Sunday, December 29, 2019
The Suicide Act - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3170 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Analytical essay Tags: Act Essay Suicide Essay Did you like this example? Critically assess whether the Suicide Act 1961 should be amended to permit physician assisted suicide. The Suicide Act 1961 amended the law of England and wales and professed that the act of suicide is not a criminal offence. However, section 2(1) of the current legislation makes it a statutory offence to ââ¬Å"aid, abet or counsel or procure the suicide of another.â⬠[1] Thus the criminal act carries a sentence of up to fourteen years imprisonment for assisting another to commit suicide. This subsection of the legislation commonly relates and incorporates to all cases of assisted suicide including Physician assisted suicide (PAS). Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Suicide Act" essay for you Create order Nevertheless there has been a myriad of efforts to legalise PAS; commonly, by means of private membersââ¬â¢ bill in the House of Lords however none have been successful yet. Lord Joffe, a prominent supporter of PAS, proposed the ââ¬ËAssisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Billââ¬â¢ three times, in order to provide the opportunity of PAS to individuals who were critically ill, however the possibility for the current legislation to be amended was opposed in 2006 by 148 votes to 100[2]. However, whether the Suicide Act should be reformed to permit PAS has proven to be somewhat stimulating to many legal theorists and contemporary academics for decades. The term ââ¬ËPhysician Assisted Suicideââ¬â¢ relates to a circumstance by which a physician intentionally provides a treatment to a knowledgeable and capable patient on her or his request. Even though in the case of such an event, the means to the death of the individual is self-administered, the physicianââ¬â¢s role as an agent is in breach of s.2 of the Suicide Act 1961.[3] Nevertheless the American and European jurisdictions share common principles regarding such instances, which insinuate that PAS is considered to be a moral wrong and an offence of criminal nature on a universal scale.[4] Currently, there have been prominent legal proceedings in America and Canada in pursuit of challenging the ââ¬Ëuniversal beliefââ¬â¢ that PAS is a criminal offence. According to the factual and moral assessments of PAS alongside further cases in the medical field, the patientââ¬â¢s death has a correlation with the Actus Reus or omission executed by the physician. In cases as such, it is clear that the position of human rightsââ¬â¢ jurisprudence[5] in regards to medical law is somewhat controversial, thus prompting the need for the current legislation of PAS in the UK to reform. Prior to legalising PAS, some would argue that ethical and religious grounds should be taken into account. For instance a common ethical concept whereby many emphasise moral significance to PAS, is the fact that it does not directly kill the patient and the patient is simply assisted. However, In Williamsââ¬â¢ ââ¬ËIntention and Causation in Medical Non-Killingââ¬â¢[6], Williams argues that in both instances physicians are inducing the means to death. Furthermore, she puts forward an oblique alternative; the formation of an identifiable offence in which she calls a ââ¬Ëmedical mercy- killingââ¬â¢ whereby the particular circumstance, intention and the patientââ¬â¢s consent should be considered equally. Williams draws attention to the differences between an omission and an act in relation to the execution of PAS. Nevertheless she maintains that such terms should not be manipulated because it could ââ¬Å"absolve medical professionals from criminal liability.â⬠[7] According to Williams, the law makers are culpable of interpreting a physicianââ¬â¢s withdrawal of an effective tre atment from the patient as ââ¬Å"falling outside the general legal prohibition against deliberate active killingâ⬠[8]; therefore the withdrawal of the beneficial treatment is not merely an omission but could be perceived as a criminal offence as death is an immediate result. Thus Williams is concerned that the classification and depiction of an ââ¬Ëomissionââ¬â¢ and an ââ¬Ëactââ¬â¢, ââ¬Å"rules out the signià ¯Ã ¬Ãâà cance of intention and causation from those activities perceived to be omissions.