Body of Research Paper

Do the Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks?

Yolanda Godbee

Columbia Southern University

October 4, 2016

Do the Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks?

Introduction

The research is aimed at establishing whether the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. To determine this, the study will focus on different aspects related to the vaccine. It will consider aspects such as the safety, the efficiency, the cost, and the effectiveness of the vaccines. The study will also attempt to answer whether there is an alternative that can replace vaccine in preventing the diseases. To achieve this, the study will review different peer-reviewed articles as well as books related to vaccines. Based on the findings of the study, it will be easier to determine whether the benefits of the vaccine in preventing diseases outweigh the risks associated with vaccines such as the safety risks. If a proven vaccine is administered in the right way, then it will clearly have more benefits than risks.

The main objective of this study is prompted by the controversy surrounding the use of the vaccine. There have been a lot of controversies regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine. On one hand, vaccines are considered effective in preventing diseases. Several diseases that were epidemic can now be managed through vaccinations. An example of diseases that can be prevented through vaccination include polio, Ebola, hepatitis A and B. Yellow fever and many other diseases. Despite these, there has been a lot of risks and criticism related to the vaccines. For example, a study conducted by Satalkar, Elger & Shaw (2015) reveals that issues related to weak health systems, the politics of drug and vaccine development and the need for transparent and ethical criteria for the use of scarce local and global resources during public health emergency often makes vaccine inefficient. Similarly, the Cutter incident of 1955, where 89 of recipients of vaccine were paralyzed as a result of incomplete inactivation of poliovirus makes the effectiveness of vaccines questionable. Gidengil et al. (2012), on the other hand, reveals that the possible drawbacks of vaccines include higher prices, extra doses of vaccine antigens and increased minor adverse events. The controversy as to whether vaccines are good or bad is, therefore, clear. This means that a comprehensive study that takes into consideration all the benefits and risks of vaccine should be conducted. The study should subject the benefits and risks into a thorough review in order to determine whether the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks. Referring to vast information related to effectiveness of vaccines, the current proposal intend to solve the controversy and answer whether vaccines should be advocated and indicate whether there are other factors that must be considered in order to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks.

The Literature Review

So as to have a proper understanding of whether the benefits of vaccination outweighs the risks, the process of vaccinations and its outcomes must be taken into deep consideration. This review will seek to shed light on the parental values and the values of the society that based on the risk and the advantages of combination vaccines used for the children. There will also be a consideration of the necessity of developing priority vaccines for the countries with frequent disease epidemics, a look at the inactivated Poliomyelitis vaccines, making the health of the Ebola healthcare workers a priority and the cases of under immunization among the children.

Benefits of Vaccination

Based on the research that was carried out by Gigengil et al. (20012), 77% of the respondents accepted the fact that vaccines are surely safe. This conclusion was achieved after carrying out a discrete choice experiment using an online survey of adults administered by Knowledge Networks and collect feedback from parents concerning the risks and benefits of vaccines. Given the fact that most vaccines must be approved and must go through thorough review and approval process, vaccines are always considered to have higher benefits than risks. According to Milstein et al. (2005), vaccine products are safe and effective in the disease-endemic country if there is an adequate consideration of the of the schedule of immunization and the burdens brought by the diseases.

Before the invention of the polio vaccine, Hinman et al. (1988) reveals that there were numerous cases of the polio epidemic in the USA. For instance, the 1952 saw more than 20,000 cases being reported. This figure dropped drastically after the inactivated poliovirus vaccines was introduced in 1955. After the distribution of over 300 million doses, the United States witnessed a dramatic decline in the reported incidence of polio.

The outbreak of the Ebola epidemic in western Africa brought the agency for how swift the vaccines for such diseases should be invented and made available. According Satakar et al. (2015), the Ebola vaccine has more benefits when administered in the right manner. Ebola, according to Satakar et al. (2015), can cause devastating effects if it is not controlled. It can spread very fast. The article asserts that issues related to weak health systems, the politics of drug and vaccine development and the need for transparent and ethical criteria for the use of scarce local and global resources during public health emergency often makes vaccine inefficient. The article believes that there must be the implementation of proven public health principles, community engagement, and culturally sensitive communication are critical as these measures represent the most cost-effective and fair utilization of available resources. Satakar et al. (2015), also asserts that vaccines should be tested and proven for them to be effective. Considering the negative consequences of uncontrolled Ebola, it is undisputable that the benefits of Ebola vaccine outweigh the risks or harms.

Another article that tries to show the benefits of immunization is Vaccine benefits released by the US Department of Health and Human Services (2010). The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) report that once your insusceptible framework is prepared to oppose a sickness, you are said to be safe to it.

Finally, according to the research carried out by Paul et al. (2013), the risks that are posed by vaccines are clearly overweighed by the risks of not being vaccinated. Numerous individuals worried about immunizations spread disinformation about the requirement for adolescence inoculations. Immunizations work extremely well to anticipate infection and are essential, despite the fact that the illnesses they avert are not regular—truth be told, antibodies are a piece of the reason this is so. Paul Offit calls attention to that antibodies are not by any stretch of the imagination innocuous, yet the little dangers are exceeded by the advantages of malady aversion. Paul urges individuals to be at the position of separating truth from myth since such a variety of individuals are uneducated about the advantages of immunizations and little dangers associated (Pual, 2013).

Risks of Vaccination

The vaccines only need to be administered accordingly then the benefits it brings will automatically outweigh the risks. However if this is not done, then the individual being vaccinated stands a higher risk of suffering from setbacks from the vaccine. Hinman et al. (1988) notes that that there are cases of incomplete inactivation of poliovirus could cause serious paralysis. The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) also shows the effects that the safety concerns that vaccines have on the status of immunization in the children. Paul urges individuals to be at the position of separating truth from myth since such a variety of individuals are uneducated about the advantages of immunizations and little dangers associated. There is also a necessity for the vaccines to be properly tested and proven before they are let to the public, after which, they will be considered safe. However, if this is not done, then the vaccines will remain dangerous to the individuals that it is subjected to.

Based on the articles above, it is apparent that proven and safe vaccines have more benefits than harms or risks.

References

Satalkar, P., Elger, B. E., & Shaw, D. M. (2015). Prioritizing Healthcare Workers for

Ebola Treatment: Treating Those at Greatest Risk to Confer Greatest Benefit. Developing World Bioethics, 15(2), 59-67. doi:10.1111/dewb.12079

Gidengil, C., Lieu, T. A., Payne, K., Rusinak, D., Messonnier, M., & Prosser, L. A. (2012).

Parental and societal values for the risks and benefits of childhood combination vaccines. Vaccine, 30(23), 3445-3452. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.03.022