Public Health: From the American Council on Science and Health

One woman's childhood illustrates the dangers of the anti-vaccine movement

What happens when you have “the healthiest childhood imaginable,” as a child of a“health nut,” consuming no MSG, living an outdoor lifestyle, drinking plenty of water and eating organic food, but don’t receive routine childhood vaccinations? The answer, according to teacher Amy Parker, is that you’re sick all the time. Despite all of these “healthy” behaviors, Parker was not vaccinated and as a result contracted measles, mumps, rubella, a type of viral meningitis, scarlatina, whooping cough, tonsillitis (at least once a year), chickenpox and HPV.

In her own words, “I was so crunchy that I literally crumbled.” On the other end of the spectrum, she talks about her two vaccinated children who have rarely been sick. She uses her own childhood as an anecdote in order to counter the anti-vaccine movement’s belief that vaccines are dangerous, because the individuals behind this movement refuse to listen to the facts and evidence-based science. She’s giving them a taste of their own medicine, as the whole anti-vaccine movement relies on anecdotal evidence in the absence of science and fact.

She also points out that it’s not only about your own children, but about those unhealthy children who can’t be vaccinated. “Not everyone around you is that strong, not everyone has a choice, not everyone can fight those illnesses, and not everyone can be vaccinated. If you have a healthy child, then your healthy child can cope with vaccines and can care about those unhealthy children who can’t.”

The bottom line is this: “Those of you who have avoided childhood illnesses without vaccines are lucky. You couldn’t do it without us pro-vaxxers. Once the vaccination rates begin dropping, the drop in herd immunity will leave your children unprotected. The more people you convert to your anti-vax stance, the quicker that luck will run out.”

The bottom line is that leaving your children unvaccinated results in needless suffering and the endangerment not only your children’s lives, but also the lives of others.

ACSH’s Dr. Gil Ross noted that “this woman’s story is, obviously, merely one person’s individual experience. But it is so illustrative that we felt it should be shared among our readers and others who come across it. Her story is completely consistent with the scientific facts.”

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• Jenny We Hardly Knew Ye. Too bad it didn’t stay that way.

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