â⬠[9] Albeit an omission is a concept in criminal law which concerns the Actus Reus of a crime and not the ââ¬Ëintentionââ¬â¢, In the case of Airedale Trust v Bland[10] the House of Lords did acknowledge that the physician intended to withdraw the feeding tube to end the life of his suffering patient. However in regards to the case, It is worthy of note that the law permits an omission leading to the patientââ¬â¢s death whereby the patient has given c onsent to discontinue the treatment. Furthermore, the law also enforces upon the fact that the courtââ¬â¢s approval is needed if the patient is in a ââ¬ËPermanent Vegetative Stateââ¬â¢. Therefore one could culminate that if a physician can in fact omit to giving treatment then in this specific context, the Suicide Act should be amended to permit PAS. However, the amendment of the Suicide Act could possibly undermine some ethical and religious principles. The sanctity of human life is a fundamental moral argument against PAS which upholds ethical principles. The notion that life is sacred is indeed an issue raised in the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill; ââ¬Å"life is God-given and cannot in consequence be terminated by others, even on request.â⬠[11] Hence this ethical concept puts forward the argument that every individual deserves to be valued irrespective of the pain or experience that they are going through, as the human life is an indispensable good a nd not to be treated as a means to an end. Thus this concept forbids the killing of a patient since itââ¬â¢s not a legitimate defence. Nevertheless, atheists and other non-classical theists maintain that there is also a secularist approach of the concept of sanctity of life. For instance, Professor Glover defined the principle as ââ¬Å"an absolute barrier, an absolute ban, not derived from a religious source on the intentional taking of innocent human lifeâ⬠[12] in which he understood to be similar to the religious and moral concept. Indeed the sanctity of human life seems to be a universal concept, therefore it highlights the possibility of a wide scale opposition if PAS is legalised. Furthermore in the Bill, Rev Gill supported the idea that the amendment of the act could result in a national upheaval, he maintained that ââ¬Å"to secular people life is still given, it is given by the people; you did not invent your life. Human life is in that sense special and to be treat ed with carewhether we are religious or not.â⬠[13] Indeed, the sanctity of human life seems to be a polemic issue in regards to the moral and religious sphere within society. Therefore if the majority of the population consider that there is a moral duty to uphold the sacredness of life, then the legalisation of PAS could possibly lead to a social upheaval. Nonetheless, it can be perceived that the sanctity of human life affects the underlying choices that concern the human autonomy. The fundamental concept of autonomy is the right for an individual to define the boundaries that define his life. To the dogma of justice, the value for the patientââ¬â¢s autonomy is regarded as essential to those would like the Suicide Act to be amended to permit PAS. In some instances an individual is incapable of taking their own life; therefore the need for medical expertise of a physician in order to die painlessly is necessary. In the case of Pretty[14], it was maintained that Pretty ha d the ââ¬Ëright to lifeââ¬â¢ due to the fact that in Article 2 of the ECHR[15], ââ¬Å"Everyones right to life shall be protected by law. No one shall be deprived of his life intentionallyâ⬠. [16] Thus she argued that the Courts should not repudiate her husbandââ¬â¢s assistance in her pursuit to die as the Article protects her liberties but also the ââ¬Ëright to lifeââ¬â¢. The Article seemed to recognise that individuals like Pretty could choose whether to end their life. In regards to this case, it can be argued that a consenting patient should have the freedom to choose whether a physician shall assist them to die. Nonetheless, Richard Posner takes a pragmatic view in relation to the human autonomy; he maintains that ââ¬Å"A prohibition against assisting suicide cannot be justified on this ground in cases in which the person who wants to end his life is incapable of doing so without assistanceâ⬠.[17] Hence, in exceptional situations, the sanctity of human life seems to act as an impediment to individuals like Pretty because her autonomy is somewhat appropriated.