Contents
Foreword Introduction 13 16
Chapter 1: Are Vaccines Likely to Do More Harm than Good?
Overview: Opposition to Childhood Vaccinations Is Increasing Mike Cronin
A growing number of parents believe that vaccines are harmful, but doctors and public health officials say this view is unfounded and potentially catastrophic.
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Yes: The Risks of Common Vaccines Often Exceed Their Benefits There Are Real Dangers to Vaccines David Kupelian
Vaccines have saved many lives but they have dangerous side effects. As such, parents should learn about each vaccine and consider carefully whether the risk is warranted in the case of their own children.
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Vaccines May Be the Cause of Autism Kelly Patricia O’Meara
Mercury is known to be dangerous and it still may be present in some vaccines. Despite official denials, there is evidence that mercury has caused autism.
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Some Parents Feel They Must Lie to Avoid Vaccination of Their Children Steve LeBlanc
Some parents falsely claim religious objections to vaccination in order that their children will be exempted from getting the vaccines under the law, when their real objection is that they believe vaccines are unsafe.
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Many Scientific Studies of Vaccine Safety Are Flawed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Mothers who oppose vaccination are not irrational; they are making an informed decision to protect their children from “Thimerosal-laced vaccines” in the face of opposition from government bureaucrats, public health officials, and the vaccine industry.
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The Cervical Cancer Vaccine Has Not Been Proven Safe or Effective Cathy Gulli, Lianne George, and John Intini
Not enough is known about the long-term effects of the new HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine, Gardasil, for it to be given to a generation of young girls, especially when cervical cancer can be easily detected and cured.
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No: The Risk of Harm from Common Vaccines Is Extremely Small The Benefits of Vaccines Far Outweigh the Risks Aubrey Noelle Stimola
Fears of side effects from childhood vaccines as reported by the media carry too much weight with parents, most of whom have no experience with the diseases vaccines prevent. These vaccines have saved million of lives, and their proven safety and effectiveness over the past decades should prompt parents to get vaccinations and not opt out due to unfounded fears of vaccine-related illnesses.
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Giving Multiple Vaccines to Children Is Safe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It is untrue that giving many different vaccines at the same time can overload a child’s immune system. Babies need as much protection as possible during their first few months of life, and simultaneous giving of a combination of vaccines ensures that they receive the immunization when they need it most while having to endure fewer injections.
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Anti-Vaccine Fanatics Are Free Riders Michael Fumento
Fanatical opponents of vaccination are freeloaders who benefit from the fact that childhood diseases have been wiped out by vaccination, but who feel no public obligation of vaccinating their own children. If too many parents are scared into refusing vaccination of their children, these diseases will return.
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Chapter 2: Should Routine Vaccinations Be Mandatory?
Overview: Vaccination Controversy Centers on the Right to Choose Logan Molyneux
Much of the resistance to vaccination occurs because it is compulsory. Opponents believe that they have a right to choose whether or not to vaccinate their children, whereas public health officials maintain that if many of them opt out, eradicated diseases will reappear.
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Yes: Vaccination Should Be Mandatory in Order to Prevent the Spread of Disease Meningitis Vaccination Should Be Mandatory for College Dorm Residents Katie Strickland
Meningitis is a dangerous disease, and too few people are aware of the risk. Vaccination should be required for all incoming college students, particularly those who want to live in dorms.
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All Young Girls Should Be Vaccinated to Prevent Cervical Cancer Elizabeth M. Whelan
Vaccination is a medical matter, not a moral one, and religious objections to vaccinating girls against HPV (human papilloma virus) are not a valid reason for opposing it.
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No: Mandatory Vaccination Violates People’s Right to Control Their Bodies Making Cervical Cancer Vaccination Mandatory Is Bad Medicine Lucinda Marshall
The cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil is being promoted by the pharmaceutical company that produces it, Merck & Co., although its safety is unproven. It is wrong for states to require that young girls get the vaccine for the sake of preventing a treatable cancer that can be prevented by other means.
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The Chickenpox Vaccine Is Unnecessary and Its Safety Is Unproven Andrew Schlafly
Chickenpox is not a dangerous disease, but the vaccine sometimes has harmful side effects. As such, children should not be forced to undergo unnecessary inoculation against the disease, as is being mandated or considered by a number of states.
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New Jersey’s New Childhood Vaccine Mandates Are Indefensible Deirdre Imus
A number of vaccines contain mercury, which is toxic, and these vaccines should not be required for preschool children, as is being proposed by public health officials in New Jersey. Until the safety of these vaccines is improved, parents, not government, should determine if and when they are given.
