Do Now Vaccinate – My Opinion

Lately, the debate of whether children should get vaccinations or not has been popular in the press. This Do Now specifically talks about the measles outbreak and how it has occurred due to the fact that some parents have not gotten their children vaccinated. Some are against vaccinations due to religious reasons or because the parents believe the vaccination will harm the child rather than help protect it. In this brief blog post, I will be discussing my opinion on this issue

Source: CDN

Above is a picture of the 2015 measles outbreak in the US that originated in Disneyland in California. The main reason this outbreak has even occurred is due to the lack of vaccinations, because some schools are lacking in vaccination requirements and parents do not feel comfortable with their kids getting a vaccination. However, my opinion on the situation is that outbreaks are totally preventable with proper care and vaccination. Vaccinations basically insert a deactivated or very small amount of the virus into the person’s body. The body then develops antibodies to these harmless amounts of virus, so then if the live virus ever comes in contact with the body, the body can fight it and survive. As you can see from the picture below, most places do actually have measles vaccinations.

Source: Wikimedia

I personally think a disease like measles is completely preventable if vaccines were required. I know some parents feel uncomfortable with the idea of vaccines, however, I believe that it has the whole population and its health in mind. By allowing some parents to not vaccinate their children, that puts not only the un-vaccinated children at risk, but others at risk as well for contracting the disease, due to the fact vaccination is not a cure, only a preventative measure. By requiring vaccinations, not only would all children be relatively safe from the viruses vaccinated, but also we would have less to worry about when it comes to potential outbreaks of diseases. I always believe that the benefit of the larger population outweighs the opinion of the single families that don’t want their kids to get a vaccine, however that is just me.

Source: Consolidate Times

Vaccination is a very controversial issue, however, I believe that with more information and knowledge, people will come to realize that the positive benefits of vaccination outweigh the few negatives of vaccinating your child. If you’re unsure about measles vaccination or vaccination in general, visit these websites for more information. Vaccine Information (on measles) CDC info page on vaccines There are many other resources available on the internet to inform you more on vaccines, outbreaks and any other questions you may have.   I hope you enjoyed reading my opinion on vaccinations and please make sure to check out my other posts!

My Opinion on the Response to the Ebola Outbreak

Hello again! Today I will be discussing and giving my opinion on the Ebola outbreak that has taken more than 2,000 lives. The Ebola virus has been around for years, however, there has never been an outbreak as large as the one during 2014. This deadly virus has no known cure or vaccine, which makes it even deadly for countries without proper medical supplies and facilities. The West African countries affected do not have the ability to contain the virus and don’t have enough high quality medical supplies to prevent the virus from spreading and killing people. This epidemic needs to be contained and I believe it is necessary for countries like the United States to help fight Ebola.

 

Pictures found here and here

The US and other powerful first world countries should begin to provide more relief, supplies and even share knowledge on a treatment for Ebola with the countries of West Africa. I feel like it is the duty of countries with more resources to help those with little resources or else many more people are going to do when those infected could be saved. The US could assist countries in controlling the epidemic by giving them medical supplies, creating isolation units and even preventing family members and others from contact with infected people. These would be difficult to successfully get to the right people, however, once the supplies and personnel reach the hospitals and clinics, I believe any support would help the situation.

Picture found here

I also think the US and other countries should continue to research a vaccine and collaborate with one another to find a vaccine quicker. There are concerns that the vaccine would get into the wrong hands, however I believed if the virus is handled and transported properly and the proper precautions are taken, the benefits will outweigh the risks. Sharing knowledge and resources are the most important and helpful actions the US can take to assist those in West Africa and prevent an even bigger outbreak. To learn more about the Ebola virus, what contributions are being made and how you can help, click on the following links:

1. World Health Organization and information about the disease itself
2. Doctors Without Borders efforts
3. Red Cross efforts

Also, CBS and BBC each have good news and video coverage of Ebola and what’s currently happening. I watched some and found them very useful, so I encourage you to check them out as well! Feel free to leave comments and give your take on the situation. And as always, thanks for reading!