[18] Therefore, by legalising PAS individualsââ¬â¢ are treated as autonomous persons, thus the freedom of choice to die in dignity is valued and respected. However, without strict guidelines and safeguards, legalising PAS could lead to many complicated problems. In some instances, the principle of autonomy undermines the sanctity of human life as autonomy is not regarded as a moral absolute. It is significant to measure the individualââ¬â¢s freedom against what is rational because the principle of autonomy has no universal grounds due to its subjectivity. For instance, Kant maintains that rational agents should be treated as an end to themselves due to religious beliefs that the human body belongs to a divine being, therefore a ââ¬Å"Man cannot have the power to dispose of his life.â⬠[19] Hence, Kant lays great importance on rationality over prima facie obligat ions. However, according to the Utilitarian theory, an outcome or motive should benefit the majority without the interference of oneââ¬â¢s beliefs or moral standards because every action should apply to ââ¬Å"the greatest good for the greatest number of peopleâ⬠.[20] Even though Kant highly values the human autonomy he considers the duty to be a rational act because an individual should be well informed about the medical procedure in order to be able to base a decision on a universal principle (ââ¬Ëthou shalt not killââ¬â¢) and not on their self-interest. It is worthy of note that human life is also a fundamental good as opposed to an instrumental good, hence being a value in itself than a means to an end. Albeit the concept of sanctity of life values human life and reinforces a physicianââ¬â¢s duty of care to the patient, the Law makers should focus on a moral concept whereby the majority will be able to relate to and comprehend. Indeed, if the principle of autono my is a universally accepted concept amongst members of this society then PAS should be permitted because the theory respects the notion that every individual deserves the right to life and the right to die. Nevertheless there are practical arguments which expose the complication which could arise if the act is to be amended to permit PAS. The concept of slippery slope suggests that by permitting PAS, physicians will gradually move away from the standards and principles which they are supposed to uphold, thus inevitably leading to involuntary PAS. For instance, in places where PAS is legal, such as in the Netherlands, it has been documented that ââ¬Å"â⬠¦only 53 percent of these cases did the patient ever express interest in receiving euthanasia.â⬠[21] Certainly, it is clear that if PAS is legalised, the chances of involuntary PAS is far more than likely. In support of this contention, in Dr Ezekielââ¬â¢s critical essay he reports that in ââ¬Å"15 percent of euthan asia cases, patients were not involved in the decision to end their lives, sometimes even when they were competentâ⬠. [22] As a result, it is empirical that PAS could be practised regardless of the patients consent. It is even more deplorable that such instances occur when the action is illegal and the penalties are of such severity in the Netherlands, with persistent claims of ââ¬Å"explicit and established safeguardsâ⬠[23] exempting involuntary PAS. To an extent, the slippery slope argument highlights prevalent problems that society would have to deal with if the suicide act is amended to legalise PAS. However, many have criticised the slippery slope as a fallacy because it makes an assumptive leap to an irrational conclusion. Almagore suggests that if specific guidelines and safeguards are set in place then PAS would benefit those who are in palliative care and terminally ill.[24] Nonetheless, in his discussion he outlines the dangers of permitting PAS. Almagore eluci dates that PAS should be practised by experienced physicians who have known the patient for a long period of time otherwise physicianââ¬â¢s will be guilty of making irrational judgements on cases ; he uses the example of Dr Kevorkian who assisted; ââ¬Å"44 people in one state; 15 who were terminally ill and 29 who suffered from chronic conditionsâ⬠.[25] From this study, one can easily draw attention to the dangerous consequences of PAS if the law is amended to permit it without any effective safeguards. Not only does the slippery slope argument highlight the correlation of voluntary and involuntary PAS, but it also accentuates the degree of risk to vulnerable patients. Such lives could inevitably be ended against their autonomy and when there are alternative methods to relieve suffering, it could be more expensive than the administration of the drug. For instance, according to Almagore, Kevorkian was ââ¬Å"unqualified and was disinterested in examining patients and exam ining their cause of illness and assisted those who were misdiagnosed.