Vaccination and Measles

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Melinda Gates said, "Having children made us look differently at all these things that we take for granted, like taking your child to get a vaccine against measles or polio" (Paulson, 2003) I can agree with that. After the birth of our first child, Paxton, my husband and I knew we wanted to do everything possible to protect our kids. Especially from diseases that are easily preventable and when there are vaccines readily available here in the United States. Living in the United States is truly a blessing because of the economy and infrastructure we have built. We have access to the most advanced technologies and medicines, as well as an abundance of doctors to treat us whenever we are ill. For a long time in America, measles was just something that happened to every kid once; now it is something that barely happens at all thanks to immunizations. Some places in this world are not so lucky, and measles is a killer that preys on the young. Many of these places have weak economies and no infrastructure. Doctors are scarce and medicines are second rate or unavailable altogether. How can there be such different worlds in such close proximity? According to the World Health Organization, over 95% of measles cases and measles related deaths occur in low income countries (WHO, 2009). Something we have for all practical purposes eradicated in the United States still ravages parts of the world. With the knowledge of how measles devastates other parts of the world, it shocks me how parents here in the U.S. still choose not to vaccinate their children.

Measles is a serious disease that threatens billions of people worldwide. It is notoriously known as one of the most contagious diseases that preys on humans. It seems lik...

... middle of paper ...

... Organization/United Nations Children's Fund. (2006). WHO/UNICEF joint statement global plan for reducing measles mortality 2006-2010. Retrieved from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2005/WHO_IVB_05_11_eng.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Possible Side Effects from Vaccines 3/13/2008 Retrieved July 18, 2011 from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm#mmr

USA Today Liz Szabo 6/27/2010 Seizure Concern: Split up Chickenpox, MMR Vaccines Retrieved July 18, 2011 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-06-28-vaccines28_st_N.htm

Dr. Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD A User-Friendly Vaccination Schedule Dec. 10 2004 retrieved July 18 2011 from http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller15.html

Medicaid and Childhood Immunizations: A National Study by Joseph Tiang-Yau Liu and Sara Rosenbaum 1992 retrieved July 18. 2011 from ERIC

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