According to a recent report, whooping cough has reached epidemic levels in Colorado. The Denver Post reported:”As of Aug. 11, 715 cases had been reported this year, the most since 2005 when another wave of pertussis hit the state. In recent years, the state has had more like 158 cases at this point in the year.” They also argue that the high number is related to parents choosing not to have their children vaccinated.
This is an issue that causes lots of debate and passion on both sides. Parents who don’t vaccinate can come up with studies and facts to support their decision. Parents who do vaccinate will say they’ve never had problems as a result of their choice. This is one of those issues where we may have to agree to disagree when it comes to the issues of why or why not to vaccinate.
However, it is obvious that there is a direct relationship between higher numbers of preventable illnesses and vaccines. If we can prevent our children from getting an illness that has been virtually eliminated from our country, why wouldn’t we? There are infants who cannot yet be vaccinated and they are contracting whooping cough from those who haven’t been vaccinated. Parents of these infants need to be aware that more people are choosing not to be vaccinated and these illnesses are becoming prevalent once again.
It is important to do your research and know about vaccines. Yes, they can have side effects, but are they really that common? Yes, previous studies may have shown vaccines to be more harmful than we thought, but it seems like new research shows those studies were not as reliable as once thought. Either way, there are many illnesses out there that can be extremely hard on children and it is up to us, the parents, to decide if we’ll take our chances with the vaccine or the illness.
Do these numbers influence you regarding vaccines? How do you make the choice between potential side effects of a vaccine or your child contracting an illness?
