Vaccinations have made significant contributions in eliminating several diseases, such as polio, measles and diphtheria. Vaccines trigger the immune system to react against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa or parasitic worms. Gradually, immunization has enabled the mass to develop a robust immune system; hence they can resist diseases which prevents their spread. Scientifically, vaccines are safe and efficient; hence, rare incidences have been recorded due to their use. Additionally, they have helped reduce cases of hospitalizations as people are now resistant to infections, and the spread of diseases has become minimal. However, arguments have been made that vaccines have serious side effects, and this has become a major issue. Although, reports have shown that adverse reactions to vaccines are rare. Vaccines have been recommended in infants to help the body develop a robust immune system.
Vaccines are given to millions of children yearly; hence, health officials must examine the outcomes of the vaccines children might receive. It was essential to put measures to enhance vaccine safety. The Vaccine Adverse Event Report System (VAERS) was created as a database to report cases that originated after vaccination (2019). It was under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. This database contained information about side effects and details triggered by vaccinations from 1990 to date.
Between 1990-2010 the VAERS database collected over 350,000 reports on adverse events regarding vaccination. Over 87% of these reports represented mild side effects such as pain, redness at the injection site, fever and headache. Undesirable severe effects involving life-risking conditions, hospitalization or demise were much less common, occurring in less than 13% of the reports (2019). VAERS reports also noted that the risk of adverse drug reactions was minimal compared to vaccination’s benefits in preventing infectious diseases. Several aspects could determine whether a child will have suspected drug reactions to vaccines. One of them is hereditary susceptibility, a disease which may be alleged inconsistencies to immunization, the efficacy of vaccines which can differ by the production process, and reactivity to one or more vaccine constituents.
It is important to note that VAERS details do not indicate that vaccines caused the reported vaccine outcomes. VAERS reports are self-informed and can contain inadequate information. Additionally, just because an adverse reaction occurs after vaccination does not necessarily mean the vaccine caused the event. It does not provide details concerning the background incidence of adverse events or factual details such as the age-related vaccine given to patients. The VAERS system is depicted to examine possible safety issues that may need detailed review but are not conclusive reports on immunization safety.
Vaccines are said to be very efficient, depending on the type used. The only way for the body to be immune is by creating its vaccine through natural infection. When a human’s bloodstream is contaminated with pathogens, the immune system reacts by producing antibodies to resist the infection (2019). Even after the infection has been cleared, some of these antibodies stay in the body, making it to resist future infections. The body can generate its vaccine but is reliant on the immune system’s ability to recall and sense pathogens it has come across before. This recognition and memory the immune system to be strongly resistant to future infections, leading to better protection against the disease.
There is scientific consensus that vaccines effectively prevent illnesses and their complications. However, there are still debates and disagreements over vaccine efficacy in some circles (2023). One of them is that vaccines can have serious side effects. Vaccines contain poisonous chemicals that enter the child’s bloodstream at an early age. The additives and preservatives used in making vaccines contain chemicals such as aluminium and thimerosal, eggs and gelatin, which may later result in hypersensitive reactions and inflammations.
When the vaccine’s elements enter the child’s circulatory system, the child’s body will immediately remove these poisons through normal organs of elimination or adverse reactions such as pyrexia, inflammation or skin rash. If drugs do not suppress these reactions, the child’s body can eliminate these poisons; therefore, no lasting harm will occur. However, if drugs suppress the reaction, the toxic vaccines may remain in the infant’s body tissues. Withholding of vaccines in susceptible children can cause or contribute to developing diseases such as neonatal diabetes, autism, asthma, mental disorders, and blood cancer or even be fatal.
In most cases, retention of vaccines may not cause any severe or showing symptoms. Still, it will cause a reduction in the child’s vibrancy, which in turn undermines and destroys its originative, intellectual and innovative powers, vitality and strength, and all of its internal metabolism, which means that the child will work below their capacity (2023). Some argued that certain diseases disappeared or declined in prevalence before vaccines were introduced. For example, smallpox and typhoid declined due to improved hygiene, sanitation, and public health measures that helped prevent their spread.
Vaccines are safe and effective in preventing severe infectious diseases in children and adults. Adverse side effects of vaccines are rare, and the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks. Some infants may show minor side effects after getting vaccinated, such as discomfort or redness at the injected site and dullness. These side effects are typically temporary and fade away within a few days if not treated with drugs (2020). Suppressing these effects with drugs might lead to the retention of vaccine poison, which may lead to developing diseases. In some rare cases, vaccines may be linked with severe adverse outcomes such as convulsions or asthma. However, these events rarely occur, and vaccination plays a significant role in preventing infectious diseases.
No reports indicate that younger children are most likely to be hospitalized due to vaccination. Vaccines may cause immunization reactions due to underlying medical conditions and malnutrition (2020). Environmental factors, such as vaccine administration, can trigger adverse vaccine reactions due to its various constituents that diminish the body’s ability and cause immune insults. Vaccines have helped reduce hospitalization by preventing illnesses such as measles and the flu.
In conclusion, vaccination is vital in maintaining global health. Vaccines help the human body produce antibodies that help resist infectious diseases. Immunization is helpful in society as it prevents the spread of infectious diseases that may sometimes be deadly such as Influenza. There are rare cases connected with vaccination, and the benefits of vaccinations are much greater than the risks. Therefore, vaccines have helped reduce cases of hospitalizations, thus promoting global health.
References
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Poudel, S., Shehadeh, F., Zacharioudakis, I. M., Tansarli, G. S., Zervou, F. N., Kalligeros, M., … & Mylonakis, E. (2019, April). The effect of influenza vaccination on mortality and risk of hospitalization in patients with heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. In Open forum infectious diseases (Vol. 6, No. 4, p. ofz159). U.S.: Oxford University Press.
Mangat, H. S., Rippon, B., Reddy, N. T., Syed, A. A., Maruthanal, J. M., Luedtke, S., … & Kostkova, P. (2023). Reported rates of all-cause serious adverse events following immunization with BNT-162b in 5–17-year-old children in the United States. Plos one, 18(2), e0281993.
Miller, E. R., McNeil, M. M., Moro, P. L., Duffy, J., & Su, J. R. (2020). The reporting sensitivity of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) for anaphylaxis and for Guillain-Barré syndrome. Vaccine, 38(47), 7458-7463.
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