Essay 1
Sample Essay
Mrs. Teacher
English 10
5 May 2011
Vaccinations for Children
Comment [BB1]: Score 8
Fewer current issues have a greater impact in the overall well-being of the human race
than the debate over vaccines. This ongoing debate could potentially eradicate a strand of
disease, should the future generations of children become immune to the illness. “By the age of
2, you could potentially prevent 14 serious diseases in children” (Bednar 44). Even though
Comment [BB2]: Flawless citation, but this
quote needs a lead in.
vaccines are a great thing, some people, especially parents of young children, still resist
vaccinations. Claiming side effects such as autism and other developmental disorders, some
parents choose to delay or even exempt their children from vaccines. Although some disorders
are thought to originate from the use of immunizations, refusal to vaccinate a child will put them
in the path of disease.
Some serious, but highly rare, side effects have been cited for vaccine use in children.
This includes: anaphylactic shock, commonly known as an allergic reaction, paralysis, and even
instant death. A number of parents won’t let their children get vaccinated because they don’t
want to risk a horrific outcome, especially when the disease is not usually fatal. However, these
damaging effects have not been scientifically proven to exist. Even if proven, the chances are
greater that a child will contract a dangerous illness by not getting shots than their likelihood of
having a maiming side effect.
The greatest counter argument against child vaccination is the supposed link between
vaccines and developmental disorders. Included in the connected disorders are autism, ADD and
Comment [BB3]: Effectively articulated
claim—great use an control of vocabulary and
sentence structure.
Essay 2
ADHD. The first link between vaccines and autism came when “British doctor Andrew
Wakefield and his colleagues published the first paper suggesting the MMR vaccine was linked
to symptoms associated with autism” (Melvin). However, Dr. Wakefield “lost his medical
license after an investigation revealed he falsified data” (Melvin). Even after the study was
retracted, panics over autism vaccination caused parents to not give the Measles, Mumps, and
Rubella vaccine to their children. Refusal to vaccinate children can lead to disease in the coming
years. An example of the dangers of not vaccinating children showed in 2012. When Dr.
Wakefield’s autism study came out in 1998, many of the parents of Port Talbot, Wales, resisted
the MMR vaccine. Close to fifteen years later, a measles epidemic plagued the southwest region
of Wales. This disease “infected 1,219 people in southwest Wales between November 2012 and
early July, compared with 105 cases in all of Wales in 2011” (Whalen). More recently in the
US, “The 117 U.S. cases (of measles) reported in the first half of 2013 alone are up from 54 in
all of 2012” (Bednar, 44) Even diseases long thought to be part of the past come back when
vaccination does not take place.
Though Dr. Wakefield’s research was proven to be falsified, some were not convinced
that there was no connection between getting too many shots and autism. According to an article
published in USA Today, “A new study finds that children who receive the full schedule of
vaccinations have not increased risk of autism” (Szabo). This means that no correlation was
found between how often children get immunizations and the rates for developmental disorders.
Previous to this study, some thought that the sheer number of vaccines overwhelmed the young
child’s immune system, causing autism and related disorders. “Twenty years ago, children were
vaccinated against nine diseases. Today, they’re vaccinated against 14, according to the Centers
Comment [BB4]: Impressive and extensive
use of sources.
Essay 3
for Disease Control and Prevention” (Szabo). The article also pointed out that new scientific
breakthroughs have allowed the vaccine to be easier on the immune system.
If vaccines are not to blame for autism, then what is? Even though there is no single
Comment [BB5]: Great transition.
known cause for autism, there are some factors have been shown to increase one’s vulnerability
to have the disorder. Some of these influences include genetic history of autism or related
disorders and environmental factors, one of which is presence of heavy metals. Mercury, which
is a minor ingredient in some vaccines, is considered a heavy metal, and could offer an
explanation as to where the belief that vaccines cause autism originated.
Vaccines are just one of the miracles of medicine in the modern era. Through one
falsified study, paranoia arose about immunization’s mythical and harmful side effects. Fear of
giving their children autism or related disorders drove some parents to delay or forego
vaccinating their child. As shown by the Measles outbreak in Port Talbot, Wales, choosing to
restrict children from immunizations can open doors for an old disease to resurface, Although
rooted in a fragment of truth, vaccines have been proven to not cause autism in young children,
no matter how many or how frequently they receive shots. Choosing to forego vaccinations in
fear of a child developing autism or another mental disorder will lead to a life of disease. As
Carlin told Bednar, “The really important concept is that, by vaccinating your child, you’re
protecting your community. You’re not just making decisions for your kid. This is a public
health issue.” (45)
Comment [BB6]: Effective rebuttal
Essay 4
Works Cited
Bednar, Joseph. “Pointed Arguments.” BusinessWest. 23 September 2013: 44-45. Print
Melvin, Lindsay. Vaccinate or Not?: Some parents seek alternatives to childhood immunization.
The Commercial Appeal, 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Jan. 2014
Szabo, Liz. Full vaccine schedule safe for kids, no link to autism. USA Today, 29 Mar. 2013.
Web. 22 Jan. 2014
Whalen, Jeannie. Fifteen Years After Autism panic, a Plague of Measles Erupts. The Wall
Street Journal, 19 July 2013. Web. 22 Jan. 2014