Atlanta, GA -
Centers for Disease Control officials released a new study this week drawing attention to a pattern rising among parents not vaccinating their children due to false rumors and fear mongering perpetuated by celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy.
Herd immunity, the resistance to the spread of contagious disease within a population that is 94% vaccinated, is necessary to stop measles, polio, mumps, and other diseases, and can only be achieved when a population is in near consensus. Any doubt cast by non-scientific sources can put entire populations at risk, especially those with autoimmune diseases who cannot themselves get vaccinated.
It is all of our responsibility to encourage vaccination and help remove all doubts of safety so that baseless conspiracy theories about vaccines and autism do not put our communities at risk.
