Don't let a lie leave your children vulnerable

Measles is a highly contagious illness that has been largely controlled in this country thanks to an aggressive childhood vaccination program. The disease, however, appears to be making a comeback in some communities as a result of irresponsible parents who refuse to have their children inoculated.It’s incredible to think that this infection, which can in severe cases disable and even kill, is still a problem in these United States.Several major cities across the country, including New York and Los Angeles, have reported many cases of measles this year. Some of these cases have been linked to children whose parents have decided not to have them immunized against this illness.It’s amazing to learn there are still parents in this country who refuse to have their children vaccinated against a number of communicable diseases. Given what we know from proven medical science, it’s hard to understand why parents would want to place their school-age children at such a risk.States currently allow medical exemptions to vaccinations, and many have traditionally granted exemptions to parents based on religious beliefs. Many of today’s opponents to immunizations, however, are parents who subscribe to an unproved personal belief that vaccines may be linked to autism and other disorders.Twenty states now allow some kind of personal exemption to vaccinations. This worries public health officials, who point to epidemics like that of an outbreak of measles in California a few years ago as what can happen when children are not properly immunized.We know that vaccines have saved many lives. Epidemiologists and other medical experts warn personal belief exemptions represent bad public policy with no basis in science. We agree. Children who are not vaccinated are vulnerable to serious illnesses, as well as being a danger to other unvaccinated children.We urge parents to ignore the misinformation being spread on the Internet, and make sure their children are up to date on their vaccinations. As we’ve said in this space before, it’s the responsible thing to do.



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