â⬠[26] Permitting PAS would therefore result in some Physicians favouring other pain relieving and cost effective factors. In addition to the slippery slope argument, as well as addressing issues such as the disrespect, degradation and contempt of the value of human life, it also focuses on concerns surrounding the efficiency on both cost and time. In relation to the economic analysis regarding the creation of such legislation, the Kaldor-Hicks efficiency[27] illustrates that PAS maximises wealth as it releases beds in hospitals and reduces the governmentââ¬â¢s spending on palliative care and medication for terminally ill patients, thus generating greater net benefits. However, the Pareto efficiency theory insinuates that PAS does not necessarily make one party better off[28] as there is a ââ¬ËPareto optimalââ¬â¢ allocation of recourses. The outcome of the action executed by the physician is sufficie nt as there is an equally sufficient compensation and also improves the welfare of the state without the deprivation of the other. These theories of efficiency are certainly hard to apply since involuntary PAS would not be Pareto efficient or moral as there is an exclusive focus on generating greater net benefits for the majority. Therefore, the slippery slope argument is indubitably sound because if the legislatures take a Kaldor-Hicks approach then surely involuntary PAS would to some length become a reasonable means. Indeed the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill was determined on permitting assisted suicide only with the facilitation of a Physician, it was somewhat clear based on evidence that other states carried out involuntary assisted suicide after the legislation was passed for PAS. Nevertheless, according to the Attorney-General it was apparent that, ââ¬Å"the traditional attitude of the common law was to condemn suicide until the law was changed by the Suicide Act 1961â⬠.[29] It seems to the majority that though the assisted suicide Laws in the Netherlands and Belgium specify that physicians alone are permitted to assist with suicide, the documented ill-practises executed by these Doctors creates a prodigious challenge to the legislatures in England and Wales. Nonetheless when legislations as such are amended many would argue that simply providing treatment with the consent of the patient does not abuse an individualââ¬â¢s autonomy. However implementing safeguards for PAS would be complicated as explored in the slippery slope. Even so, the principle of autonomy takes into consideration the very matter of an individualââ¬â¢s freedom of choice a profoundly serious virtue and right and one that necessitates a remarkable deal of justification. Bibliography Cases Airedale Trust v.Bland [1993] 1 All ER 821 [HL] R. (on the application of Pretty) v DPP [2001] UKHL 61 Legislations European Convention on Human Rights Suicide Act 1961 Books and Reports ââ¬ËThe Concept of Pareto Efficiencyââ¬â¢, lt;https://pages.uoregon.edu/cjellis/441/441notes.pdfgt;last accessed 15 December 2013, 2007) Almagor R C, ââ¬Å"A Circumscribed Plea for Voluntary Physician- Assisted Suicideâ⬠, (2000) 913 Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 127 Elliott and Quinn ââ¬ËEnglish Legal Systemââ¬â¢ (14th edition, Pearson 2013) Emanuel E J, ââ¬ËWhat is the Great Benefit of Legalizing Euthanasia of Physician-Assisted Suicide?ââ¬â¢ (1999) 109 Ethics |lt;https://philosophyfaculty.ucsd.edu/faculty/rarneson/Courses/EMANUELwhatisthebenefit.pdfgt; last accessed 12 December 2013 Gorsuch N M, ââ¬ËThe Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasiaââ¬â¢ (Princeton University Press 2006), Ch. 7 Kant I, ââ¬ËThe issue of Suicideââ¬â¢- lt;https://philosophia.uncg.edu/sites/default/files/PHI301metivier/pdf/Kant-Suicide.pdf gt;pp. 147-154 last accessed 12 December 2013 Kennedy and Grubb A, ââ¬ËMedical Lawââ¬â¢ (2nd edition, Butterworths 1994) Posner R, ââ¬Å"The Tanner lectures on Human Values- Euthanasia and Health Care: Two Essays on the Policy Dilemmas of Aging and Old Ageâ⬠lt;https://tannerlectures.utah.edu/_documents/a-to-z/p/Posner96.pdfgt;last accessed 14 December 2013, (Yale university 1994) The Select Committee| ââ¬ËAssisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Billââ¬â¢ |HL|(2004-05)| HL Paper 86I |lt;https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200405/ldselect/ldasdy/86/8604.htmgt; Last