Immunizations are safe for children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Immunizations are safe for children - Essay Example Going by the first definition of safety, there is no immunization that is safe. According to Baggs, Gee, Lewis et al. (2011), in vaccines are generally safe and effective even though they may be associated with rare and long term adverse effects. Apart from these potential long term effects, a majority of them cause pain, tenderness or even redness during injection. For instant the pertussis (or whooping cough) vaccine can cause persistent, inconsolable crying, high fever or seizures connected to fever. Though some of these side effects can be severe, they are not permanent (Offit 2013). In real sense, no activity in this world is 100 percent safe, and most of the things considered safe do possess hidden danger. For instance in the United States, 350 people die from shower or bathroom related accidents, 200 people get killed due to food getting stuck in the wind pipe and 100 people die due to lightening strikes every year (Offit 2013). Despite these risks, very few people consider taking a bath, eating food or walking outside in the rain as dangerous activities (Offit 2013). The other definition of safety is hinged upon preserving from real danger. Going by this definition, the danger (infection or disease) is leads to a graver consequence as compared to the protective measure (vaccine) against the danger. In other words, the benefits of having an immunization are clearly greater than the risks of not having one (Offit 2013). Baggs, Gee, Lewis et al. (2011) note that the safety of vaccines is assured by the rigorous assessments they are subjected to during their pre -licensing clinical trials. To better examine the safety of immunization for children, benefits of immunization must be looked into. One of the best ways to protect children is through immunization as this has the ability to protect their lives against ailments that are associated