Vaccination: Personal Choice or Public Health Crisis?

Just about every day there’s a new report on the current measles outbreak in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from January 1 to May 3, 2019, 764 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000.

In 2018, the U.S. experienced 17 outbreaks. Three outbreaks in New York State, New York City, and New Jersey, respectively, contributed to most of the cases. Cases in those states occurred primarily among unvaccinated people in Orthodox Jewish communities. These outbreaks were associated with travelers who brought measles back from Israel, where a large outbreak is occurring. Eighty-two people brought measles to the U.S. from other countries in 2018.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has even issued an updated statement on its continued Confidence in the Safety and Effectiveness of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine in an effort to urge more parents to get their children vaccinated.

More and more parents are choosing to not vaccinate their children. I know of several women who have made the decision not to vaccinate. These are not conspiracy-theorists as some think. These are intelligent and well-educated women that have done their research and feel they have made the best decision for their children. Personally, I do not agree, but it is their choice.

But then I saw a post on social media from a high school friend fighting breast cancer:

"Back in my favorite place...lab for blood work getting tested to see if I need a measles booster courtesy of people who don’t vaccinate."

It served as a good reminder.

Vaccinations do not just protect the individual who is getting vaccinated. It helps protect individuals who are immune-compromised like my friend from high school doing her best to fight for her life.

So I ask – where does personal choice end and public health protection begin?

In New York State, that exact battle is playing out in the courts. Rockland County issued a Measles Outbreak Emergency Directive, which banned unvaccinated children under the age of 18 from entering indoor public space, but was rescinded after a court challenge by a group of parents. In April, New York City ordered yeshivas in Brooklyn to exclude from classes all students who aren't vaccinated against measles or face violations and possible closure. The city health department's order to all yeshivas in Williamburg comes amid a measles outbreak, with 285 cases of the disease in Brooklyn and Queens since October 2018.

Wisconsin is another state facing an increase in parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. It is one of only 18 states to allow personal conviction waivers. Currently, more than 11,000 students in Milwaukee Public Schools alone did not receive all required vaccinations this school year including against measles and diseases like polio, diphtheria and hepatitis B, according to state health records. Though specific goals vary by disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) and others aim for 90 to 95 percent vaccine coverage to keep herd immunity strong. Many Wisconsin schools are trending toward, or have dropped below, 95 percent and even 90 percent coverage. Wisconsin has a 5.3 percent exemption rate. Only four states (Arizona, Alaska, Idaho and Oregon) had higher rates of students who did not get the MMR vaccine for a nonmedical reason according to CDC data.

So it leaves me to wonder… what would my friends who choose not to vaccinate their children say to my friend battling cancer?

By Andrea Lyn Van Benschoten, Web Content Editor