Guest Editorial…Ignorance outbreak on vaccines

At the same time Christie and Paul are making remarks downplaying the importance of vaccination, the nation is facing a measles outbreak, which has sickened more than 100 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the cases of the highly infectious disease were diagnosed in January. Most of the cases appear linked to victims who became ill after visiting Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., in mid-December.
“When you see educated people or elected officials giving credence to things that have been completely debunked, an idea that’s been shown to be responsible for multiple measles and pertusssis [also known as whooping cough] outbreak in recent years, it’s very concerning,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease physician at the Center for Health Security at the University of Pittsburgh.
Scientists blame a small, but influential, anti-vaccine movement for helping to spark a new epidemic of measles, which was once virtually eliminated.
But as Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health rightly points out, the decision to vaccinate against measles “is really a slam-dunk.”
Instead of spreading ignorance, Christie and Paul should be urging kids be vaccinated against the highly contagious disease.
(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)