Date: January 22, 2001
On this day with SHAC, the British government launched their pro-vaccine campaign in which they hoped to educate the public on the benefits of vaccines. Even to this day, there are many individuals that are against vaccinating their children or themselves, as they believe that there are too many negative side effects that come with the vaccines. However, these vaccinations were created after years of research and development to prevent major diseases like Meningitis and Hepatitis A and B. Thanks to proper treatment, there are vaccinations that have wiped out certain diseases, like small pox, entirely.
The campaign that the British government launched focused on the benefits of vaccinations, like, the removal of possibly contracting fatal diseases and viruses, thanks to the protection these vaccines provide. They drew attention to the need for vaccines and the right that all individuals have to be safe, healthy, and live lives free of disease. Unfortunately, this campaign, as many that followed have also experienced, was meet with disdain and resistance, as there is still a growing support for anti-vaccine groups and protests.
With more focus, and continual resistance to the medication and vaccines that can easily prevent disease and cultivate life without threats to basic human rights, are the people that protest the removal of vaccines really helping themselves, or are they doing more harm? Though some seem to possess some facts that could persuade some individuals, the real issue that the British faced in 2001, and that we face today, still remains: disease or no disease – that is the question.