According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), preventable childhood diseases such as whooping cough, mumps, measles, and diphtheria are once again on the rise. In large part, this is because many parents do not believe in immunizing their children. In others, parents do not know that low-cost and no cost vaccines are available. Some parents have been misinformed due to a movement based on pseudo-science and bogus claims that vaccines cause autism.
Medical studies have shown that this is simply not true. While there has been a rise in reported cases of autism, they may be more related to the changes in the way autism is classified. Better testing and updated diagnostic guidelines may simply have revealed what was already there. Even if there has been a slight rise in autism cases, research has proven it is not in any way related to vaccines.
Vaccines Save Lives and Prevent Lifelong Disabilities
The simple truth is that vaccines save lives. People who refuse to vaccinate their children not only put their own kids at risk, but they can also cause viral outbreaks that affect whole communities. One outbreak in Disneyland caused over 100 new cases of measles. Measles was once considered all but eradicated in the United States. The numbers are once again rising with a whopping 48,000 causes in 2012. This is the highest number of reported cases since 1960.
Whooping Cough (Pertussis) alone kills over 250,000 children worldwide each year. Infants are especially vulnerable to whooping cough. Children all over the world still die because of the very diseases that many people are now choosing not to vaccinate for in the US.
Studies have shown that unvaccinated children are 35 times more likely to become infected with completely preventable diseases such as measles. Vaccines are both safe and highly effective. Side effects such as allergic reactions are extremely rare.
Some people wonder – if vaccines are so effective, why do unvaccinated children pose a risk? The answer is simple: many children who are infected with diseases such as whooping cough are simply too young to vaccinate or they have other conditions, such as cancer that make them immune compromised.
Deliberately not immunizing children puts them and others at risk for long-term disabilities and or death. German measles (rubella), for instance, can cause blindness and other birth defects. Women who are pregnant are highly susceptible to this preventable disease, which can be easily passed onto a growing fetus in the womb.
You love your kids and you want the best for them. Don’t allow your precious child to be at risk, or put others at risk for highly preventable childhood diseases. Talk to your doctor about vaccines today. Small steps today can help them live healthier, happier lives tomorrow.
The caring medical staff at FamilyCare of Kent believe in your right to safe, effective medical treatment. If you would like more information about vaccines please call (253) 859-2273 today or request an appointment online, to meet with any of our exceptional nurse practitioners at FamilyCare of Kent.