The Debate Over Vaccinations

Period 2    Dhruv Luhar and Henry Shi

     Vaccinations are one of the most useful advances in biotechnology and have been made readily available to most people today. What is a vaccination? A vaccination is when a weak version of a virus is purposely injected into a patient. The purpose of this process is so a persons immune system can learn åabout the virus and how to kill it. As a result of that person's body knowing how to kill the virus the body become virtually immune to virus because when a person contracts a real virus, the body will know exactly how to fight it. Vaccines are also very important to science. 

Since the invention of vaccines, scientists have been constantly working at improving and making more vaccines for more diseases. It has advanced several other forms of biotechnology. In addition, vaccines are important to human culture for obvious reasons. They help prevent the contraction of serious diseases. Another thing that vaccines help is the economy. Research has been conducted and it is confirmed that vaccines are one of the most effective investments in global development. Take, for example, the case of Tanzania. After increasing the vaccine coverage by a mere 11%, Tanzania's GDP grew by about 13 billion dollars. With all said, the vaccination process still has its benefits and risks. Overall, vaccinations are one of the greatest advances in biotechnology.

    There are many ways that vaccinations help humans and animals. Vaccinations are predominantly used to help fight a virus. When your body learns how to kill a virus through a vaccination, it can more effectively fight the real thing resulting in faster recovery, reduced symptoms, and even survival. An example of this is the chickenpox disease, which can be extremely deadly has a vaccine. Chickenpox is a huge deal, as a matter of fact, as of November 2012, all states in the the US require at least one or two doses of the chickenpox vaccine before starting school. Before the chickenpox vaccine was released in the 1990s around 150 people died each year due to the disease. The following year about 50 people in the US died of chickenpox. This proves that the vaccine was effective worth its $7.83 price tag.To sum it up, vaccinations can be very effective and helpful.

    Like all medical treatments/preventions there is a risk involved. There are four main risks that I see with vaccinations and they are as follows. The first risk it that a vaccination could be too strong and you could actually contract the disease. This is usually very rare and unlikely, it is still a possibility. The second risk is that a vaccine may not always be correct. An example of this is the flu vaccine for the 2014-15 flu season. A vaccine for a disease like the flu is usually a guess and sometimes the scientists guess wrong. Even though the vaccine may not be correct it can still lower a persons risk of getting the disease. The third risk is the association between vaccinations and autism. For about the last two decades, there has been a concern over the link between vaccines and autism. However, after extensive research, it has been concluded that vaccines do not cause autism.

The last risk could be considered larger and is more of an over time problem that could mess up our “fate” as a human race. If you think back to the natural evolution of humans, we are what we are today because of mutation and natural selection, in the past those whose bodies could not handle a disease died. Those of us who had a mutation that made the disease survived and passed down that trait. What we are doing now with vaccines is essentially stopping the human race’s natural evolution. Today this seems like a crazy idea just to let people die to advance our race but if you look at if from a scientific standpoint it seems that these vaccines help people survive, but ultimately limit the human race’s chance of survival. Who knows? In 100 years the only thing that might be keeping the human race alive will be vaccinations? Overall, there are a few immediate risks to vaccinations and one ultimate risk.

Interview Questions:

Interviewee	Questions & Answers
1. Mr. Broome	Do you think that vaccines can cause diseases such as autism? "No, I do not think it is possible to contract autism from vaccines. There have been no evidence or facts that correlate one to the other."
2. Mom	Did your vaccinations all work? "Yes, all of my vaccinations have worked."
3. Dad	Have you ever had a problem associated with vaccinations? "No, I have never had a problem with vaccines. Although one time I did seem to have some sinus problems after I had a vaccine but there is no way to prove that the vaccination was the cause."
4. Yuri C	How many vaccinations have you had? "Too many to count, I've had vaccines before I even started school."
5. Jean Luc	Do you think vaccination are good or bad? Please Explain. "I think that vaccinations are good. Why would they be bad? They prevent illnesses and have no negative effects."

Reflection:

Now, there are many questions and concerns about vaccination. The first of these is the debatable question on whether or not this stage of life (adolescence) should be redesigned. The answer is quite simple and straightforward. There is nothing wrong that is going on because of vaccines in the adolescent stage of life, so why change it? It's as they say, don't fix what isn't broken. The next concern is morals. Some people are concerned that vaccinations are not moral and ethical. However, this is only when vaccines are associated with autism and other health concerns. Because it has been proven and confirmed that vaccinations have no connection with autism, there is really nothing to have a moral concern of. Both of these answers can be confirmed by just looking around our educational environment. Most of the people on campus are adolescents. And all of the people we've asked have had vaccinations of some sort. Whether they sought them out or if they were required by CCSD to get them, everyone has had vaccinations. Out of everyone who has had vaccinations, no one seems to have any problems or concerns about their vaccinations. In fact, everyone agreed that vaccinations are morally correct and beneficial to humans in our, and all stages of life.

