Vaccine Refusal Means More Outbreaks
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pyotr021/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Last year saw 23 measles outbreaks, more than 644 cases of the disease, which had been “eradicated” in the U.S. in 2000.
The recent outbreak associated with Disneyland is bringing vaccination refusals into the public eye like never before.
Two doctors at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health argue in a new study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine that many more outbreaks will undoubtedly occur due to vaccine refusal all over the country.
The authors say Americans don’t appreciate how bad measles-related complications can be, that it can be fatal, and they fear that removing religious, philosophical, and/or personal belief exemptions will be challenging.
The study’s authors recommend following the current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations and confirming that health care providers and people exposed to high number of international travelers and children have actually been immunized – verbal reassurance that “I had all my shots” won’t do it anymore.
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