We vaccinate our children, and ourselves, for our own protection and for the protection of our community. Thomas Sandora, a specialist in infectious diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital said ”Measles is essentially the most contagious disease on the planet.” It becomes contagious four days before the tell-tale rash appears, and can remain in the air for two hours after an infected individual’s left the room. The serious complications include pneumonia, loss of hearing, brain inflammation and blindness.
The total number of confirmed U.S. cases for 2013 reached 187. That’s nothing compared to the 500,000 cases per year that the U.S. saw before the vaccine was introduced in the 1960s.
Vaccines are the victims of their own success. The balance between the benefits of vaccines and their potential to cause harm has shifted. While no vaccine is one hundred percent safe, the side effects are extremely rare. When measles was eliminated, that made vaccination, for some, appear to be the greater risk.
The total number of confirmed U.S. cases for 2013 reached 187. That’s nothing compared to the 500,000 cases per year that the U.S. saw before the vaccine was introduced in the 1960s.
Vaccines are the victims of their own success. The balance between the benefits of vaccines and their potential to cause harm has shifted. While no vaccine is one hundred percent safe, the side effects are extremely rare. When measles was eliminated, that made vaccination, for some, appear to be the greater risk.
1 comment:
Measles almost killed me when i had ot as a child. I was terribly ill and the MD "prepared" my parents for the worst.
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