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Compulsory Vaccination Eliminates Normal Checks on Government Power Mark Blaxill and Barbara Loe Fisher
The chance of negligence and incompetence in vaccination programs increases when democratic checks and balances, and the longstanding medical practice of “informed consent,” are removed by making these programs compulsory.
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Push to Mandate New Vaccines Comes from Profit-Driven Industry Evelyn Pringle
The addition of new vaccines to the mandatory schedules is the result of promotion by the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, studies have shown that booster shots of older vaccines are not needed as often as has been thought, and that such unnecessary overdosing with vaccines can cause harm.
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Chapter 3: Does the Threat of Bioterrorism Warrant Mandatory Vaccination?
Chapter Preface Yes: Vaccination Against Biological Weapons Is Essential to Defense Anthrax Vaccine Is Necessary to Protect Services Members Stephanie L. Carl
Anthrax vaccination is essential to protect armed services members from biological attacks by terrorists in the field.
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High-Risk Situations Justify Government Restrictions on Liberty Lawrence O. Gostin
The government unquestionably has the power to restrict liberty for the sake of community safety in situations where the risk is great enough to justify the means employed; for example, a bioterror attack that caused a public health emergency would warrant mandatory vaccination, quartantines, etc.
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No: Unproven Vaccines Can Cause Harm and Should Not Be Forced on Anyone Service Members Should Not Be Ordered to Risk Damage to Their Health Bob Evans
It is not right for service members to be forced to choose between risking their health by accepting unsafe vaccines, such as the anthrax vaccination, or being punished for disobeying orders.
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Mandatory Anthrax Vaccination Has Caused Many Serious Illnesses Greg Gordon
Many civilian contractors and military personnel have developed serious illnesses from the anthrax vaccine, which was compulsory for certain service personnel until 2004. Although questions still remain about the safety of the vaccine, the U.S. government announced in late 2006 that it would resume its mandatory program for service members being deployed to high-risk areas such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea.
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Compulsory Vaccination Against Bioterrorist Attacks Is Unjustified Tom Jefferson
The medical evidence for the safety and effectiveness of smallpox and anthrax vaccines is not sufficient to justify making them compulsory when the extent of the threat is unknown.
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Chapter 4: What Are Some Future Uses for Vaccines?
Chapter Preface Lives Could Be Saved by More Vaccination of Adolescents and Adults Steve Baragona
Many people assume that vaccination is necessary only for children, and some adults needlessly die or become seriously ill from diseases that could be prevented by adult vaccination.
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Measles Is a Major Cause of Death Among Unvaccinated Children in Africa William J. Moss
Many children in Africa still die of measles, although in areas where vaccination and monitoring have been implemented, the situation is improving. Wider vaccinations would save many more children.
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Children Infected with HIV Need Access to Pneumonia Vaccine Orin Levine and Paul Zeitz
Children who are HIV-positive are especially vulnerable to pneumonia. In rich countries they are protected by vaccination, but in developing countries they die from pneumococcal infections. Many lives could be saved if the vaccine for pneumonia were made available in the developing world.
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More Women Should Be Enrolled in HIV Preventive Vaccine Trials Edward Mills, Stephanie Nixon, Sonal Singh, Sonam Dolma, Anjali Nayyar, and Sushma Kapoor
Comparatively few women in developing countries have participated in trials of HIV vaccines because there are cultural barriers to their doing so. It is important to find ways to encourage them so that a vaccine that is effective for women can be developed.
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Experimental AIDS Vaccines Have Not Been Successful John Lauerman
Late in 2007, the trial of a promising AIDS vaccine had to be stopped because the vaccine may actually increase people’s susceptibility to HIV rather than protect against it. Other HIV vaccine research will continue nonetheless.
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A Malaria Vaccine Is Desperately Needed in Africa Michael Finkel
Malaria threatens half the world’s population and deaths from the disease, especially of children, are increasing. For many years scientists have been seeking a malaria vaccine, but it is more difficult to develop than other vaccines.
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Vaccines Are Being Developed to Treat Cancer Michelle Meadows
Although the usual purpose of vaccination is to prevent disease, scientists are finding that vaccines can also be used to make the body’s immune system attack cancer cells.
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New Vaccines May Help to Stop Smoking, Drug Use, and Overeating Ronald Kotulak
Scientists are now developing new kinds of vaccines that may make it easier for people to overcome habits and addictions that are dangerous to their health.
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Organizations to Contact Bibliography Index
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