In the world today, one of mankinds most stunning feats is slowly and gradually

beginning to be reversed. One person at a time, and through false information one of our greatest
advancements and innovations is losing its effectiveness. The advancement that ignorant people
one at a time are chipping down is vaccines. Vaccines have eradicated and protected against
many harmful even deadly diseases, with minimal side effects.
In order to understand how vaccines protect against and eradicate deadly diseases, one
must understand how vaccines work and what a vaccine is. A vaccine is a product that
produces immunity from a disease and can be administered through needle injections, by mouth,
or by aerosol. A vaccination is the injection of a killed or weakened organism that produces
immunity in the body against that organism (Basics 1). Then, to understand how a vaccine
works, the immune response of the human body must first be understood. The human body, has
an immune system that normally responds to diseases. When disease germs enter your body,
they start to reproduce. Your immune system recognizes these germs as foreign invaders and
responds by making proteins called antibodies. These antibodies first job is to help destroy the
germs that are making you sick. They cant act fast enough to prevent you from becoming sick,
but by eliminating the attacking germs, antibodies help you to get well(Why Are Childhood
1). Then when exposed to the diseases again, because the proteins and antibodies remain in
your bloodstream, even after many years they will come to your defense. Only now that they
are experienced at fighting these particular germs, they can destroy them before they have a
chance to make you sick. This is immunity. It is why most people get diseasesonly once, even
though they might be exposed many times during their lifetime (Why Are Childhood 1).
Vaccines help the body to skip to the second step, without actually getting sick because
Vaccines are made from the same germsthat cause disease measles vaccine is made from
measles virusBut the germs in vaccines are either killed or weakened so they wont make you
sick.... Your immune system reacts to the vaccine the same as it would if it were being invaded
by the disease by making antibodies (Why Are Childhood 1). When exposed to the real
viruses, the human bodies adaptive immune system is deployed rapidly due to T-cells
recognition. Thus, through vaccinations humans can be protected from experiencing horrible
diseases. Vaccines also do not generally make people sick and yet still provide immunity against
the real disease. Furthermore, it is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it after it
occurs (Why Are Childhood 1). Especially with viruses, we do not have many options to treat
the disease, after it occurs. Therefore, it would make sense to prevent the disease rather than
attempt to treat it with limited resources.
Throughout the history of vaccines, from Edward Jenners use of cow pox to vaccinate
against small pox, vaccines have been saving lives. Currently the CDC has vaccines for many
diseases including swine flu, anthrax, rabies, smallpox, and Poliomyelitis (Polio) to name a few
(Historical Vaccine 1). In addition, Vaccines are the best defense we have against serious,
preventable, and sometimes deadly contagious diseases(Safety 1). Furthermore, they help
protect lives because When a critical portion of a community is immunized against a contagious
disease, most members of the community are protected against that disease because there is little
opportunity for an outbreak. Even those who are not eligible for certain vaccinessuch as
infants, pregnant women, or immunocompromised individualsget some protection because the
spread of contagious disease is contained. This is known as "community immunity"("Community
Immunity" 1). This helps save the lives of the few people who cannot get vaccines for medical
reasons. The chances of those unable to be vaccinated acquiring a disease decrease if most

people cannot get it because that have been vaccinated. So therefore, vaccinations not only save
the lives of those, who can get them but also the lives of those who cannot. Thorough vaccines
we have been able to eradicate small pox and contain and reduce polio. These two devastating
diseases killed and maimed millions in the past. In the case of polio even a president of the
United States was severely crippled. So vaccines have not only prevented death but unnecessary
psychological and physical damage to humanity. Furthermore, we have also have reduced The
number of people who experience the devastating effects of preventable infectious diseases like
measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough is at an all-time low ( Historical Vaccine 1). While
these diseases are not known for being extreme killers, they are painful and hard to treat once
acquired. Vaccines therefore also prevent needless suffering and sick days. In conclusion, from
the conception of the first vaccine to modern and safe techniques we have saved and prevented
needless deaths and suffering.
However, one concern with vaccinations is that they can cause autism and may not be
safe. In the past a study was conducted that erroneously concluded that children who got
vaccines had a greater risk of autism. That study has been retracted. A2004 scientific review by
the IOM stated regarding Thimerosal which is the only vaccine ingredient that has been studied
for possible autisms link, Research shows that thimerosal does not cause ASD. In fact,
concluded that "the evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal
containing vaccines and autism." And furthermore, even on off chance it did thimerosal was
removed or reduced to trace amounts in all childhood vaccines except for some flu
vaccines(Vaccines Do Not Cause 1). Now, the only childhood vaccines that contain
thimerosal are flu vaccines packaged in multi-dose vials ( Vaccines Do Not Cause 1). So
therefore, even if all the studies linking autism and thimerosal were wrong, vaccines no longer
contain it. Plus, Besides thimerosal, some people have had concerns about other vaccine
ingredients in relation to ASD as well. However, no links have been found between any vaccine
ingredients and ASD ( Vaccines Do Not Cause 1) . Therefore, parents and others should not
worry about children getting autism from vaccinations, and should continue to get vaccinations.
Another concern over vaccines has been the safety in general of vaccines. However, their many
steps a vaccine must take to get approved. Before being licensed by the FDA vaccines are tested
using computers to predict how the vaccine will interact with the human immune system
(Historical Vaccine 1). Then the vaccine is tested on animals including mice, guinea pigs,
rabbits, and monkeys (Historical Vaccine 1). Afterwards the vaccines go to human trials
Vaccine licensing is a lengthy process that may take 10 years or longer. The FDA requires that
vaccines undergo three phases of clinical trials with human subjects before they can be licensed
for use in the general public ( Historical Vaccine 1). Then even after they are approved they
go through extensive post trial follow up (Historical Vaccine 1). Then after all this consumers
have the NCVIA to help ensure vaccines are safe. Under the NCVIA health care providers and
doctors have to report all adverse reactions to viruses. There is also a National Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program, to provide compensation those rare few who have had suffered due to
vaccinations.
In conclusion, humanities greatest medical legacy does not need to be eradicated based
on misinformation. If people knew the facts, then they would be more inclined to get
vaccinations. Vaccinations, have saved millions, if not billions of lives, and are safe to use.

Therefore, hopefully vaccines, the greatest medical legacy and achievement of humanity will
be able to stay and continue to protect humanity.

Works Cited
Basics. Basics.Vaccince.gov,n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
Community Immunity (Herd Immunity). Community Immunity (Herd Immunity).
Vaccines.gov, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2015
Historical Vaccine Safety Concerns. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
Safety. Safety. Vaccines.gov, n.d. Web.20 Nov. 2015
Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Oct. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
Why Are Childhood Vaccines so Important. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 May 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.