The truth about vaccines
The truth about vaccines
“The government is trying
to kill [people].” One woman claims as her reason for not vaccinating her
child. “Vaccines cause autism,” another claims as if that is good enough reason
not to protect her child. We hear about these stories so often these days that
it is no longer surprising, but it should be. Shouldn’t it?
Currently, there is an
outbreak of measles in New York, which is causing serious concern. A public
health emergency was declared, and there is a possibility that people are
hosting “measles party” in order to intentionally expose unvaccinated children
to the disease. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause fever,
cough, runny nose, and rash; it can also cause complications, such as pneumonia
and encephalitis. Children could die from this disease.
Edward Jenner (1749-1823)
contributed greatly to foundation of immunology by suggesting that infection
from cowpox protected against smallpox (Yes-he was not the first one, but he is
the famous one). People inoculated children with cowpox so that the children
could be protected against smallpox. This idea has then eventually led to
vaccines, but vaccines are just more powerful and effective way to protect
humans against a disease. So, why are
people regressing to 18-19th century?
There are many reasons
that one decides not to vaccinate his or her child, such as religious reasons,
personal beliefs and safety concerns. Personal choices and freedom to choose
are very important today, but so is a child’s life and safety. An English
mathematician once asked, “shall I refuse my dinner because I do not fully
understand the process of digestion?”
This is a difficult issue
that needs combination of politics, education, and people’s understanding. It
is easy to point fingers and ask, “your religion lets your kids die?” However,
this is not an issue of an individual, but an issue that stems from the system.
There needs to be better education and better laws in place to protect people
and to help people understand.
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