The invention of vaccines is among the most remarkable contribution ever made to public health.

Vaccine Hesitancy

Part I:

Introduction Background Information

The invention of vaccines is among the most remarkable contribution ever made to public health. This is because vaccination is one of the most effective ways of controlling infectious diseases. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, many people are unwilling to get vaccinated. Such attitudes are referred to as vaccine hesitancy.

Thesis Statement

Understanding what motivates vaccine hesitancy and addressing these contributory factors is vital, considering this phenomenon can significantly undermine efforts to control the spread of infectious diseases.

Part II: Arguments or Reasons to Support Your Thesis

Body Paragraph 1

Vaccines are administered to protect people from contracting highly infectious diseases and control their spread within a given population. Even though most individuals adhere to the recommended vaccination schedule, this success is being undermined by individuals and groups who opt to refuse or delay getting vaccinated. This phenomenon is referred to as vaccine hesitancy.

Body Paragraph 2

Vaccine hesitancy occurs when a continuum of behaviors and beliefs prompts individuals to delay, partially take the vaccine, or even out rightly refuse to take a vaccine. It can manifest itself in different ways, including parents delaying vaccination for their infants, teenagers refusing to get vaccinated against human papillomavirus, and the elderly refusing to vaccinate against the flu.

Body Paragraph 3

Even though the COVID-19 virus ravaged the country,  the discovery of a vaccine put most people at ease, considering it gave them hope that a return to normalcy would happen. However, vaccine hesitancy is derailing efforts to contain the pandemic in the United States. Many people fear that taking the vaccines might pose a major threat to their health and well-being.

Body Paragraph 4

Understanding why people reject vaccines is vital. The COVID-19 pandemic can provide a perfect demonstration of some of these reasons. In America, vaccine hesitancy is triggered by the fear of the long-term side effects associated with the vaccines. Furthermore, some individuals are afraid that the various restrictions imposed on them due to their vaccination status might infringe on their liberties.

Part III

Counter Arguments

The decision of whether to take the vaccine or not should be an individual one. Proponents of vaccination efforts often generalize outcomes, primarily due to the belief that universal vaccination will lead to a safer society. Although they might be correct, people should not rule out the chance that vaccinations come with an increased risk of serious ailments and death that will impact their lives. Due to this, exercising caution before one gets vaccinated is reasonable.

Reasons to refute counter arguments

Vaccine hesitancy can be justified in certain circumstances. Despite this, the major driver of this phenomenon is the lack of clarity on the side effects of the vaccines and how such effects will impact their lives is a major driver of vaccine hesitancy. Many people are hesitant to get vaccinated due to the fear of these side effects, most of which are exaggerated rather than supported by empirical studies. Addressing these concerns will reduce vaccine hesitancy.

Conclusion

Some people have valid reasons motivating their vaccine hesitancy. However, most of those who decline to get vaccinated do so due to poor comprehension of the efficacy of a vaccine as well as its side effects. Due to this, public health stakeholders should endeavor to deal with vaccine hesitancy to ensure herd immunity can be attained. Using empirical research to ascertain the efficacy of vaccines and sharing findings with the public, as well as providing in-depth explanations about the duration of observable side effects of the vaccine, might help address vaccine hesitancy.

Works Cited

Bernstein, Justin. “The case against libertarian arguments for compulsory vaccination.” Journal of medical ethics, vol. 43, no. 11 (2017): 792-796.

Fauci, Anthony S., H. Clifford Lane, and Robert R. Redfield. “Covid-19—navigating the uncharted.” New England Journal of Medicine vol. 382, no. 13 (2020): 1268-1269.

Jacobson, Robert M., Jennifer L. St Sauver, and Lila J. Finney Rutten. “Vaccine hesitancy.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Vol. 90. No. 11. Elsevier, 2015: 1562-1568.

Olliaro, Piero, Els Torreele, and Michel Vaillant. “COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and effectiveness—the elephant (not) in the room.” The Lancet Microbe vol. 2, no. 7 (2021).