Table of contentsTo vaccinate or not to vaccinateWhy are vaccines safe?Why are vaccines effective?Vaccines have been integrated into modern medicine to eradicate the presence of deadly diseases. Vaccines are believed to be behind the decline in deaths from infectious diseases. Herd immunity is a concept in which we protect an entire community against a disease by providing vaccines to the majority of the population. During this time, there has been a rise in anti-vaxxers. This group of people refuses to vaccinate or withholds vaccinations from their children because they believe vaccines are harmful. They believe that the side effects of vaccination far outweigh the benefits. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayTo Vaccinate or Not to VaccinateVaccines are known as the greatest achievement of modern medicine because many have grown up without exposure to diseases deadly as they are. be protected against polio, measles and whooping cough. Vaccinations are said to be responsible for the decline in deaths from infectious diseases and the eradication of smallpox. However, over the past decade, anti-vaxxers have refused to vaccinate their children for a variety of reasons. Some people think vaccines are unsafe and don't work. Some people think vaccines should be mandatory because they are safe and effective, while others think they are useless or too toxic. Why are vaccines safe? According to the World Health Organization, “a vaccine is a biological preparation.” this improves immunity against a disease. Vaccines are safe because they protect the individual against this deadly disease. Vaccines are not easy to make, they have to go through a lot of routine testing, only other drugs. Vaccines are like other medicines, which means they have side effects. According to Largent, vaccines have side effects such as redness, pain, high fever, and allergic reactions (Largent, 2012, p. 20). He also explains that these side effects are extremely rare, which deems the vaccines safe. Vaccines are safe because they avoid the suffering and costs associated with vaccine-preventable diseases. Why are vaccines effective? The CDC offers a set of recommended vaccines for each age to achieve the maximum effect of the vaccine. The main objective of vaccination is not only to strengthen the immunity of the individual but also that of the community. According to Willingham and Helft, “herd immunity refers to a means of protecting an entire community against disease by immunizing a critical mass of its population” (Helft and Willingham, 2014). The reason health professionals believe everyone should get vaccinated is because it protects more than just the person being immunized. Figure 1: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2014) As shown in the figure above, mass vaccination aims to break the chain of transmission. of the disease. Herd immunity is important because our communities are not so small anymore. In the United States, there are very small cases of vaccine-preventable diseases, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world is like that. A person who travels to a place with a disease can return home and infect those who are not vaccinated. However, if the majority of the population were immune to this disease, there would be no epidemic. If the majority of the population gets vaccinated, it can.