Vaccination: a public health intervention that changed history and is changing history
Stein, Richard A. "Vaccination: a public health intervention that changed history & is changing with history." The American Biology Teacher 73.9 (2011): 513+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
In the article, the author, Richard Stein, analyzes vaccinations and their abilities to eradicate diseases. He uses statistics to compare the death rates due to diseases throughout history, and how they have significantly decreased since vaccinations were developed. Stein claims, “Global life expectancy at birth, ~28.5 years in 1800 and ~31 years in 1900, increased over the past two centuries in the developed world, and over the past 50 years in the developing world, almost exclusively as a result of reduced mortality from infectious diseases.”
Stein provides the negative aspects as well as the benefits of vaccines. By exploring both sides of the spectrum, he is showing an unbiased view. He provides the facts, which are in favor of vaccines. He explains the side effects of vaccines such as the minor swelling, tenderness, and pain, as well as the more serious effects such as allergic reactions and possible seizures. These side effects can easily be overlooked when compared to the amount of lives vaccines have saved. The more serious effects usually only appear in a small percentage of people. The rest of the people greatly benefit from the vaccine by being immune to the disease it is protecting against. Stein also gives insight into the debated topic of whether or not certain vaccines cause autism in children. Studies are being conducted in order to prove that the link between the mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism exists. Some parents are cautious about getting their children vaccinated and some refuse to get their children vaccinated altogether. So far, there has been no significant proof that the vaccine does in fact cause autism, and the vaccine has done more good than harm.
Stein concludes that new fields of science pertaining to vaccination and immunization are developing, and existing ones are becoming stronger. He claims that new fields of vaccine science have opened doors leading towards the development of personalized vaccines based on individuals that are safer and more efficient.
Stein, author of The American Biology Teacher, makes a strong point about the significance of vaccinations. He does well at putting into perspective the impact that vaccines have made on mortality throughout history, and how they are constantly being altered to be safer and more efficient. He backs all of his claims with sources that are relevant and appear to be credible. What I like most about this article is that he shows both the positive and negative sides of vaccines. He does not try to convince people that they are flawless. He explains that problems have been linked to them, gives examples of those problems, tells why people refuse to have themselves or their children vaccinated, and then explains why the benefits outweigh the negative effects.
Post-Write: I feel somewhat confident about this draft. I took the advice from the class peer review and tried to work it into the paper. I dedicated a paragraph to the pros and cons of vaccines and I tried to fix the third paragraph. Do I still sound too repetitive throughout the annotation? Did I succeed in emphasizing the positive affects?
Hi Sarah:
ReplyDeleteAs I noted in class, I like the subject of the article: it's timely.
You are quite strong in evaluating the source. That's a good sign.
However, you summary seems to be less sure, especially since you break up the two paragraphs of your summary, separating them with the evaluative paragraph. I also note that you resort to quotation rather than summary, without clear reason.
I see promise here.
no need to reproduce the title? Vaccination: a public health intervention that changed history and is changing history
Do you think that you might be able to make these parallel in structure? compare the death rates due to diseases throughout history, and how they have significantly decreased
Same here. Can you use parallel structure? putting into perspective the impact that vaccines have made on mortality throughout history, and how they are constantly being altered to be safer
May I ask why you quote? Stein claims, “Global life expectancy at birth, ~28.5 years in 1800 and ~31 years in 1900, increased over the past two centuries in the developed world, and over the past 50 years in the developing world, almost exclusively as a result of reduced mortality from infectious diseases.”
If you quote remember to give page number if you have it.
Might you move this to the summary chapter? Stein concludes that new fields of science pertaining to vaccination and immunization are developing, and existing ones are becoming stronger. He claims that new fields of vaccine science have opened doors leading towards the development of personalized vaccines based on individuals that are safer and more efficient.
not sure of your point here? author of The American Biology Teacher,
Don't we already know this?
Thank you for your feedback. You are saying that my evaluation is strong, but I seem less strong in summarizing the article, which is evident when seeing the summary broken up into paragraphs and when quoting the article rather than summarizing. I understand your meaning, and I will try to summarize the article in one paragraph rather than two. I will also use your advice and try to find parallel structure between death rates and their decrease, and the impact of vaccines and how they are being altered. By doing this, the summary will be able to be contained to one paragraph. I could use what I have learned about annotating articles in future writing. This will help with understanding and evaluating articles for the research paper, or any other paper.
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