There has been a shocking decline in vaccination rates among kindergarten-age children. More and more parents refuse to vaccinate their children increasing their chances of catching diseases more rapidly and easily. In California for example there have been 61 cases of the measles so far this year. The state been identified by the Centers for Disease Control as a national trouble spot and all while also dealing with a whooping cough epidemic. The belief parents have against vaccination is really based on nothing, or at least not based on science. They just claim that they read it or heard it somewhere and they believe in it. “It’s one they’ve thought about deeply. They’re reading all about this and making what they feel is the best-informed decision they can for their child.” Murphy says in favor of the parent’s side, claiming their decision is not based on ignorance. But in reality it is based on ignorance, they are clearly not considering how their decisions against vaccination affects their neighbors’, family members, and other children. Vaccines are made to help us and make our bodies stronger against the millions of deadly bacterias and diseases out there, after all the years of them existing they have not given us any reason to doubt them.
In Disneyland, one of the if not the world’s biggest amusement park, up to 12 cases of measles were reported. This case undermines the anti-vaccination argument that leaving children unimmunized affects only those who haven’t received shots. This shows how fast diseases can be spread especially in places where people from all over the world visit and where they are being highly exposed. It’s like we are going back in time instead of moving forward and explore new technology to avoid being exposed to deadly diseases altogether. This are rare cases however, because despite all the noise 93.4% of parents will or have already fully vaccinated their children.
References:
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-vaccination-crisis-20140903-column.html
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-antivaccination-update-the-measles-crisis-strikes-disneyland-20150108-column.html
https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/champions-children-main-page/impact-your-support/emergency-support/infographic-thinking-big
This is a huge problem, diseases that were wiped out are coming back. I think out of fear parents are losing sight and perspective of the DANGERS of these preventable diseases. Maybe if they spent a few weeks in a developing nation where children die on a daily basis from the diseases they refuse to let their children be protected against, they might change their minds. In a country where immunizations are relatively inexpensive, easily accessible and scientically shown to be safe – people have let fear and selfishness rule them. I’m sure a mother whose child is disabled from polio for life would have gladly taken the US parent’s refused dose of medicine.