Immunization
The topic for this assignment that I choose
to discuss is Immunization. I choose to discuss Immunization because
I feel that they are vital to the heath of every child, especially young children.
I think it is so wonderful that health care around the world is improving, so
that children can get the immunizations that they need to fight off illnesses.
Hopefully this will help to decrease childhood illnesses.
When most parents even hear the word
immunization they automatically think of needles, and the pain that their child
might feel while getting them. Truth is Immunization primes
the body’s immune system to resist a particular disease, it also protects not
only from temporary sickness but also from com- plications, including deafness,
blindness, sterility, and meningitis (Berger
2016).
Immunizations are meaningful to
me because they help to save parents time and money so they won’t have to take
as much time off of work because they have sick children. Immunizations also protect
the future generations of children from getting certain illnesses that might
mutate and get worse over time. Immunizations are also important to me because they
are one of the first defenses of health that help the world that we live in to
be a healthier environment.
Like other topics
there are also people who have different opinions of immunizations. When I was
studying for my associate’s degree my instructor had a young man to come in who
was a father to speak to our health class. This young man was the father of two
and his view on immunizations was very interesting to me. He had a son who was
about maybe two years old who had been diagnosed with autism. Well this young
man seemed to be convinced that his son had autism because of the immunizations
that he had gotten. Although The National Vaccine
Information Center (NVIC) says that vaccines may be linked to learning
disabilities, asthma, autism, diabetes, chronic inflammation, and other
disabilities (http://vaccines.procon.org/).
I do believe that they may have side effects but there is little to no research
that directly links immunizations to any of the things that are listed. I
believe they do more good than they do bad, and I also feel that children
should get them for their health. I mean really if you think about almost every
medicine that you take has a risk of some type even though its purpose is to
help you.
I have always wanted to visit Australia so I decided
to research their vaccine laws. Australia offers parents an incentive to
parents for keeping their children up to date with their vaccines. Parents receive nontaxable payments of a $129 for each
child who meets immunization requirements between 18 and 24 months of age, and
again if the child meets requirements between four and five years of age (Walkinshaw
2011). Children also do not have to be immunized to attend school, however if
there is an outbreak of a disease those children who have not been immunized
cannot attend school. Parents who do not wish to get their child immunized also
may fill out a form that exempts their child from getting their vaccines for
medical or philosophical
exemption (Walkinshaw 2011).
The information that I
learned about the immunizations policy in Australia may help me one day, in
case I have a parent from that country and they refuse to get their child
immunized. I will understand why they feel this way and maybe offer them
information on why vaccines are beneficial to the whole family. This information
also might be beneficial to me if I am ever given the chance to maybe teach in
Australia or work as a school official. I will be aware of the vaccine laws and
how they relate to enrollment requirements. It is always good to know
information about other cultures and the way they do things, it one of the ways
that we stay diverse and multicultural.
Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through
childhood (7th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Walkinshaw, E. (2011). Mandatory vaccinations: The
international landscape. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal, 183(16),
e1167–e1168. http://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-3993
References
Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing
person through childhood (7th ed.). New York, NY: Worth
Publishers.
Walkinshaw, E. (2011). Mandatory vaccinations: The
international landscape. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal, 183(16),
e1167–e1168. http://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-3993
I completely agree with you about immunizations. I hear all the time about parents not vaccinating their children and it worries me for my kids! Mine have all of their shots and are up-to-date. Mainly because the daycare center and after school program they attend require it but it is something I definitely feel strongly about. I think that the future of our children and world depend on it. A story that comes to mind is one of the measles outbreak listed below:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/measles-outbreak/measles-outbreak-traced-disneyland-declared-over-n343686
After reading the information about Australia, I'm thinking every country can learn a thing or too! Money talks, and that is one way to get our society vaccinated!
Thanks for sharing information on this topic!
Amanda
Immunizations keep our children disease free. I had a neighbor who refused to vaccinate her child. I understood it was for personal reasons however I felt her child could potentially catch something deadly. In a child care setting all babies are immunized. So when a child is exposed to a live virus from a vaccinated child I would worry as a parent about the health of my child. I too also wonder what an unvaccinated child could possibly pass to my child. Australia has a good idea.
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