COMM 1010: INFORMATIVE SPEECH – Vaccinations in
Children
Amberly Thomas
Submitted to April Cordova
COMM 1010-000
Informative Speech Draft Outline
4/15/15
Background Information
Specific Goal: My audience will hear the reasoning behind vaccination and why children
should receive them.
Intended Audience: Parents and future parents that are considering the pros and cons of
vaccinations.
Pattern of Organization: I will be using a Cause-Effect pattern
My experience with this topic: I have worked in pediatrics for 13 years and have seen
parents that have chosen not to vaccinate, and those who have .
Number of references I’ll cite out loud in my speech: 3
Title: Immunizations in Children
Introduction:
Hook: Why are we giving our children vaccines, and what are the diseases they prevent?
What are the risks associated with these vaccines? What are the myths surrounding
vaccination.
Thesis: I am a huge advocate of administration of vaccines to our children. I would like to
prove why they are beneficial by reviewing both the benefits and risks of vaccines, as well
as discuss some myths regarding them.
Preview:
1. Overview of vaccines and the diseases they help to prevent
2. Possible proven side effects of vaccines.
3. Discuss some of the controversial topics and questions that have been
asked in the medical profession.
Transition: Most children receive multiple sets of vaccines throughout their childhood
recommended by the CDC.
Body:
I.
Vaccinations that are given in early childhood include:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
Dtap- prevents Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis.
IPV- prevents Polio
Hepatitis B- prevents Hepatitis B
Prevnar- prevents 13 different strains of Pneumococcal (the disease that can
aid in causing pneumonias in children and adults).
Hib- prevent Haemophilus Influenza Type B, a very dangerous type of infection
in infants that can lead to death.
Rotavirus- prevents infants from getting Rotavirus, a nasty intestinal virus that
can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration.
MMR- protects against measles, mumps, and Rubella.
Varivax- protects against Varicella, the virus that causes chickenpox.
Hepatitis A- protects against Hepatitis A infection.
Menactra- protects against dangerous meningococcal infections (given to
teens).
HPV- protects against cervical cancer in women, penile cancer in men, and
genital warts in both men and women.
Transition: These are all very serious diseases that can be prevented easily by giving
vaccines, but some parents are intimidated by the possible side effects that can be
caused.
II.
Most of these vaccines cause mild irritation at the injection site, and may cause a
mild or moderate fever. This can be remedied by giving the child Tylenol or Motrin
as needed. MMR and Varivax are both live vaccines. Therefore, we are administering
a weakened version of the virus to the child so that his/her body can build up
immunities against these viruses. This could mean that the child could get a rash
and a fever. I usually tell parents that this rash could occur up to 3 weeks from date
of immunization. It could appear only around the injection site, or more widespread
over the chest and back. It could cause slight irritation, and the child may get a fever
when the rash appears as well.
Transition: So why are people not vaccinating their children?
III.
There has been some controversy circulating the news regarding vaccines causing
Autism. This has also been very widespread among social media. The facts are that
there have been numerous medical studies done to prove that vaccines do not cause
autism. This controversy also related the cause of Autism to the presence of
thimerisol (a preservative) in vaccines. As of today, most vaccines do not contain
even traces of thimerisol in them, and those that do, only contain trace amounts that
would be similar to those that are found in fish that we eat! Children who are
unvaccinated are putting younger children who are unable to receive vaccines at
risk of contracting potentially fatal diseases that their weak immune systems would
be unable to fight away.
Conclusion:
I am hoping that this presentation has given some perspective on the benefits of
vaccination, as well as shed some light on recent controversy surrounding this topic.
References
Kluger, J. (2009, April 1). Time. Jenny McCarthy on Autism and Vaccines.
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. (2015, February 13). Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Retrieved from www.CDC.gov: http://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/2788
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. (2015, April 2). Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Retrieved from www.CDC.gov:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/index.html