Measlla Vaccination

High fevers, rashes, miserable coughs, a possibility of blindness or even death. Since the creation of the Measles/Mumps/Rubella vaccine in 1957, the number of cases a year has gone down from half a million to a handful, even though they are highly contagious (Shames). In today’s society, these viruses are so rare that many people cannot even list the dangers and symptoms. Although this is true of the general population, the preventative measure of vaccinations has been on a decline in Ashland, Oregon, and thus dangerous outbreaks are predicted to occur in the near term. A group of Ashland parents has created a dangerous environment by choosing to opt-out of vaccinating their children. Misinformation circulating the internet cause these low …show more content…
Discredited anti-vaccine activist Andrew Wakefield’s research and his movie “Vaxxed” have provoked skepticism about the MMR vaccine’s safety, causing an uptick in the percentage of unvaccinated children in the US. Wakefield embarked on a mission to spread false information that the measles vaccine causes autism in kids, scaring parents into exempting from immunizations (Shames). A multitude of researchers and credible organizations, such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have disproved the allegations made by Wakefield and his supporters. Ashland’s decision to show the movie “Vaxxed,” filled with scary and disturbing scenes, created more controversy and elevated …show more content…
Ashland has one of the lowest immunization rates within kindergarten age, at 67%, which leaves these kids vulnerable to disease. For a vaccine to work its magic properly, at least 94% of the specific population needs to be immunized. However, Ashland percentages in elementary school range from 41% to 85%, much lower than the recommended for herd immunity (“Ashland”). Herd immunity allows the 6% for kids unable to receive vaccine due to diseases, disorders, or religious beliefs, because higher rates create a better protective bubble against viruses. However, when exempting their kids for immunizations, anti-vaccine parents increase the probability of this protective bubble bursting and generating an outbreak that can even affect those vaccinated (Marder). The measles vaccine is not 100% effective, so even when an outbreak occurs, like in Disneyland in 2014, those who are vaccinated can get sick. Within the 51 cases that occurred, 6 had received the MMR vaccine (Marder). No one becomes completely immune, but the only way to keep the measles virus at bay is to have a high vaccination