It doesn’t take long in this business to realize that the biggest danger to children isn’t evil, but ignorance and stupidity.  The measles outbreak that we are seeing in the U.S. is a prime example. Already in Texas a 6-year-old girl had to be buried into the dirt because she wasn’t vaccinated, and more are sure to follow.

The most tragic thing is that people are skipping vaccinations based on irrational fears and nonsense they read on the internet that A) makes no sense, and B) shows a complete lack of understanding of how vaccines work.  Consider these statement from Kaleigh Brantner, an anti-vaxxer who has been spouting nonsense on the internet:

“A cough, runny nose, fever, and rash to a healthy child is mild, but vaccine’s adverse reactions are severe!!!”

And in a rather heartless response to the principle of herd immunity, needed to protect babies,

“we’re not going to harm our children or [risk] the potential to harm our children so that we can save yours.”

Brantner doesnl’t realize it, but these statements are as stupid as saying, “I’m afraid I’ll overheat if I strip naked and climb into this walk-in freezer.”  All a vaccine does is trigger a child’s own immune system by introducing a dead virus into their body, so their immune system develops anti bodies to attack it in the future.  This means that outside of some freak allergic reaction IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR A VACCINE TO CAUSE WORSE EFFECTS THAN THE ACTUAL VIRUS WOULD.  In those rare cases that a child does have a severe reaction to the vaccine, it is their own immune system causing this reaction.  Having been exposed to the actual live virus, their response would have been far worse.  Those who show an extreme reaction to the vaccine may be the same kids who would have died from the actual virus.

Yes, most children will pull through measles just fine.  But some won’t. One in 20 are hospitalized with pneumonia, and one in 1000 die.  Another one in 1000 end up with permanent brain damage.  Measles also damages the immune system and causes a host of other effects that vastly exceed any mild side effects from vaccines. Because measles is a super-spreader “each separate person will pass it on to 12 to 18 others” where without the vaccines, 1000’s of kids would be dying each year, and 1000’s more would suffer mental retardation.

Your child probably won’t die or wind up a vegetable if they get measles, just as you probably wont kill them by getting in an accident today if you allow them to ride unbuckled in your car. But to take that risk is irresponsible.  Don’t let stupidity kill your kids.  Get them vaccinated.

Additional information on vaccines

Information on measles