References:

Immunize For Good | Respect the Facts. Protect Your Child. Immunize for Good. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://www.immunizeforgood.com/fact-or-fiction/benefits-vs.-risks

Weighing the Risks and Benefits. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Weighing-the-Risks-and-Benefits.aspx

Vaccines and Autism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/policy-statements/information-about-vaccines-and-autism

How vaccines save lives, grow economies - CNN.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/07/opinion/vaccine-gavi-seth-berkley/

That's one small step for the present and one big leap for the future!

For this re-designing life project me and my partner, Steven Little, chose the topic of designer babies. Designer babies is the process of changing certain traits of the fetus inside the mother's womb so when it is born it will permanently have that change. There are only certain things that you can change in your babies physical appearance before it's born.

This project was easy and especially interesting. We were also given a lot of freedom to do this project, giving us our own control to do this. Plus, it didn't take a lot of time to do this either.

We interviewed people on their opinion on designer babies and what they would do with it.

Period4
Desaun.S
Ori.y
Zane.C


  Description: 

Cloning is something we all want to experiment with but can have dangerous impact. Without the correct knowledge scientist can spark something catastrophic that can affect others. One method of cloning is by taking fragments of the females DNA another way is producing an identical version called twinning. A good thing about cloning is the medical ways it can help us out. Cloning has a lot of debate with it some say cloning crops or livestock may help end world hunger others are hoping for more medical terms. Cloning humans has been outlawed in many countries. As we learn more about genetics maybe in the future cloning may be a big part of our lives. Cloning humans has been a huge talk for a while. many would find it inhumane others may expand science and our new tech. As in  many place forbid you from the practice of cloning humans. With this tech there can be a new medical expansions such as cloning organs for a transplant. Replicate (a fragment of DNA placed in an organism) so that there is enough to analyze or use in protein production.

Risks of cloning is unemployment, diseases, unidentification, and the cost.

Cloning is a very cool thing to happen but it comes with some risks. For example, it can cause unemployment because lots of jobs would not be going on anymore because everyone will look the same so it would not be necessary for there to be models anymore.Also, cloning can cause diseases. This is because you can still carry cancer or if you clone someone who had the disease the clone would carry that disease too. One of the big things that would happen is unidentification. This would happen because if everyone looked the same no one would know the difference between the people. Lastly, the cost would be a big risk. The cost would be greatly and that can be a problem because if you would want to clone a lot of people it would cost a lot.

    Cloning can help to eradicate diseases and abnormalities. It can also help to get rid of life threatening diseases. In addition to this, it can be used to create people who are made with certain traits to do certain jobs. This can both help the human race and destroy it. It all depends on how these abilities are used.

Interviewee (i.e parent)	Question
1.Ryan	What are your thoughts one cloning.
2.Ryan	How do you feel about cloning crops and livestock
3.Adam	If you had the chance to get your self cloned would you?
4.Adam	What would be an advantage of cloning.
5.Adam	What is a disadvantage of cloning.

Cloning, to do or not to do??

Cloning, to do or not to do

I'm here to tell you what exactly cloning is, and I hope after this paragraph you understand. There are two types of cloning: An artificial embryo twinning is a relatively low-tech way to make clones. As the name suggests, this technique mimics the natural process that creates identical twins, and theirs Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), also called nuclear transfer, uses a different approach than artificial embryo twinning, but it produces the same result: an exact genetic copy, or clone, of an individual. In the cloning procedure the nucleus of a fully differentiated donor cell — such as the udder cell used in Dolly’s case — is inserted into an egg cell after removing the egg’s own nucleus. The altered egg cell is stimulated to divide, developing into an embryo made up of cells that genetically match the donor organism that had supplied the nucleus. Therapeutic or reproductive cloning can be done when the cloned embryo is about a week old. Scientists will almost certainly use fewer eggs if therapeutic cloning is used on people.  By reading this I hope you understand what cloning is, now I'm going to tell you the benefits of cloning on species, but I's also going to tell you the negative effect of it. 

