By HaeMee Lee, Editor-in-chief
A 1998 research paper by Andrew Wakefield employing unethical research methods and falsified data sparked a worldwide scare of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, claiming that the vaccine caused autism in children with. Followed by ill-informed affirmations from Jenny McCarthy and Oprah that the MMR vaccine caused autism, the scare helped form the opinions of many skeptical parents. Consequently, many children contracted the virus and died.
This past December, a measles outbreak at Disneyland California resulted in 121 cases of measles in 17 states and Washington D.C. because people simply did not get vaccinated. And, the numbers are rising as we speak. While those who have been vaccinated can still contract measles, the majority of the affected had not been vaccinated. Why have these people not been vaccinated?
Some people, unfortunately, cannot be vaccinated due to religious or health reasons. For example, those with egg allergies cannot get vaccinated for the flu virus. And in rare cases, vaccines cause serious, or sometimes fatal, side effects. Yet, some people refuse to get vaccinated and have a dead, or weakened, virus enter their bodies. The anti-vaccination movement seeks out rare cases of children getting brain damage from a faulty vaccine and strives to stop people from getting vaccinations. Though, the vaccine is arguably one of the most important breakthroughs in science and medicine, as it has saved countless lives.
Measles was officially eliminated from the US in 2000, yet outbreaks like this can occur when foreigners carry the virus into the country. Vaccinations for MMR and others with epidemic potential like meningitis cannot be ignored just because the diseases are not as prevalent as they once were. Time does not weaken the effects of these deadly diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “measles is a highly contagious virus that…can spread to others through coughing and sneezing” and can lead to deafness, permanent brain damage, or death. Yes, a safe vaccination is available to prevent measles, but this does not stop the virus from spreading to those with weak immune systems when the population fails to get vaccinated. Whatever the reason, not getting vaccinated puts your life and the lives of others in danger.
The question then becomes, “Whose responsibility is it to ensure that people are vaccinated?” Scares, like this, have brought up debate concerning vaccinations in politics, which is mostly a waste of time. Some argue that it should be the parents’ decision and responsibility to have their children vaccinated, while others argue that the government mandate vaccinations. Recently, two Republican presidential candidates, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, made comments of not mandating vaccinations and giving the responsibility to parents. In other words, both candidates claimed that they would rather have irresponsible parents deciding not vaccinate their children than a government promoting health safety.
Medical leaders of the top eight Baltimore-area hospitals all agree that vaccines are “more than an individual choice; they are an obligation to one another.” Understanding the importance of vaccinations, Maryland schools, and schools in many other states, require all children to be vaccinated for MMR, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, chickenpox, hepatitis B and meningitis.