Home Categories About
argument top image
Are vaccines safe? Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines are safe Vaccines are safe
Vaccines are unsafe Vaccines are unsafe
We cannot say whether vaccines are safe We cannot say whether vaccines are safe
Vaccines save millions of lives Vaccines save millions of lives
Vaccines undergo extensive testing Vaccines undergo extensive testing
"Safe" is a relative term "Safe" is a relative term
Vaccines cause herd immunity Vaccines cause herd immunity
The claim of a link between vaccines and autism The claim of a link between vaccines and autism
Vaccines aggravate existing illnesses Vaccines aggravate existing illnesses
Vaccines have side-effects Vaccines have side-effects
Vaccines overwhelm the immune system Vaccines overwhelm the immune system
Vaccines contain known neurotoxins Vaccines contain known neurotoxins
The passing of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act suggests that vaccines are inherently unsafe The passing of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act suggests that vaccines are inherently unsafe
The link between vaccines and sudden death syndrome The link between vaccines and sudden death syndrome
Witholding vaccines from some for a trial is unethical Witholding vaccines from some for a trial is unethical
Parents should choose whether to immunise their child Parents should choose whether to immunise their child
Vaccine hesitant parents are alienated by society Vaccine hesitant parents are alienated by society
Debate Mini Map

Are vaccines safe?
Back to question

Vaccines are unsafe

< (2 of 3) Next position >

Vaccines aggravate existing illnesses

In some cases, vaccines have aggravated other underlying illnesses, with disastrous consequences.
Health Warning Misleading
< (2 of 7) Next argument >

Context

For accurate information on the efficiency of vaccines, consult the WHO website.[1]

The Argument

In 2008, a nine-year-old girl in Georgia received a vaccine that aggravated her pre-existing but undiagnosed cellular disease. After receiving immunisations, the disease caused a brain disorder that led to brain damage.[2] In children, it is not always possible to detect underlying conditions. Any child could be carrying a disease that could be exacerbated by vaccines without any doctor knowing. This makes vaccines exceptionally risky and unsafe.

Counter arguments

Side-effects are extremely rare - far less than other medicines. These are utterly dwarfed by the effects of the infectious diseases they prevent. In the rare cases where the child may have a pre-existing condition that could be aggravated by immunisations, doctors are able to provide medical exemptions for diseases. In the US, approximately 0.05% of children enrolled in schools are exempt from immunisations on medical grounds.[2] If parents ruled out immunisations and medical procedures that had the possibility of aggravating an undiagnosed illness, they would deny their child almost all medical treatment. Almost all treatments carry the risk of aggravating an undiagnosed illness in some form. We must devise a standard for "safety" that means that the risk of aggravating an underlying illness or disease is sufficiently small to justify the widespread use of the treatment. Vaccines would meet this standard for safety, even if it cannot be called 100% safe.

Premises

[P1] Vaccines can aggravate underlying existing conditions. [P2] Therefore, they are not safe.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] This only occurs in very exceptional cases. [Rejecting P2] Therefore, we can accept that vaccines, relatively speaking, are a safe form of medical treatment.

References

  1. https://www.who.int/topics/vaccines/en/
  2. http://www.pacificpediatrics.com/docs/vaccines.pdf
This page was last edited on Monday, 23 Mar 2020 at 14:31 UTC

Explore related arguments