People who refuse vaccination not only put themselves in harm’s way, but also contribute to the rapid spread of disease and expose vulnerable people who, perhaps, never would’ve gotten sick otherwise.
Bizarre as it may seem, many parents are against vaccinations.
Immunizations cause Autism, they say. They’re not that effective. They have mercury that could damage your child’s brain. Vaccinations are just a scheme organized by physicians and pharmaceutical companies to get rich. But a new study by the Journal of American Medical Association revealed just how in the wrong anti-vaxxers are.
They analyzed data from over 1,400 measles cases and 10,000 pertussis cases to determine the impact of anti-vaxxers the resurgences of these diseases. They found an unsurprising, but pretty disturbing figures.
“Out of 1,416 measles cases reported since 2000, nearly 60 percent of those infected never got a measles vaccine,” the report said. “Even worse, 70 percent of those unvaccinated cited non-medical reasons for declining their shots.”
The figures for pertussis doesn’t look good either: unvaccinated people comprised 24-45 percent of people infected in major outbreaks between 2010 and 2014.
“In eight of 12 pertussis outbreaks where vaccination data was collected, 59-93% of patients were unvaccinated by choice.”
Anti-vaccination rhetoric says if vaccines are so effective, then why do vaccinated people get sick? Their rhetoric also argues that if you’re vaccinated and vaccines work so well, why are you worried about someone else’s kids not being unvaccinated?
According to the CDC, only a tiny amount of people who have been vaccinated may still get sick.
READ: Toddler dies after anti-vaccine parents tried to cure him with maple syrup
On top of that, vaccination helps with herd immunity—a general immunity in a population thanks to high vaccine rates. When a large number of people are unvaccinated, it significantly increases the risk of infection.
The risk posed by anti-vaxxers is difficult to measure, but the study confirms the danger they carry.
“People who refuse vaccination not only put themselves in harm’s way, but also contribute to the rapid spread of disease and expose vulnerable people who, perhaps, never would’ve gotten sick otherwise,” said Ashley Austrew of Scary Mommy.
15 years ago measles had been eradicated in the United States, with new cases only being brought in from outside the country.
“It’s not a coincidence that preventable illnesses are coming back in big numbers, and it only bolsters the reality that vaccination is not a personal choice.”
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