accessed 15 December 2013 Williams G, ââ¬ËIntention and Causation in Medical Non-Killing: The Impact of Criminal Law Concepts on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicideââ¬â¢ (Routledge-Cavendish 2007) Stone R, ââ¬ËTextbook on Civil Liberties and Human Rightsââ¬â¢ ( 6th edition, Oxford University Press 2006) Jackson E, ââ¬ËMedical Law Text, Cases and Materialsââ¬â¢ (3rd edition, oxford university press 2013) Stauch M and Wheat K with Tingle J, ââ¬ËText, Cases and Materials on Medical Lawââ¬â¢ (3rd Edition, Routledge Cavendish 2006) Slapper G and Kelly D, ââ¬ËEnglish Legal Systemââ¬â¢ -2013-2014 (Routledge 2013) Molenaar J C, ââ¬ËA Report from the Netherlandsââ¬â¢ [1987] Bioethics [1] Kennedy and A. Grubb, ââ¬ËMedical Lawââ¬â¢ (2nd edition, Butterworths 1994) page; 1282 [2] Emily Jackson, ââ¬ËMedical Law Text, Cases and Materialsââ¬â¢ (3rd edition) (oxford university press 2013) page; 929 [3] Suicide Act 1961, s 3 [4] Jan C. Molenaar, ââ¬ËA Report from the Netherlandsââ¬â¢ [1987] Bioethics page 156 [5] Kennedy and A. Grubb, ââ¬ËMedical Lawââ¬â¢ (2nd edition, Butterworths 1994) page;1241 [6] Glenys Williams, ââ¬ËIntention and Causation in Medical Non-Killing: The Impact of Criminal Law Concepts on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicideââ¬â¢ (Routledge-Cavendish 2007) [7] Ibid 87 [8] Ibid [9] Ibid [10]Airedale Trust v.Bland [1993] 1 All ER 821 (HL) [11] The Select Committee| ââ¬ËAssisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Billââ¬â¢ |HL|(2004-05)| HL Paper 86I |page 24/paragraph 53 [12] Ibid [13] Ibid [14] R. (on the application of Pretty) v DPP [2001] UKHL 61 [15] European Convention on Human Rights [16] European Convention on Human Rights, Article 2 [17] Richard Posner, ââ¬Å"The Tanner lectures on Human Values- Euthanasia and Health Care: Two Essays on the Policy Dilemmas of Aging and Old Ageâ⬠lt;https://tannerlectures.utah.edu/_documents/a-to-z/p/Posner96.pdfgt;last accessed 14 December 2013, (Yale university 1994) [18] Neil M. Gorsuch, ââ¬ËThe Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasiaââ¬â¢ (Princeton University Press 2006), Ch. 7 [19] Immanuel Kant, ââ¬ËThe issue of Suicideââ¬â¢- lt;https://philosophia.uncg.edu/sites/default/files/PHI301metivier/pdf/Kant-Suicide.pdf gt;pp. 147-154 last accessed 12 December 2013 [20] Elliott and Quinn ââ¬ËEnglish Legal Systemââ¬â¢ (14th edition, Pearson 2013) page: 678 [21] E J Emanuel, ââ¬ËWhat is the Great Benefit of Legalizing Euthanasia of Physician-Assisted Suicide?ââ¬â¢ Vol.109 No.3. (1999) 109 Ethics 640-1 [22] Ibid 640 [23] Ibid [24] R Cohen-Almagor, ââ¬Å"A Circumscribed Plea for Voluntary Physician- Assisted Suicideâ⬠, (2000) 913 Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 127 [25] Ibid [26] Ibid [27] A method used in economic analysis for legal scenarios for cost effectiveness. [28] ââ¬ËThe Concept of Pareto Efficiencyââ¬â¢, lt;https://pages.uoregon.edu/cjellis/441/441notes.pdfgt;last accessed 15 December 2013, Page; 1 [29] The Select Committee| ââ¬ËAssisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Billââ¬â¢ |HL|(2004-05)| HL Paper 86I | paragraph 11
Friday, December 20, 2019
To Not Repeating the Past An Analysis of the Holocaust Essay
Holocaust survivor, Anne Frank, once said, ââ¬Å"If we bear all this suffering and if there are still Jews left, when it is over, then Jews, instead of being doomed, will be held up as an exampleâ⬠(ââ¬Å"Auschwitz concentration campsâ⬠ââ¬Å"). Throughout the Holocaust millions died. The Jews were put into ghettoââ¬â¢s before being boarded to concentration camps. Concentration camps were cruel and killed large sums of people. The ghettos were cramped and didnââ¬â¢t range very far, and possessed Horribly living conditions. The Holocaust was a gigantic slaughter fest, life was terrible for Jews during the holocaust. During the holocaust, they would be boarded onto the trains where they would soon be delivered to a concentration camp (ââ¬Å"Auschwitz concentrationâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦They were eventually thrown into death camps or most of the time thrown into a mass murder group. It was a terrible time for the Jews because theyââ¬â¢re own people were g etting tortured while their family members were forced to watch. The conditions they were put in were horrific, they were usually stuffed into a small cart and theyââ¬â¢re we so many of them in there at one time that even if they touched there skin would begin to burn. Jews were basically slaves to all these