Weighing the Risks of Mass Vaccinations

Melanie A. Staley
October 1, 2009
8:40pm

Much of the public worldwide is becoming wary of vaccines in light of the recent death of a British student, Natalie Morton, soon after receiving a vaccine for cervical cancer and the soon to be marketed H1N1 vaccine. This article stresses that there is little means for testing the possible adverse effects of vaccines that may occur in a small percentage of the vaccinated population. Common side effects of many vaccines include soreness around the injection area, faintness, or fever, but there is always the chance that a handful of people among millions could have more severe reactions, including death.

It has been reported that Morton's death was more than likely a result of an "underlying medical condition" and not a direct result of the Cervarix vaccine, which has been on the market for about a year. However, even the possibility of a connection between the two has people worried. It underscores the risks involved in being vaccinated, regardless of what the vaccine is meant to protect us from. With the H1N1 vaccine soon to be available, many people are debating whether to be vaccinated at all, or even to have their children vaccinated, due to unknown health risks. Many Us, Canadian, and Chinese health officials, key figures in the battle against this widespread virus, have already made the statement that they do not intend on receiving the vaccination nor will their children receive the vaccine.

I think it's important to note that there are risks invovled with any vaccine, and most people know this. The H1N1 virus has everyone worried, so naturally, the vaccine for H1N1 has people worried. People have been weighing the risks and benefits of such a vaccine for weeks, and now that the vaccine is finally becoming available, we see that people across the globe have decided to take their chances against the virus, vaccine free. On the one hand, I can't blame them -- I myself have decided not to get vaccinated. However, the greatest chance we have in years to come of irradicating the world of this virus is to vaccinate as many people as possible. I think that, until we have more conclusive evidence on the likely adverse health effects of the vaccine, it should remain entirely voluntary.

Link: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1926992,00.html