Here is an animation that I found shows how they clone

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/whatiscloning/

There are more benefits than risks involved in cloning. Cloning could us research cures for diseases. Scientists, and doctors could do the research on a clone, and it could help change mankind. We could find the cure for cancer, and aids by studying it on the clones. We can't research on actual human beings, but the clones are clones. We can make more. We would solve world hunger by cloning animals. We wouldn't have a shortage of meat because we could clone the animals. Also no animal would go extinct because well clone the same exact species. Scientists said if they try thy could clone a dinosaur egg, and we could actually see hoe one looked.   On the favorable side with successful animal cloning - particularly cloning from an adult animal - you know exactly how your clone is going to turn out. This becomes especially useful when the whole intention behind cloning is to save a certain endangered species from becoming totally extinct.That this is possible was shown by cloning an Indian Gaur in 2001. The cloned Gaur, Noah, died of complications not related to the cloning procedure. Some of the risks in cloning is if you really wanted to, and if you had enough money, you could clone your beloved family cat. At least one biotechnology company in the United States has offered cat cloning services for the privileged and bereaved. But don't assume that your cloned kitty will be exactly the same as the one you know and love. An individual is a product of more than its genes—the environment plays an important role in shaping personality and many other traits.You wouldn't get the same person or animal that you cloned. They could act different, and even look a little different. Lastly,in a large percentage of cases, the cloning process fails in the course of pregnancy or some sort of birth defects occur, for example, as in a recent case, a calf born with two faces. Sometimes the defects manifest themselves later and kill the clone.I wouldn't want to spend that amount money, and not get the same person or beloved animal. These are some of the benefits and risks involved with cloning. 

 Here are the questions I asked my friends and Family, and their responses.

Interviewee	Question
1.Marybeth Chavez	Do you feel cloning will have a positive effect for mankind: Yes, I feel that cloning could help us solve world hunger, and plus I wouldn't want to lose my dog gordo.I would clone Gordo my dog in a second, he's family.
2.Jeremy Chavez	What risks do you feel will happen if we start to clone more animals and humans: It could have a negative effect, third world countries could make armies, like Isis. I don't feel like having another World War by cloning people. It could help us though by cloning for our army, well be able to defend ourselves.
3.Michael Chavez	could cloning change the outlook of life knowing that another you could be produced: It wouldn't be me exactly, it would have a different personality, it would only look like me. It would change the outlook, but people don't know the exact outcome of cloning. They wont be them.
4.Mia Weckel	would you like to be cloned, why or why not: Yes, I would love to be cloned, and I think people would love to have another Mia. LOL The world would be a better place in the end having another Mia.
5.Max Weckel	What do you think about the idea of cloning: I feel it could be helpful, I could clone my dogs, and never have to say goodbye to them. I love my dogs. But, it can be negative, the clones could come back aggressive, or they could fail in the end. I would want the same dog that I started with.

People look at cloning as gods work, and you shouldn't play god.  This was most of the responses on a poll that a website took on cloning. I feel this will affect our civilization greatly. It will change how we look at the world knowing that another us could come back. Its a weird thing to think about, another you coming back. It will have a negative impact because most people will look at it as not right. Because if someone loses a family member and then they clone them thinking they might be the same, but then they come back with any genetic disorders. They spent all that money to see that person, and then they get nothing but a failure. There are many benefits with cloning animals because then we wouldn't have world hunger because we would have enough animals to feed everyone with the help of cloning. Also if we clone humans, we could do tests to cure diseases or many more things, the sky's the limit. There are many things that people feel is wrong with cloning. An example is how they feel that it’s God’s job, and how we shouldn’t interfere with his creations. Both sides are right, I’m not for it or against it, I'm in the middle of it. It really doesn't matter to be because I’m not going to clone myself or a family member anytime soon. I also know for a fact my parents aren't going to pay for my dogs to get cloned. Its too expensive.

Resources:

Cloning. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rhetoric/105H16/copp/emb/embcopp.htm

Why Clone? (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/whyclone/ 

Is human cloning wrong? (2013, January 1). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-human-cloning-wrong

Animal Cloning: Old MacDonald's Farm Is Not What It Used To Be. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.manataka.org/page1033.html 

Human Cloning Symposium - What is Cloning? (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://groups.nbp.northwestern.edu/science-outreach/cloning/cloning.html

Alzheimer's

By
Seth M.
Frank M.

