Sunday, April 19, 2009

Argument in favor of Vaccination: A Utilitarian Approach

Utilitarianism is the theory that an action or practice is right when it leads to the greatest possible balance of good consequences or to the least possible balance of bad consequences and thereby minimizes harms and maximizes benefits. Utilitarian’s see moral rules as fulfilling individual needs as well as achieving wide-ranging, social goals. Vaccinations are a means of eliminating and preventing infectious diseases that once killed or harmed many infants, children, adolescents, and adults. Vaccines are intended to help bolster our immunity against certain viruses such as the flu, which is constantly changing in form and severity. The viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable disease still exist and can be passed on to those who are not protected by a shot. Vaccine-preventable disease can have many social and economic costs to society. These include sick children missing school, parents missing work to take care of the child, increased family stress and responsibility, lowered quality of life for the afflicted individual, and increased doctor’s visits, hospitalizations, costs, and premature death. Overall, vaccine policies and guidelines adhere to maximize the good (our society’s overall health and a lower disease and death rate), maintain the standard of goodness (the happiness, health and freedom to a better life), minimize consequentialism (the good of the action outweighs the very low percentage who have adverse reactions to vaccines), and to be impartial /universal without regard to people’s race, sex, nationality or economic circumstances.

Additionally, without immunizations, an individual is more likely to infect others in the community, creating more harm. People who are not vaccinated can pass diseases on to babies who are too young to be completely immunized, are a threat to children and adults who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons (those with Leukemia, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, or receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy), and can affect the small proportion of children whose vaccinations "did not take."


Examples of How Important Vaccinations are to Longevity (U.S.):


~Before the Polio vaccine was available, 13,000-20,000 cases of paralytic polio were reported each year in the United States


~If vaccinations were halted for Measles, 2.7 million people could be estimated to die of measles each year worldwide (before the immunization was available, nearly everyone in the U.S. had measles and 450 died/year)


~The Hib Meningitis vaccine has reduced the incidence of Hib by 98%; this form of bacterial meningitis once killed 600 children/year & left many survivors with deafness, seizures, Mental Retardation


~Before the Pertussis vaccine (whooping cough), 150,000-200,000 cases were reported each year with up to 9,000 deaths; It has also been found that incidence rates surge 10-100 times in countries where immunization coverage is reduced


~Each year, Tetanus kills 300,000 newborns and 30,000 birth mothers who were not vaccinated


~Before the pneumococcal vaccine was available for children, there were 63,000 cases and 6,100 deaths per year from Pneumonia; since the vaccine, this incidence has been reduced by 75%


~Prior to the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, the virus caused an est. 4 million cases, 11,000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths per year; cases have decreased by over 90%


~Around 5,000 people will die each year from Hepatitis-B related liver infections resulting in over $700 million in medical and work loss costs


[Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention]



1 comment:

  1. Are the 300,000 babies that die from tetanus a relation to the mothers dying from it? Did they get the tetanus from their mother? And do you know what makes pregnant women so susceptible?

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