To most of the country, it sounds ridiculous, but it’s becoming a trend in the US. Many parents are refusing vaccinations (protection from some of the worst diseases out there) because they believe vaccines are a cause of autism and other mental problems.
One article written by a man named Andrew Wakefield in 2011 said that Wakefield had discovered a strong correlation between the MMR Vaccine and Autism in those who received the vaccination.
In the over 100 studies on the subject since the Wakefield article was written, 0 show any type of correlation between *any* vaccine and autism.
The problem is, a movement had already begun. Any study or article that has been released in the time since the Wakefield study, has been thrown out as conspiracy by the Anti-Vax community.
The words of Ben Shapiro come to mind, “Facts don’t care about your feelings,”
Since the start of the Anti-Vax movement, herd immunity has been effectively and officially destroyed in many areas in America.
Herd immunity arises when a high percentage of the population is protected through vaccination against a virus or bacteria, making it difficult for a disease to spread because there are so few susceptible people left to infect. The percentage in many areas of the western world has dropped below herd immunity levels.
That’s the big picture view, but now, let’s see how this movement can effect individuals within it:
In 2017 a 6-year-old boy was playing on a farm when he cut his forehead, a laceration that was simple enough to tend to at home.
6 days after the cut was received, something else had the parents of this boy sweating. He was clenching his jaw, having trouble breathing and experiencing involuntary muscle spasms.
The boy hadn’t received his vaccinations.
He was taken to Oregon Health & Science University and was found to have tetanus (Lock Jaw), the state’s first documented pediatric case of the disease in more than 30 years, according to the CDC.
When he arrived at the hospital, he was alert and asked for water, but couldn’t open his mouth. He was given medicine, including an initial vaccine for tetanus, known as DTaP. But his condition was perilous. He spent more than a month on a ventilator.
His hospital visit lasted 57 days, which was followed by 17 days in a rehabilitation center. A month after that, he was well enough to return to normal activities, including running and biking.
The cost of just the hospital visit was over 800,000 dollars.
According to the hospital:
“Today, the disease occurs “almost exclusively” in people who have not been vaccinated or who have been under-vaccinated,”
His doctor stated:
“When you see someone suffer from this disease, you completely understand why we immunize,” she said, adding, “This should never happen in our country.”
Even a personal experience and nearly $1,000,000 in medical expenses aren’t enough to change a conspiracy theorist’s irrational mind.
When the time came for his second round of Tetanus Vaccine, doctors talked with the family about the need for the vaccinations. Surviving tetanus, unlike some other diseases, does not offer immunity in the future.
Still, the family of the boy was unconvinced. After a lengthy review of the necessity of vaccinations in general, the parents declined the second vaccination — or any other of the recommended immunization.
Remember, for many American’s vaccines can be received for free from a local pharmacy.
What do you think? Leave your comments below.
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