Video:

REFLECTION

If you have watched the video by now (which would probably be a good idea because it has all of our questions and such) you know that Alzheimer's is a disease that can progressively affect your mental memory and many other functions to fail over time. It is commonly in old people and there are a lot of old people. If we were to do something like this for this part of the brain we could probably live longer, regrow lost limbs, accelerated digestion, and fix all of our neuro problems and things like that. If this were to happen today with this corrupt government they would go bankrupt and that would be bad? For them of course because it would be good for the rest of the population. But, at what cost? This could probably take a while to perfect and we will learn to use less and less but, what i mean is that documentary we were watching and how they were using the stem cells in the fetus’s and putting them into something else. Definitely sounds possible especially in this day and age with all of these cool gadgets and doohickies.Even if this were to go into the early stages we would definitely have faults such as brain tumors, Complete Annihilation of the brain, make the patients case even worse than it was before, loss of eyesight and other senses, and to many to list with patterns that would mess up if you were to place the cell in the wrong place at the wrong time.

CITATIONS

http://www.aegisliving.com/

Help End Alzheimer's. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.alz.org/

Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet

What is dementia? (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200360

Cancer

Nathaniel L.
Period 3

Cancer is a defect in which bad (or cancerous) cells go into hiding and as a result are not destroyed. Because of the way cancer works, it is very hard to cure, as we have not yet discovered a way to destroy cancer cells without destroying healthy cells. Chemotherapy works by slowing the growth and production of cells in order to stop cancer cells from reproducing. Unfortunately, also stops growth of healthy cells, such as those that line your stomach and mouth, as well as a person’s hair. This is why patients going through chemotherapy go bald.

Chemotherapy currently our only treatment for cancer. Chemotherapy is not a cure for cancer, as it does not always completely eliminate the cancer cells. Even if it does, it is possible for the cancer to return later in another part of the body. Chemotherapy is not an assured treatment and is not always permanent. It is also a very dangerous treatment that takes a long time to complete.

I asked 5 other people for their opinions on different cancer subjects. I asked GiGi, “If you won a 23 million dollar lottery, how much would you donate towards curing cancer?” She generously answered, “All of it.”  

The next person I asked was Braden. I questioned him, “If we were to cure cancer, what disease should we invest in curing next?” His answer was, “HIV.” I would agree.

My next interviewee I wanted to talk to was Daniel Dibb. I asked Daniel, “How important do you think curing cancer is?” He answered, “I think it’s really important. A lot of people go through it, it’s really scary for those who go through it and it’s really scary for their families.”

The next person I asked was Sophia. I inquired, “Do you think there is any potential danger in cancer research?” She answered, saying, “With chemotherapy, your immune system is really low, and while you have a low level immune system, that can make you more susceptible to medical issues, such as my grandma, who had heart failures while under chemo."

The last person I asked was Gregory. I asked him, “How close do you think we are to finding the cure for cancer?” He answered, “We could be close, but I feel like the answer is just out of our reach.”

So how can genetic engineering work for cancer? If it were possible to cure cancer by genetically engineering babies that were immune to cancer, then we could have a genetic breakthrough. We may be very close or very far away from such an advancement, but could genetic engineering be the cure to cancer?

According to slate.com, a recent scientific experiment allowed injected T-Cells to successfully attack and destroy a patients tumor with virtually no side affects.

Cancer Treatment

Scott L.
Period 2

Stage Of Life: Adulthood

Genetic Engineering Concept: Cancer Treatment


Description of Concept: 

How is my topic important to Science?

Genetic testing is important to our science world today. It could help people to be relived from uncertainty and allow people to take steps to reduce their cancer risk. In addition, people who have a positive test result may be able to participate in medical research that could, in the long run, help reduce deaths. This is the sole reason of which Genetic Screening/Testing is very important to Science.

How is my topic important to Human Culture?

“Because harmful BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are relatively rare in the general population, most experts agree that mutation testing of individuals who do not have cancer should be performed only when the person’s family history suggests the possible presence of a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2.

In December 2013, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended that women who have family members with breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer be evaluated to see if they have a family history that is associated with an increased risk of a harmful mutation in one of these genes” (2)

As said above, the mutation testing method is highly accepted by experts worldwide and could be performed without any serious casualties. CAR Cells of the other hand, is still trying to be proven. It has not been verified by the FDA.

How is my topic important to human culture?

“The cost for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing usually ranges from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Insurance policies vary with regard to whether or not the cost is covered. People considering BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing may want to find out about their insurance coverage for genetic tests before having the test.

Some of the genetic testing companies that offer testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations may offer testing at no charge to patients who lack insurance and meet specific financial and medical criteria.” (2)

The process for which the Cancer is cured is by Mapping out a Person’s Genome. The Doctors find out genes that affect or might affect the patient in the future. The Doctor either replaces the Gene with a working affective one or prevents the outbreak of the diagnosis with prescription Drugs, Testing out certain types to see which Drug works well with that unique patient.

