Yes, vaccinations do their part to help fight diseases

Vaccinations have been a hot subject over the years but it has been put at the forefront due to the recent outbreak of measles in the United States.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 121 cases of measles throughout the U.S. in 17 states. The Spokane County Health District confirmed that there are no cases of measles in Spokane County.

The CDC stated that the majority of people who have contracted the measles were unvaccinated. The disease can spread throughout communities among groups of people who have not been vaccinated. Travelers can also bring measles into the United States, as the disease is common in other countries.

For many years parents made sure their children got measles, mumps and rubella shots. The CDC recommends that children receive their first MMR shot at 12-15 months old and their second between 4-6 years old. Yet there are families who refuse to have their children vaccinated for measles or other diseases.

Over the last few years diseases that have been treated with vaccinations have resurged throughout the continent. In 2011, there were more than 350,000 cases of measles around the world.

We understand the different reasons as to why parents would refrain from getting their children their MMR shots, or any other vaccination.

For some people it’s because of religious beliefs. If someone was infected with a disease, it was God’s will for that person to be sick and vaccinating that individual would be a sin to the Lords’ will.

Others who use only naturopathic medicines will not use vaccinations because it is manmade.

Some folks who identify themselves as libertarians believe that the government should not force vaccinations on their children.

Others are worried about the side effects vaccinations will have on their children. In 1998, a group led by Dr. Andrew Wakefield published a study in the Lancet medical and science journal that described eight of 12 children who showed signs of autism after receiving their MMR vaccinations.

The journal retracted the study and the UK General Medical Council revoked Wakefield’s license to practice medicine after it determined that several findings in the study were false and that the doctor had acted dishonestly when he conducted the experiments for the study. While Wakefield’s research was debunked, some people still believe it as truth.

The public’s confidence about MMR vaccinations is still high. According to the Pew Research Center, 83 percent of the public believes that vaccines for diseases such as MMR are safe for healthy children. Nine percent still think vaccinations are not safe while 7 percent said they don’t know. Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization, is urging parents to vaccinate their children during the measles epidemic.

“The results of the research are clear: Vaccines do not cause autism,” Dr. Rob Ring, Autism Speaks chief science officer, said in a statement.

Like any medicine, there is a chance a person will experience some side effects after they are vaccinated. According to the CDC, some mild side effects from vaccines include headaches, abdominal pain, nausea and fever. One in 100 people will experience blood in the urine or stool, pneumonia or inflammation of the stomach or intestines within six months of receiving their vaccination.

Like all medicines, vaccines are also not 100 percent guaranteed. According to the CDC, the MMR vaccine is 93-97 percent effective against the measles. A person who receives their first dose of the vaccination is 95 percent immune to all three diseases.

We support vaccinations, as it not only protects a person from certain diseases but also helps control an outbreak. We also understand that it is your body and you have a right to choose what you put into it. If you are unsure about vaccines or have questions, conduct some research but be careful of articles that are biased. You can also contact your local hospitals, the health department or the CDC.