Opinion: Anti-Vaxx is Anti-Kids

In April and May we will be featuring editorials by the sophomore class written in Mr. Rutter’s English 10 class.

Hollie+Keller

Emma Hoover

Hollie Keller

Imagine this. You’re walking down the street with a group of middle-aged soccer moms all named Karen who are pulling their kids by the arm or shoving them in a stroller with five other toddlers. Some of the Karens are holding posters that look like a kindergarten school project. There’s not a doctor in sight.

Where are you?

You are smack-dab in the middle of an anti-vaxx rally.

Ahh yes, the infamous anti-vaxx moms who believe that their kid will become magically healthy by not getting vaccines that prevent certain diseases. Supporting anti-vaxx is harmful to your kids, other kids, to the entire population, and the entire movement is based on a lie.

Ahh yes, the infamous anti-vaxx moms who believe that their kid will become magically healthy by not getting vaccines that prevent certain diseases. Supporting anti-vaxx is harmful to your kids, other kids, to the entire population, and the entire movement is based on a lie.

Andrew Wakefield was a British doctor who first made the claims on the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine causing autism.  After his research paper was published, several other doctors failed to find the same link between autism and the MMR vaccine as he did.

As his claims began to spread across England, conspirators and other doctors became more suspicious.

The British Medical General Council started an investigation on whether or not his claims were accurate. They pronounced his claims as false and in return, Andrew Wakefield lost his medical license.  He was also charged on 12 counts involving the abuse of developmentally delayed children.

The entire movement is based on a lie, so therefore, it is a lie.

If you love your kids so much, then why do you support a movement that was started by a man who abused kids? Kinda hypocritical, don’t you think?

Young infants rely on Herd Immunity, also known as Community Immunity, to safeguard them from getting various strands of diseases. Herd Immunity is when ninety-two to ninety-four percent of the population gets a vaccine.

Infants are unable to receive most vaccines until they are twelve to fifteen months old because they are still too fragile.  If that number dips below ninety-two, babies are no longer protected from diseases. Not only are these anti-vaxx hurting their own kids, they are hurting other people’s kids too.

Need more evidence?

On April 15th, 2019 New York City’s health officials declared a public health emergency as the number of new measles cases skyrocket. The total number of measles cases is currently over 850 nationwide and forty-six percent are  children four to eighteen. And another thirty-nine percent are younger than three. These kids are dying and suffering before they even get a chance to grow up. Their deaths are on your hands, Karen.

On April 15th, 2019 New York City’s health officials declared a public health emergency as the number of new measles cases skyrocket. The total number of measles cases 285 and forty-six percent were children four to eighteen. And another thirty-nine percent were younger than three. These kids are dying and suffering before they even get a chance to grow up.

Not only are said Karens, flaunting around their anti-vaxx propaganda like it’s something worthy of honor, they are hurting immunocompromised individuals. Individuals who have contracted AIDS and the various strands of hepatitis are not able to receive vaccines because it’s a death sentence. Their immune system lacks the required strength to ward off deadly diseases. They also rely on Herd Immunity to keep them alive and if a number of people in a population refuse the vaccine then these people will die. These immunocompromised individuals are already struggling to stay healthy, and they don’t need to fear being around your unvaccinated kids.

Following the measles epidemic in New York, the mayor from Rockland County proposed a ban for unvaccinated children. They are not allowed in public places, including schools. How did the Karens respond? By claiming to sue. Quite frankly, it’s a predictable Karen move. Instead of being level headed and taking their kids to a local pediatrician where they can receive the MMR vaccine, they continue to claim that their kids are victims of god knows what.  They are compromising their children’s education and preventing them from learning which is a crime.

It’s important to listen to the advice of sound medical reasoning and not the opinions of some stay-at-home soccer moms who watch way too much of The View. Don’t fall into the pitfalls and teachings of the anti-vaxx movement. Just let the Karen’s rally against vaccinations while they swap brownie recipes.