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Measles is a highly contagious airborne infection that can spread easily through coughing or sneezing. Once infected, symptoms include a fever, coughing, a runny nose, and red eyes. Two to three days later come the white spots inside the mouth, later followed by the infamous red rash. The rash starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body. It is an endemic disease, but one that’s preventable by means of vaccination. Everyone in North America can avail himself or herself of this vaccine for free.
And yet, there are now six confirmed cases of measles in Toronto, with more expected to come. Why? Because there are uneducated and uninformed conspiracy theorists that refuse to take the MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) and refuse to have their children vaccinated. There are so many things wrong with this I don’t even know where to start.
First off, let’s address the vaccination misinformation. In 1998, a doctor by the name of Andrew Wakefield said that combining the three live viruses into one injection could be dangerous. He speculated that the MMR vaccine damages the bowel by releasing toxins that travel to the brain and trigger autism. This in turn led to massive and far-reaching anti-vaccination campaigns that are still echoing even 17 years later.
Without going into a novel length story (I have limited space), it was later discovered after Wakefield’s article was published that much of his data had been falsified and there was a lot of conflict of interest. His studies were not only deeply flawed, but also discredited and disproved in the following years. Any link between the MMR vaccine and autism has been tested over and over again, with no connection being found in multiple studies from different countries.
The second popular myth is that people don’t really need the vaccine because measles is not actually fatal. Let’s back up a minute. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2013, measles are estimated to have killed approximately 145,700 people worldwide (the majority of which were in third world countries). It is one of the leading causes of death among young children. Even without death, the disease can cause complications like blindness, encephalitis (brain swelling), severe respiratory infections (e.g. pneumonia), and more.
Now let’s come back to the present, where the constant spread of lies, fact-manipulation, and misinformation has led to a daycare in Ottawa that’s now offering a “vaccine-free environment.” The couple that run it, Paapa and Melissa Abekah, have said that they “researched the vaccine” and made the decision not to vaccinate. They believe vaccinated children are a threat to other unvaccinated kids, because they are a “living, breathing virus for at least 30 days.” The truth is, it’s the other way around.
Thanks to the way the Canadian constitution is set up, the government can’t force parents to vaccinate their kids. As such, this couple is allowed to foster an environment in which any of the diseases they’re not vaccinating against can spread and flourish amongst the most vulnerable and at risk: children. What’s worse is that considering the highly contagious nature of the diseases, they become living incubators for every other person they come across even outside the daycare.
“Anti-vaxxers,” as they’re called, will say that it shouldn’t be a problem for “pro-vaxxers” because if they’re wrong, the vaccination will protect them. But not everyone is able to get the vaccination and some might have to get it later as an adult. These people need to be protected by “herd immunity” – if most people are vaccinated, the disease has nowhere to take hold. That daycare and everyone else who chooses not to vaccinate is putting the rest of the population at risk. Their ignorance is making Canada as susceptible to preventable diseases as a third-world country.
I’ll admit that the conspiracy theories out there can be scary. But there’s a quote I always remembered from a favourite author of mine, Terry Goodkind: “People will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true.” No doubt there’s a lot of misinformation out there, but if you want the truth, go to the source. Do the research, but then go and talk to your doctor.
Until people can educate themselves properly, I believe it’s about time Canada mandates that everyone get vaccinated. Sure, it brings into question our rights as citizens, but that argument needs to be weighed against the public safety of everyone. At what point does personal choice outweigh public safety? The answer is never.
