36,000 out of 320 million people die every year of the regular flu from not getting vaccinated, but only one in a million die from getting the flu vaccine. Many people believe that vaccine risks are outweighed by the risks of not being vaccinated, but others believe that without being vaccinated you have a greater risk of getting diseases.
The current Hib vaccine was first introduced to the United States in 1990. “At that time Hib was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis, which led to about 15,000 cases and 400 to 500 deaths every year. After the Hib vaccine was introduced the incidence of Hib meningitis decreased to fewer than 50 cases per year” (Offit). Today, without the Hib vaccine deaths from bacterial meningitis would be increasing throughout the United States.
On the other hand, all states have different laws on the right to refuse vaccinations. Although each state is different, parents are allowed to make exemptions for their children. The parents who refuse vaccinatinating for their children should be aware of other potential consequences. Unvaccinated children are at a greater risk of contracting diseases. “Parents who exempt vaccines were 22 times more likely to contract measles than were vaccinated people, and 6 times more likely to contract Pertussis” (Null).
Many Parents believe that vaccines are unnecessary, but many exemptions are contracting more diseases and are risking their children’s and infant’s lives. There are many reasons that vaccines are necessary and not just for the obvious of staying healthy. With the high rate of international travel high rates of diseases could be transported here by travelers and immigrants. By vaccinating, you can limit your chances of contracting diseases from other countries.
Everything has its flaws, including vaccinations, but overall getting vaccinated can keep you healthy, lessen your chances of catching diseases such as meningitis and the measles, and, lastly, they can sometimes even save your life. So for people out there who are uncertain on whether or not to vaccinate, they might just want to reconsider how much vaccines can actually help you out in the long run.