Three Sources

Harding, Anne. "Easing Vaccine Fears." Baby Talk os 69 (2004): 19. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Indiana Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne. 17 Oct. 2007 http://www.inspire.net.

Immunization rates in the United States are growing rapidly every year, but so is fear parents have who wish their kids to get vaccinations. A major concern parents have is that their child’s immune system will be overloaded with too many vaccines, but the amount of components of capable of triggering a reaction to the vaccine is a drip in the bucket compared the components in the average ear infection. It is ok if a child has a few side effects from the vaccine; they are not uncommon, so parents should not be worried about that. Also, it is very important that children receive their vaccines. It not only helps to keep the child safe, but all children safe by keeping immunization rates up and the disease scarce.

Heil, Emily. "Terror Concerns Shelve Some Health Efforts." CongressDaily 21 Sept. 2003, AM ed.: 13. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Indiana Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne. 17 Oct. 2007 http://www.inspire.net.

The terror attacks on September 11, 2001 and the anthrax scare not long after have shelved some important health efforts. Before the attacks, legislative officials were clamoring for lots of issues to be resolved relating health such as more nutritious school lunches or even lowering diabetes rates. Now health initiatives have focused mostly on preparing for bioterrorism. These initiatives have been mainly security-related, including a bill to compensate workers who experience side effects from the small pox vaccine, a vaccine given to healthcare workers because it is feared to be a possible disease used in bioterrorism.

Abramson, Jon S. MD, and Larry K. Pickering MD. "US Immunization Policy." Journal of the American Medical Association 287 (2002): 505-509. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Indiana Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne. 17 Oct. 2007 http://www.inspire.net.

Immunization is one of public health’s most crowning achievements for the 20 century. Successes of immunization include the elimination of two diseases from the United States and the reduction a number of serious diseases by 95%. Of course there are some side effects to vaccines, like all other preventative modalities in medicine, but fortunately serious adverse effects are very rare. All though vaccines are a great achievement, the immunization program faces challenges that could potentially threaten the use of vaccines, including accusations of harmful effects of the vaccines, the increasing number needed, the cost of them, and the fragility of them.