There is considerable debate about whether early age immunisation should be required due to the health benefit, or whether parents should have the right to refuse vaccination. Both arguments hold merits, but in my personal opinion, I strongly believe that immunisation is vital to children’s health and growth.
Young children tend to have weak immune systems, since their organs have not developed perfectly yet. Research conducted by the Precious Baby Association showed that at least 1 of 10 babies were dead because of mild viruses, such as influenza. Therefore, babies need to be vaccinated as soon as they are born to prevent bacterial exposure. For instance, research showed that the children who have received a hepatitis vaccine have a 90% higher chance to fight the viruses. However, some critics point out the side effects that may happen after the injection as a result of adaptation process: high fever and soreness. Although this effect leads to parent’s concern, vaccines somehow help children to grow well.
Children are in their golden stage of brain development, which means they are in the perfect conditions to be able to absorb every novel information or knowledge that help them to have affective, cognitive, and psychomotor skills. This stage is significant because a study on cognitive development found that during the golden age stage, children can reserve 92% of the new knowledge. Yet, the most disruptor of the process is disease. When children are ill, they are too focused on the pain that they experience, thus the learning processes are disrupted.
The term of immunisation itself is defined to be an act to inject some liquid substances to the body which aim to strengthen the body’s immune system. In conclusion, vaccination would help children grow at their maximum capacity without any sickness problem. For this reason, immunisation should be obliged to every parent.