California is the state in which the anti-vaccination movement is strong, which is bringing consequences for the health of the population. It's not just that children aren't vaccinated, it's that even Measles parties are promoted in which the funniest thing is to get children to get the disease.
Health authorities, faced with the fashion of "measles parties" and recent outbreaks, have had to remember that measles is an infectious disease that can have serious consequences and that intentionally exposing children to measles puts them at an obvious risk . But, we ask ourselves, shouldn't we go one step further? Shouldn't measles parties be banned?
And it is that when it comes to the health (even of life!) Of other people, perhaps we should be more blunt, although it sounds like it goes against people's freedom, but isn't it true that freedom of the individual ends where the freedom of others begins?
Well I don't want my daughters to get infected from other infected children on purpose, nor pay more taxes due to the increase in hospitalizations, for example. As would not want the father of a girl with cancer who is at high risk of infection, or the parents of babies still not vaccinated ...
Unfortunately, with the ban would come infractions and clandestine parties: made the law, made the trap, they say. And how is a meeting of friends going to be prevented, no matter how suspicious the son of the hosts is with measles and receives many kisses even if it is not his birthday? It would be better if these dangerous practices were stopped with education, common sense and citizen responsibility.
The festivities of diseases: from California to the world
Some time ago we already echoed this issue in relation to other unusual parties, those of chickenpox. Practices that date back to a time before generalized vaccines (chickenpox parties became widespread in the 1980s in the United States, before the anti-vaccine movements) and which underlies the same idea: if my child is infected as soon as possible, the worst has passed and will not have serious consequences later (they are diseases that, as adults, may have more risks).
With the help of infected candies or clothing, healthy children are intended to be immunized from the disease naturally. You can also acquire, through the internet, goodies with the virus. That is, it is also traded with the disease, with lollipops, infected saliva and any other item. And on this issue I do believe that these laws should be clearly legislated and these sales avoided.
Anyway, as we can see, although they made sense some decades ago (although I think I would have thought "that I stay as I am or that my son stays as he is, without getting sick, maybe he doesn't get sick"), disease parties are still in fashion and not only in the United States. It is a trend that comes from the Anglo-Saxon countries and of which there has also been news in Spain. Luckily, for now, we have not known more about this practice, but I would not be surprised if we did it at any time.
As far as California is concerned, parents call health centers to ask about "natural immunity", although naturally it has little, since it is rather a "forced immunity." The fact is that it is dangerous to think that the immunity conferred by vaccination is worse than letting the child get infected.
There is no scientific evidence that this is the case, and people who ask are ill-informed or ill-advised. Unfortunately, many other people do not ask and throw themselves at these measles parties Without contemplations.
In Marin County (California) about 7% of children are not vaccinated, although the figure has dropped somewhat since last year. What will be the trend soon? I would like to be optimistic, but the general data says otherwise.
In the last outbreak of measles in the United States, 33% of those affected have been hospitalized, which accounts for the seriousness of the cases (come on, it is not a simple cold). That, not to mention the economic cost. And is that measles can have serious neurological effects in cases and even cause death.
I do not understand how parents can cause a disease such as measles in their children, knowing what they are exposed to, the state in which the children will be. Surely, if anyone passed it as children, you will not remember it with pleasure precisely. The risks that exist are varied and nothing pleasant fever, runny nose or severe rash.
Of course, these people who prefer the effects of the disease to the possible side effects of vaccination could use a review of the scheme we published recently. You can say louder, but not clearer: you have to vaccinate the children.
And if you don't want to vaccinate them, don't expose more children to the disease, let's not make a measles outbreak an epidemic, which is not a party thing, it is not a matter of laughter. Prohibited, I do not know if they should be banned, we have already talked about some measures against parents who decide not to vaccinate their children in some places, will it be the most effective? It is clear that sometimes, as much as we want it, we will hit a wall of nonsense and folly.
Photos | Thinkstock
More information | Limes
In Xataka | Vaccines and disease return, a story of fear and irrationality
In Babies and more | Welcome to the chickenpox party, what is wrong with not vaccinating children? Measles figures say otherwise
