A lot of parents whose kids go to school are having a hard time because of all the debate about vaccines. Many kids are now at risk of getting measles because fewer people across the country are getting vaccinated. School is one place where diseases can spread quickly.
That her friends have chosen not to vaccinate their children has caused Jessica Fichtel, a parent, a lot of worries. In 2019, the measles spread in Washington state happened while her 6-year-old son Kai was getting chemotherapy for leukaemia. In her statement, Jessica said, “His life would be in grave danger if he had been exposed to measles and contracted it.”
Over 71 people got measles in just four months during the 2019 episode. It spread so quickly. On top of that, the CDC says that 95% of children should be vaccinated in order to be safe. However, during the outbreak in 2019, only 74% of children were vaccinated.
Fichtel spoke out because she knew several families who didn’t get their children vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella. She even said that these kids played with her son and exposed him to it because he couldn’t get a shot because his immune system was weak.
A lot of parents were worried, and data has shown that they were right to be worried. The CDC says that having this number above 95% is “crucial for protecting the community from measles.” According to the data, there are over 8,500 schools where the measles vaccination rate is below the 95% mark.
It was scary to see these results for many reasons, and measles has already spread to some states, like Ohio and Philadelphia.
Matt Ferrari, a biologist and infectious disease expert at Penn State University, spoke out: “It worries me as a person.” It also affects the whole society. When there are a lot of people around who haven’t been vaccinated, there is a greater chance that diseases will spread and cause cases that will last for a long time.
There’s no doubt that parents who choose not to vaccinate their kids could face dangerous outcomes. Ferrari went on to say, “To put it simply, herd immunity is the protection that being around vaccinated people gives to someone who hasn’t been vaccinated.” These people who have been protected are like a shield.
