EmpoWord - A Student-Centered Anthology & Handbook for College Writers, 2018a

Part Three: Research and Argumentation 411
followed half a million children for seven years and found no link between the MMR
vaccine and autism. Wakefield had his medical license revoked in 2010 (Chan).
Even though the Wakefield hoax has been debunked countless times, some
parents still believe that the vaccine causes autism. They often claim they noticed signs
of autism after the vaccine, but they usually do not know when autism becomes
apparent. Autism is a genetic disorder with signs that become visible at 18 months of
age. The MMR vaccine is usually given at 12-15 months of age, before anyone would
even know if a child has autism (Bhandari). So, if a child has autism and is given the
vaccine at 15 months, it is reasonable for a parent to notice symptoms of autism a
couple months later and link them to the vaccine. But if that child did not get the
vaccine, those same signs would show due to the genetic factors that cause autism.
Vaccines are known as miracles of medicine; nothing short of a colossal impact
on modern society. But a much larger impact is not vaccinating at all. Japan is an
example of a country that banned a specific vaccine, and with no surprise, an epidemic
broke out. “In 2013, the recent serious measles outbreak was fueled by children who
weren’t vaccinated a decade ago. The disease primarily affected teenagers but spread
to infants who were too young to be vaccinated” (Larson). This is why vaccinating is a
responsibility everyone has; one person has the disease, then passes it to the next, and
on it passes to those who are too young to vaccinate. Would you be another stepping
stone in the spreading of disease? Or would you be protected from the disease, thus
slowing the spreading? Immunity is a group effort, and if a portion of the population is
not participating in vaccination, then disease is bound to get out of control and infect
individuals with no vaccine. This includes innocent infants who have not been
vaccinated yet. Every individual is a part of the picture in group health.
Vaccines: the misinterpretations, conspiracies, and saved lives has sparked
many of debates. Many believe that vaccines do not “work” and that they are for
ultimate healing, but this is far from what vaccines do. Vaccines protect and reduce the
chances of getting a disease and allow individuals to do their part in mass health. The
conspiracy theory claiming that the MMR vaccine causes autism has been proven
false by countless studies and rendered untrustworthy by the acts of the man who made
the original claims. Vaccines are our tool in keeping ourselves and one another healthy.