The Idea of an Essay, Volume 4

Narrative & Memoir 63 “Ring, Rinnnng,” would go the doorbell, but I had to say “No” to hanging out. I was dead-set on getting this right. Hunched over my desk I stayed. Researching through Pennsylvania’s view of vaccinations, other states’ laws, and any legal laws that would interfere and invalidate my bill. Finally the day had arrived. Everyone was packed for the next four days and ready to take over the government. I had spent the past three months crafting my speech that I would give to my committee and then hopefully the house. My bill was printed in the massive bill book of over six hundred pages. I was ready to conquer. “Bill #394, Mandatory Vaccinations for School Children by delegate Katelyn Whalen,” the committee secretary said. My moment had arrived. I stood up, approached the podium, and began my two minute speech. Looking at the faces of strangers around me, I was filled with an overwhelming feeling of awe. I knew none of these delegates. We were from around the state, and here we came together. The speech I wrote was my vehicle to convince them of the importance of my bill. “Parents want to do everything possible to make sure their children are healthy and protected from preventable diseases. Vaccination is the best way to do that. Vaccination protects children from serious illness and complications of vaccine-preventable diseases Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, and whooping cough, are still a threat. They continue to infect U.S. children, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths every year. Though vaccination has led to a dramatic decline in the number of U.S. cases of several infectious diseases, some of these diseases are quite common in other countries and are brought to the U.S. by international travelers. If children are not vaccinated, they could easily get one of these diseases from a traveler or while traveling themselves. Outbreaks of preventable diseases occur when many parents decide not to vaccinate their children. Vaccination is safe and effective. All vaccines undergo long and careful review by scientists, doctors, and the federal government to make sure they are safe. Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Centers for