The measles outbreak of this past winter is all over but the
shouting. Here’s what we’ve learned:
1. Vaccines work; and maybe they work too well. The generation
raising children today have no memory of painful rashes or potentially lethal
complications. Most of the doctors caring for their children have never seen a
case of measles.
2. We need to do a better job protecting the world’s children.
Worldwide, measles still claims 400 lives a day. The most recent outbreak
started in a place frequented by international travelers.
3. Outside the US, the unvaccinated are in areas plagued by
war, poverty and ignorance. Here, the opposite is true. Is it because we don’t
teach basic scientific facts in school? Maybe, but there’s more going on.
We need to address it before the next outbreak.
4. Parents have the right to choose what’s best for their
children. But what if their choice endangers other children who can’t be
immunized?
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