14 DAY TRIAL // There are a whole lot of things in this world that are debatable. For instance, whether eggs taste best scrambled or fried, or if Madonna should just retire already. Vaccines, on the other hand, should not be up for debate. On the contrary, they should be a no-brainer.
Well, not unless the thought of having perfectly preventable diseases sicken hundreds, maybe even thousands, sounds like a whole lot of fun. I’m sorry, but this is just the way it is. Vaccines are one of the perks of modern life and it does not make any sense for people to opt out of having them.
First things first, here is how vaccines work
The vaccines that doctors and other medical experts keep shoving in our face work by training the body to recognize the pathogens that cause various diseases and destroy them. Thus, vaccines are made up of substances, i.e. antigens, that mimic disease agents.
When these substances are introduced into our body, the immune system lashes out at them and does its best to destroy them. The thing is that, because vaccines aren’t the real deal and only comprise pathogen wannabes, immune cells have no trouble crushing whatever antigens they meet.
This little doctor-induced warfare might sound like a complete waste of time, but it really isn’t. On the contrary, it is while battling the antigens in vaccines that our immune system learns vital skills that will help it fight off real pathogens when circumstances demand for it.
Simply put, vaccines teach our body’s natural defense mechanisms how to recognize various pathogens and destroy them. There isn’t anything unnatural about it. We train long and hard before, say, running a marathon, so why not help our immune system be prepared for whatever challenges could come its way?
In fact, the concept of immunization isn’t even a modern one. On the contrary, historical records indicate that, in ancient times, people used to try and immunize themselves against smallpox by knowingly and willingly exposing themselves to a mild form of the disease.
They did so by taking skin crusts from folks who were in a convalescent stage, grinding them into a fine powder and sniffing it. I know, it all sounds seriously icky, but it did the trick. If it hadn’t, the practice wouldn’t have been as popular as it was. No, I did not just make this stuff up.
But what about all those horrible things people say about vaccines?
Even today, there are people who refuse to vaccinate their children on the grounds that vaccines are just awful and will surely make them sick. The thing is that, and it pains me to say so, these guys and gals make no sense. I’m all for freedom of thought, but as already mentioned, vaccines should not be a topic of debate.
One of the things these people say is that vaccines can cause kids to develop autism. True, autism is not yet very well understood by the scientific community. The one thing researchers agree on, however, is that there is no evidence that vaccines can trigger this neurodevelopmental disorder.
Except for that one 1998 study published in the journal The Lancet and authored by one Dr. Andrew Wakefield and his team. The problem with this study: it was retracted in 2010 and it cost Dr. Andrew Wakefield his license. Why? Because, as it turns out, his data was false.
One other argument against vaccines is that they can overload a child’s immune system and make them sick. First off, keep in mind that vaccines do not introduce active and terribly potent viruses in the body. They just mimic an infection to teach the body how to respond to a real threat.
Besides, it’s not like we all live in one big, comfy bubble and the only germs we have to fear are the ones doctors want to pump in our bloodstream. Let’s face it, there are bacteria all around us. We even have such microorganisms living inside us, helping us stay alive.
Then there’s the argument that kids can immunize themselves without the help of a doctor poking them with a syringe. This might be true, but the fact of the matter is that this co-called natural immunity can only be acquired by getting a certain disease and successfully fighting it off, and nobody wants this to happen.
Lastly, there are some who claim that it’s nobody’s business whether they vaccinate their children or not. Well, this really isn’t the case. Vaccines weren’t developed for the sake of the individual, they were developed to prevent outbreaks. You know, the kind of health conundrums that can claim hundreds of victims at a time.
Why everyone should just vaccinate their kids
The chief reason everyone should vaccinate their children is, well, to protect them against diseases that in this day and age are easily preventable. True, it can happen for a vaccine to cause pain, tenderness and redness at the site of injection, but this is nothing compared to the symptoms of, say, polio.
On the other hand, it’s important for parents to vaccinate their kids to help safeguard those who, for some reason, don’t have a fully functional immune system. Yes, there are people whose immune system isn’t in top shape, and what with us humans being social animals and having a consciousness and all, we should try to protect them if we can.
Lastly, there is the issue of saving time and money. Think about it this way, what sounds more appealing: taking a kid to get a simple shot or look after them for days if they get sick? Not to mention the fact that some diseases can cause prolonged disabilities. That doesn’t sound very nice, does it?