people or just like toys. They would get tattooed and that was kind of them being labeled. They were often split up and forced into hiding because the SS guards would take whoever they saw. So a lot of families would give like an elderly or someone that was soon to die because they didnââ¬â¢t want to give up someone valuable. Hiding children was a lot more easier than hiding an adult because children didnââ¬â¢t carry any identification, and the children could easily blend in with a group on non-Jewish kids and they would be perfectly fine. The ghettos were very small and isolated from the rest of everybody. The Nazis made them to torture the Jews and they were horrible and unhealthy to live in. They even built 19 foot walls around the whole city to separate them from the rest of society. Then when the Nazis started to gain powered rapidly they would force them force all the Jews to kind of one set of ghettos, they would become unbearably crowded. Many Jews tried to escape the ghettos and some got away but if youShow MoreRelatedThe Train Car As A Symbol Of The Extermination1337 Words à |à 6 Pagesthe case of the Holocaust, symbols are used to materially express the nearly unfathomably reality of its events. But, what do we do with often emotionally charged perceptions of history? Symbols can be used as evidence, and as a way to connect the past to the present commemorating the time period in which they encapsulate. But symbols are culturally created, as objects are assigned a meaning often during but more importantly after events have passed. 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Alan Bullock in his book Hitler a Study in Tyranny dispels any notion that any of Hitlerââ¬â¢s ideas wereRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words à |à 99 Pagesconfined to reading news, watching television â⬠¢ Click of mouse, people can access instantaneous info and news online â⬠¢ Proliferation of online blogs and social networking sites such as Twitter threaten to make mainstream media a thing of the past â⬠¢ But mainstream media adapting to suit the taste of consumers, still integral part of their lives Mainstream BAD: Comparatively slower in its dissemination of news â⬠¢ Chicago Tribune, official website chicagotribue.com, posts instant newsRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words à |à 1422 Pagesto Statistics and Data Analysis This page intentionally left blank Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis Third Edition Roxy Peck California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Chris Olsen George Washington High School, Cedar Rapids, IA Jay Devore California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Australia â⬠¢ Brazil â⬠¢ Canada â⬠¢ Mexico â⬠¢ Singapore â⬠¢ Spain â⬠¢ United Kingdom â⬠¢ United States Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis, Third Edition Roxy Peck
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Immunization and Vaccination Play the Significant Role in Disease Prev
Question: Discuss the risks and benefits.Three issue essay first opposing argument and then refutation for three issues.Introduction and conclusion should be included. Answer: Immunization is the process of making a person immune to infectious diseases by the administration of a vaccine in the human body. Vaccination is the introduction of antigenic material like the vaccine in the human body to stimulate person's immune system and develop adaptive immunity to the particular pathogen. When the immune system is exposed to foreign body or antigen, an immune response is generated by the activation of antibody. In a case of the subsequent encounter of antigen, antibody responds faster due to a development of immunological memory. This method of controlled exposure to immunogen helps in the development of active immunization. The vaccination program has managed to reduce the burden of chronic disease in the world. Therefore, the importance of immunization is realized in the protection of people from deadly disease. Despite the significant role of vaccination and vaccination in disease prevention, there is a particular risk of the process too. So the efficacy of administering vaccines becomes doubtful under such circumstances. Here we discuss those risk and give valid issues that go against the view of the usefulness of immunization and vaccination. These risks are as follows: Chance of other complication in the human body: Each vaccine is associated with particular danger in the human body. For example