I have been a lurker for sometime on these forums, but joined specifically to comment here.
There is a gross misperception that the (american) public has regarding vaccines, even amongst the educated groups. I am a 3rd year medical student currently on my pediatrics rotation in a economically strong suburb in Milwaukee. The number of parents coming in who refuse vaccinations of any/all kind is absolutely frightening. Literally 1/4-1/5th of the patients who come in require significant amount of convincing that vaccinations are the correct choice for their child. The problem for this misperception is multifaceted. Some people think it is the odd doctor spreading false information, but in my (limited) experience so far I have yet to encounter an anti-vaccination physician.
The main contributor to this problem, in my opinion, is social media. Every day I see countless posts on various social outlets (FB, twitter, etc.) from the anti-vaccination brigade. It is the obligation of every informed individual will to educate these people so the rumors stop. It will take time and willingness, but if this trend continues the next generation will suffer for it. While an unvaccinated child on his own may or may not encounter life threatening illnesses, they are at a signficantly higher risk to be carriers for countless of pathogens. Who suffers then? Every immunocompromised child is at risk due to fault of not their own, and that is a frightening proposition.
I have been a lurker for sometime on these forums, but joined specifically to comment here. There is a gross misperception that the (american) public has regarding vaccines, even amongst the educated groups. I am a 3rd year medical student currently on my pediatrics rotation in a economically strong suburb in Milwaukee. The number of parents coming in who refuse vaccinations of any/all kind is absolutely frightening. Literally 1/4-1/5th of the patients who come in require significant amount of convincing that vaccinations are the correct choice for their child. The problem for this misperception is multifaceted. Some people think it is the odd doctor spreading false information, but in my (limited) experience so far I have yet to encounter an anti-vaccination physician. The main contributor to this problem, in my opinion, is social media. Every day I see countless posts on various social outlets (FB, twitter, etc.) from the anti-vaccination brigade. It is the obligation of every informed individual will to educate these people so the rumors stop. It will take time and willingness, but if this trend continues the next generation will suffer for it. While an unvaccinated child on his own may or may not encounter life threatening illnesses, they are at a signficantly higher risk to be carriers for countless of pathogens. Who suffers then? Every immunocompromised child is at risk due to fault of not their own, and that is a frightening proposition.