The Amish typically have very low vaccination rates for
three reasons: First, in their culture, they have not been exposed to the
overall benefits of children’s vaccinations; second, they believe that vaccines
may put their children at risk of certain illnesses or autism, myths which have
been debunked numerous times; third, some Amish believe that vaccinations imply
that one is putting faith in man over God. Well, hopefully the Amish may be
starting to change their minds about vaccinations with the measles outbreak
among their community. Currently, the outbreak has reached 68 cases, the most
cases reported since 1996.
The Ohio outbreak is linked to unvaccinated missionaries
from the Amish community traveling to the Philippines, where there are
currently about 26,000 cases of the measles, and bringing the disease back to
their community. This has spurred many Amish to get vaccinated. Given the fact that
Ohio is also experiencing a mumps outbreak affecting about 300 people, health
officials are further promoting the importance of making sure that children are
up to date on vaccinations.
Although most people do recover
from measles, the repercussions can be dire, especially in children.
Complications may include ear infection and pneumonia or brain infection.
Furthermore, a little-known fact is that measles kills one to two out of every
1000 children infected. As ACSH’s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan has said before….To Read More…
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