adenovirus vaccine causes mild side-effect like a headache, abdominal pain, cough, fever, etc. A few severe effects that are found in only 1 in 100 person includes pneumonia, inflammation, and blood in the urine. This is one example of side effects of Adenovirus vaccine intake. Like this, there is numerous risk associated with other vaccines (Marciano et al. 2014). Every vaccine now recommended by government official and medical research team has a certain amount of risk with it. There may be complications like brain inflammation leading to damage of the brain and immune system, dysfunction of the nervous system, chronic arthritis and even death (particularly in smallpox, measles, and polio vaccine) (Hberg et al., 2013). Different susceptibility level of individuals to vaccine response: The prediction of susceptibility becomes difficult due to different individuals different level of response to the vaccine. Much research on epidemiology has shown that many people experience adverse response to vaccine mainly due to pre-existing susceptibility in the individual. This can exist because of some reasons. It may be due genetic variability, environmental exposure, lifestyle, continuous illness, etc. Certain reactions are unique to particular vaccines only while some may not be so. The existing susceptibility is sometimes identified before administration of vaccine but often it is not revealed leading to more dangerous consequences (Patel, 2013). Lack of knowledge about individual risk: There is still a gap in knowledge about high-risk factors, and it has not yet been identified by medical science. Children are biologically at more risk of vaccine injury as their immune system is not properly developed. The knowledge about adverse reaction to the vaccine in children is low among many medical staffs. It creates a high amount of uncertainty in the outcome or benefit of the vaccine. Although each new vaccine is properly evaluated according to administration schedule but still the frequency and age of administration of vaccine has been examined in a systematic way. It leads to many types of disorders in children like asthma, autism, seizures, epilepsy, learning disorders, etc. Many people dont take proper dosage of vaccines leading to remission of disease (Takahashi et al., 2015). The above section was an argument against the usefulness of vaccination in preventing disease. In support of the debate, the discussion above showed that vaccine are meant to prevent disease, but its risk factors lead to life-threatening condition for people. So here the efficacy of vaccine administration was questioned. But this section is a rebuttal to the above statement. It will present counter arguments which will prove that vaccination is indeed an excellent procedure to reduce the burden of diseases. As far as risk is considered, any medicine is associated with risk. But that does not mean that people will stop taking those medications. The risk is mentioned because it has the likelihood of occurring in very rarest of rare cases. Similarly, severe side-effects of vaccination are very rare (CA, 2014). It is good to think about the risk of immunization when people hardly realize the numerous benefits associated with it. This happens mostly because any common man can never predict how many times their child was exposed to infectious diseases and how vaccines played a role in inducing immunity against those diseases to the child. So there are various data which can prove that vaccine saves lives, and it does not endanger lives (Zipursky, 2014). Immunization has been considered as one of the greatest public health achievement in history, and many medical experts agree that it has managed to reduce the number of deaths to a considerable extent. In one year vaccine has prevented hospitalization of more than 8500 children in Colorado, reduces 30000 deaths in the US and about 3 million deaths worldwide. This drop in death cases has occurred due to immunization and no other means. Therefore, vaccines dosage should take on time and not left midway. This will help in individual safety as wel l as prevention of an outbreak of disease among a large population (Patel et al., 2013). Vaccination is not dependent on personal choice. One vaccination not just benefits the person taking vaccine but also the community as a whole. Therefore, purpose of immunization community is to help protect those who are not vaccinated. This concept is known as community immunity. Vaccination of one person helps in