|
The
Greater Danger
In
the aftermath of the Wakefield study, British parents increasingly
chose not to vaccinate their children. But in evading one
danger, these parents were putting their children--and others'
children--at increased risk for potentially lethal illnesses.
"When
people are not immunized, the wild-type diseases come back,"
says McCormick. "It varies by disease, but measles returns
when fewer than 90% of the population is vaccinated."
"Today's parents have never seen these diseases. Diphtheria,
pertussis were killers before the 1930's. Measles had
fatal complications," she says. "These are not good diseases."
|
In
the summer of 2000, a measles outbreak claimed the lives of
three children in Dublin, Ireland. In January 2001, Britain's
Public Health Laboratory Service warned that more deadly outbreaks
were imminent, given that just 88% of the population had been
immunized, falling as low as 75% in some regions.
Today,
most U.S. public schools, most private schools and colleges,
as well as many camps and programs require vaccinations. But
some groups advocate changing these requirements. They could
be inadvertently putting American children at risk of diseases
not seen for several generations. According to McCormick,
that's part of the problem.
"Today's parents have never seen these diseases. Diphtheria,
pertussis were killers before the 1930's. Measles had fatal
complications," she says. "These are not good diseases."
"Given
the relative risk is hypothetical versus the very real risk
of disease, I'd say the risk benefit analysis comes down on
the side of being vaccinated," says McCormick.
-
- - - - - - - - - - -
4
pages: | 1 | 2
| 3 | 4 |
Photos:
ADA
|
