

At Disneyland recently, more than 100 park-goers came down with the measles. Who still contracts the measles with all of the preventative measures available to you throughout childhood to preclude it? Can this really be blamed on a lack of vaccinations causing exposure to others? We’re not sure if we can make that jump, but it can’t really be ruled out of the conversation.

If the preventative shots will aid children, why are there people that fighting fiercely against them? It isn’t simply to be incomparable to others it appears. Some parents just don’t trust the vaccines, stating that they could cause bad nutrition and stress for their kids. However, the over-whelming criticisms of having unvaccinated children mingling with immunized ones may soon push more school systems to order mandatory preventive shots before a child can enter their schools.

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