the prevention of disease to others in the society such as small babies, unvaccinated peoples, pregnant women, a person with the weak immune system such as those with asthma, cancer, etc (Carlin, 2013). Therefore, when a majority of the population in a community is immunized, it creates a positive environment from where there is little chance of infectious diseases to spread. Regarding successful vaccination, US occupies the top position. Only 3% of children in the US are unvaccinated. Another usefulness of vaccine is that it does not just save lives, but it saves peoples money too (Bijl et al., 2012).. This can be imagined by the cost involved in treating any disease. But if we judge properly, the cost of disease prevention is much small. So little money spent in immunizations saves people from enormous expenditure due to the diagnosis of illness and hospitalizations. Vaccines are not safe is also just a myth which has been spread by traditional people. Before the administration of any vaccine publicly, it is regularly checked for safety. The safety test is approved by Food and Drug Administration, and its efficacy is routinely monitored. There are published numerous studies which show that there is no significant safety concern related to adherence to immunization schedule and timing of dosage (Levy Levy, 2015). Therefore, all these counter arguments with valid points successfully prove that vaccination and immunization is a boon for humanity. The risk of infection to disease is far greater than the risk from immunization. So any person against vaccination should keep this in mind that not going for vaccination is a far greater risk to their health. If a parent wants the safety and well-being of their children, then vaccination is critical. It cannot be ignored in any way. It protects children from major complications like convulsion, hearing loss and death. Vaccination is safe, and it plays a role in preventing the outbreak of diseases. Lack of vaccination in one person creates the risk of infection to those with weakened immune response. Therefore, if all become responsible and realize the importance of immunization in preventing the disease, then whole society will benefit in the long run. Reference Bijl, M., Agmon-Levin, N., Dayer, J. M., Israeli, E., Gatto, M., Shoenfeld, Y. (2012). Vaccination of patients with auto-immune inflammatory rheumatic diseases requires careful benefit-risk assessment.Autoimmunity reviews,11(8), 572-576. CA, R. V. (2014). BENEFITS FROM IMMUNIZATION DURNG THE VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM ERA--UNITED STATES, 1994-2013.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,63(16), 352-355. Carlin, J. B., Macartney, K. K., Lee, K. J., Quinn, H. E., Buttery, J., Lopert, R., ... McIntyre, P. B. (2013). Intussusception risk and disease prevention associated with rotavirus vaccines in Australia's National Immunization Program.Clinical infectious diseases, cit520. Hberg, S. E., Trogstad, L., Gunnes, N., Wilcox, A. J., Gjessing, H. K., Samuelsen, S. O., ... Madsen, S. (2013). Risk of fetal death after pandemic influenza virus infection or vaccination.New England Journal of Medicine,368(4), 333-340. Levy, O., Levy, O. (2015). Ready to benefit from training: heterologous effects of early life immunization.Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,109(1), 3-4. Marciano, B. E., Huang, C. Y., Joshi, G., Rezaei, N., Carvalho, B. C., Allwood, Z., ... Espinosa-Rosales, F. (2014). BCG vaccination in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency: complications, risks, and vaccination policies.Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,133(4), 1134-1141. Patel, M. M., Widdowson, M. A., Glass, R. I., Akazawa, K., Vinj, J., Parashar, U. D. (2013). Source.Emerg Infect Dis,14(8), 1224-1231. Patel, M. M., Widdowson, M. A., Glass, R. I., Akazawa, K., Vinj, J., Parashar, U. D. (2013). Source.Emerg Infect Dis,14(8), 1224-1231. Takahashi, S., Metcalf, C. J. E., Ferrari, M. J., Moss, W. J., Truelove, S. A., Tatem, A. J., ... Lessler, J. (2015). Reduced vaccination and the risk of measles and other childhood infections post-Ebola.Science,347(6227), 1240-1242. Zipursky, S., Djingarey, M. H., Lodjo, J. C., Olodo, L., Tiendrebeogo, S., Ronveaux, O. (2014). Benefits of using vaccines out of the cold chain: delivering meningitis A vaccine in a controlled temperature chain during the mass immunization campaign in Benin.Vaccine,32(13), 1431-1435.
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