Measles, the disease that was previously thought to be expelled in the United States, is in the midst of a full-fledged outbreak in multiple places around the country and throughout the world. The majority of cases in California as well as other states can be traced back to Disneyland California. In Illinois, a daycare facility in the suburbs of Chicago is at the start. Fifteen other states are affected, and the total of cases is over 150. Along with the growing number of measles cases are the vaccination rates, multiplying every day.
After the first death of the outbreak in Berlin on Tuesday, February 24, the talk of required immunizations has become more and more relevant in media. The 18-month-old boy was unvaccinated, and this fact sparked the same controversy that measles has caused again and again.
Parents against inoculations are being held responsible by the general public for the way that these diseases are spreading, being questioned of their intellect although many have looked thoroughly into the consequences of these injections and the “toxins” that are in them. There have been claims of links to autism, Alzheimer’s, and leukemia, as well as various other major irreversible conditions. Many of those distrusting beliefs stem from bad experiences of the parents themselves, involving side effects that could become permanent from those untested, long-term effects of a vaccination. Still, eight in ten Americans believe that parents should be required to vaccinate their children, and the percent of unvaccinated children varies greatly from community to community.
Mainly targeting babies and young children, the rubeola virus is becoming increasingly more dangerous as it spreads rapidly through the country. Despite the side effects, generally the vaccine easily prevents the virus, which is why the push for required immunizations is so strong.
In other states like Utah, the outbreak has been declared over after the infected underwent a voluntary quarantine for a 21-day period. Despite this, cases continue to spread consistently with the confirmation of the fifteenth Illinoisan to come down with the illness.
Vaccinate or not, this virus stops for no one.