The measles vaccine was invented in 1963 and YET we still have outbreaks occurring today. I truly do not understand why parents refuse to protect their children from an illness that can lead to lifelong complications. The vaccine is usually given as part of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) , and consists of 2 doses. It is made of live attenuated viruses so they do not cause disease but allow the body to develop an immune response should the virus occur again in the future. By using vaccines, we can get artificially acquired active immunity, protecting against future infections without having to suffer through the first one.
A study has shown that a third of all reported measles cases have complications such as pneumonia, hepatitis and viral meningitis. Meningitis is literally inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, which sounds extremely painful. I don’t understand why a parent would choose to put their child through that when they could just…get the vaccine. This could lead to lifelong neurological problems that could have easily been prevented had they just vaccinated their children. Also pneumonia can cause death in people with weakened immune systems and children go around touching everything. You don’t realize who they can infect, and what those consequences could be. There is much more at stake than we realize.
Measles also suppresses the immune system, which can cause severe complications in all organs of the body. The scariest thing is that it can cause SSPE, a progressive neurological disorder that causes permanent nerve damage. It eventually leads to a vegetative state. Is this really a risk that you are willing to take? I would certainly take the much lower risk of getting a vaccine than some life threatening conditions that can easily be prevented. I think people do not realize that getting one disease makes you more susceptible to others, and can lead to death. Just save your child the pain and suffering and vaccinate them.
Fluffy Cows 