By the way . . . children NEED to be vaccinated
IN A recent media interview, I was asked my opinion on vaccination. As someone in the public eye and passionate about disease prevention, I see vaccination not as an option but as an obligation. I am very clear about my stance. It’s not a controversial one — it is common sense. Who wouldn’t vaccinate their children in order to prevent disease? Well, a lot it seems.
A total of 21,315 cases of measles were recorded in Europe in 2017, with 35 deaths as a result. Death from a disease preventable by vaccination is simply unacceptable today. The World Health Organisation describes this as “a tragedy it can not accept”. Their aim is for this generation to be the one that frees our children from this disease. One of the most common reasons patients decline a vaccine is that they have read or heard about some apparent adverse effects. Ask for citations and explanations, and often the evidence put forward is hearsay.
As a GP in busy surgery with a queue backing up, sometimes the easiest option is to defer. Unfortunately once the patient leaves, the chances of them ever complying with their recommended vaccine programme are slim. And they then become the disciples for the army that is the antivax brigade. Healthcare should never be coercive but equally when a parent says no on behalf of a minor they need to know the implications. They are not just putting themselves at risk, they are also making those who have had the vaccination vulnerable to disease. We need 90% herd immunity for vaccine success. If you opt out you are implicating others in your decision. In many countries parents face hefty fines if they refuse to comply. But making laws and fining parents isn’t the way forward, education is. Unfortunately to date, it has been proved that those who spout poppycock on the internet have louder voices than bone fide healthcare professionals.
Therefore, it is our duty to spread the word about the safety of MMR and ensure that we are first in the fight against the mounting spread of disease.