Matt Brennan believes that it is time for common sense and science to prevail in the anti-vaccination debate, at all costs.
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Fun fact: 145,700 people died from the measles globally in 2013, according to the World Health Organization. OK, so that’s not so fun.
But, here is the good news for Americans. That disease was eradicated in 2000, and it has been kept in check since, minimizing its threat. What’s that? It’s not in check? There is an effective vaccination, right? So why the ^&%*^& isn’t it in check? The answer is the anti-vaccination movement.
Every year since 2000 there has been about 100 cases of the disease in the United States. Something peculiar happened in 2014: there were 644 cases in 27 states, the most in 20 years.
The anti vaccination movement gained momentum after a small scientific study linked vaccines to a spike in autism in 1998, and has long since been discredited. The author of the study has even lost his medical license.
But the damage was done. Playmate Jenny McCarthy became a spokesperson and advocate for the anti-vaccine movement, encouraging parents to forego this basic protection from horrible disease. Others also championed this false science.
Where are the politicians on this issue? Surely they can help position the United States to fight these horrid diseases again, right? Senator Rand Paul (Rep. Ky) is even a doctor. He should be able to calm alarmed parents and provide some guidance on this important issue:
“I’m not anti-vaccine at all, but particularly most of them ought to be voluntary,” he said.
Most of them protect children, and the general population from diseases that have done irreparable damage to the population at various points in history. That is why science took the time and energy to develop the vaccine.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made a similar statement recently, making you wonder if vaccines are the political right’s new argument for government overreach? Both politicians have their eye on the White House for 2016. If this becomes an issue of civil liberties we all lose.
Let me track through a couple hypothetical examples for you, to illustrate the importance of vaccinations in protecting us from disease:
Parents who leave their kids in the car for extended periods of time –a clear act of negligence- can face criminal punishment. Not to sound crass, but the impact of this action stops at one person. It is a horrible thing to do to a child and deserves punishment, but there are no widespread ramifications to the action that endanger society.
Now, let’s say that a family with someone who contracted the measles (in many cases it is children) decides to travel to your town. Your child has a handful of unvaccinated classmates, and the disease has now spread as the children interact. It doesn’t take much to spread measles, and it is actually contagious days before symptoms show. Compared to Ebola, it is actually much easier to contract.
The simple act of vaccination could have helped contain this disease. The reason that some of the people who still vaccinate their children are so upset is because some of the vaccinated children are still susceptible to the disease. Because of your decision not to vaccinate your child, this once eradicated disease is allowed to spread.
Some schools are starting to send unvaccinated children home – an action that probably should have occurred a long time ago. Does that go far enough? Schools probably need to stop offering exemptions for vaccinations, offering better protection for the whole population.
There is evidence that talking to anti-vaxxers about their decisions may not work, but lawsuits or prosecution might. In an over-litigious society where we sue because the coffee is too hot, this actually seems like a way to force parents to cooperate.
Whatever happens, it is time for common sense and science to prevail. The diseases we vaccinate for have been largely beaten, or at least held in check. They need to stay that way.
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Photo: wwworks / flickr