With the sudden cases of measles spreading like “the plague” a lot of people have been pointing fingers at those against vaccines—Anti-Vaxxers. That term doesn’t refer to parents who are picky about which vaccines their child gets, however society has grouped them with extremists against vaccines.
While it’s true that The Wall Street Journal reported 121 confirmed cases of measles in 2015 so far, it’d be unfair to put the blame solely on Anti-Vaxxers. After all, the Center of Disease Control (CDC) says that the vaccine for measles is only 93 to 97 percent effective at preventing the virus.
That being said, people who rally against vaccines haven’t been exactly helping either. While everyone should have the right what goes in and on their bodies, people should also accept that consequences happen with literally everything in life. Got a tattoo? Expect some heat from your family. Had sex? Expect some worry about being pregnant. Your unvaccinated child got measles? Expect the school to take steps to protect the rest of the students.
I’m not even sure how to argue with someone completely against vaccines. Several of their arguments make me want to throw a medical book at them.
The common argument everyone has probably heard at some point is that vaccines cause autism–but they don’t. There has been a casual association between the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, but the scientific evidence was false. The results from the 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield that Anti-Vaxxers love to quote were fabricated. Wakefield’s study was retracted in 2010, and he was stripped of his medical license.
“Vaccines don’t cause autism,” said The Mayo Clinic. “Despite much controversy on the topic, researchers haven’t found a connection between autism and childhood vaccines…Although signs of autism may appear at about the same time children receive certain vaccines—such as the [MMR] vaccine—this is simply a coincidence.”
Another argument is that the CDC says vaccines make people sick.
Let’s be clear about this point. You’re highly unlikely to get sick with measles—or any virus—from their respective vaccines. 85 to 90 percent of those reported cases are what the CDC calls “mild adverse effects.”
Basically, you’re not quite up-to-snuff, but you’re not actually sick with the virus in the vaccine. Almost all the cases of “mild adverse effects” clear up within four days.
Lets not forget one thing about the measles vaccine. Before it was introduced, the measles killed around 380 American children annually. Now it averages to around one a year.
In all, vaccines are here to help you and your children, not make everyone worse. I don’t think anyone would intentionally make someone sick or give kids autism even if they could. All I’m saying is that Anti-Vaxxers should double check their facts and make an educated decision.