The above explains that the cost for Genetic Treatment (most of your description focused on the genetic screening for cancer, not the treatment itself). of Genomics for Cancer ranges from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on different procedures and Cancers. Some Tests are free for patients who lack insurance and meet special conditions.



Benefits of your genetic engineering concept: 

The benefits of using Genetic Treatment to cure and prevent cancer is in the most way valuable and respected. The benefits are endless. By using Genetic Screening, we could prevent almost all of the Cancer types if noticed early enough and also give patients a head start to match up prescription drugs in order to fight Cancer. It could not only save lives but also give life by allowing patients to know and feel relieved having or not having Cancer. This is the most effective and popular was to treat Cancer as of today. It has been proven by the FDA. This method is Safe, Reliable, and Effective. Image a world today with Cancer having the same rank and influence as the Common Flu. It could change million’s of people’s lives. This is why I believe that Genetic Screening could redesign a lot of people’s lives.

Risks involved with your genetic engineering concept: 

According to the official website Cancer.gov, the risks are as follows:

“The direct medical risks, or harms, of genetic testing are minimal, but knowledge of test results may have harmful effects on a person’s emotions, social relationships, finances, and medical choices.

People who receive a positive test result may feel anxious, depressed, or angry. They may have difficulty making choices about whether to have preventive surgery or about which surgery to have.

People who receive a negative test result may experience “survivor guilt,” caused by the knowledge that they likely do not have an increased risk of developing a disease that affects one or more loved ones.

Because genetic testing can reveal information about more than one family member, the emotions caused by test results can create tension within families. Test results can also affect personal choices, such as decisions about marriage and childbearing.

Violations of privacy and of the confidentiality of genetic test results are additional potential risks. However, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and various state laws protect the privacy of a person’s genetic information. Moreover, the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, along with many state laws, prohibits discrimination based on genetic information in relation to health insurance and employment, although it does not cover life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance.

Finally, there is a small chance that test results may not be accurate, leading people to make decisions based on incorrect information. Although inaccurate results are unlikely, people with these concerns should bring them up during genetic counseling.” (2)
Interview Questions: 

Scott has conducted a research in the field of Cancer. Scott asked 4 Random students from West Tech and 1 Random Teacher about the topic of Cancer on each question. This is how these lovely contributors responded!

Interviewee	Question
Classmates + Teacher	Do you have any insight to any Cancer related diseases such as White Blood Cell Cancer? No No No Yes Teacher - Yes (Palafox)
2. Classmates + Teacher	Have you ever had thoughts about having your Genome mapped out in order to find out Cancer Related Genes? No Yes Yes Yes Teacher - Yes (Palafox)
3. Classmates + Teacher	From your field of expertise, do you believe Cancer to be untreatable as of right now? (Yes = Treatable)                        Yes                        Yes Yes Yes Teacher - Yes (Palafox)
4.Classmates + Teacher	If we could prevent Cancer today by mapping your genes, would you consider it even though it may cost a huge amount? Yes Yes Yes Yes Teacher - Yes (Palafox)
5. Classmates + Teacher	Do you have any family members that have had  experience with Cancer? Yes Yes Yes Yes Teacher = Yes (Palafox)

As you could see from the results, Cancer appeared to be very common among families. By using Genetic Screening, we would

affect many lives and many families as well. The impact would be humungous and amazing to see. I would love to see all these

families get treatment and cures, especially with the families that had or have experienced family members that have had 

experience with Cancer.
Resources: 

CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy. (2014, October 16). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/research-updates/2013/CAR-T-Cells (1)

BRCA1 & BRCA2: Cancer Risk & Genetic Testing. (2014, January 22). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA (2)

Gene Therapy. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2015, from http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/cancer-information/cancer-topics/cancer-treatment/chemotherapy/gene-therapy/index.html (3)

Cancer Treatment Gets Personal. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2015, from http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/11/cancer-treatment-gets-personal (4)

Reflection:

I believe my topic to be moral, as almost all experts believe that this method of treatment (Genetic Screening/Genotype) has no Harmful after effects. This method; which I also believe to be moral because of how it does not interrupt our privacy except having a record of our whole DNA mapped out. This, Of course would lead and create problems that we have never seen before. This Cancer treatment type may affect my life because a certain type of Cancer runs in my family although it is not common. I believe that humans should consider re-designing life as it would prevent or even cure life threatening disasters or events at a low cost, both humanely and economically. These types of technologies that would let us re-design life would help the human race but has to have a certain moral and limit to where you may not genetically modify anything except when you are helping or alleviating a person to be more “normal”.