When Children are Harmed by Vaccine Refusal

The recent diphtheria death of a child, those with serious illness/admissions and the need for active health surveillance of many others is of grave concern. It appears we are reversing all our health gains in our country. The majority of our population have little memory of the horrific nature of diseases that we have prevented using vaccines. Those of us who have worked in the health system for many decades have experienced the devastating effects of diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, polio, measles, Hib meningitis, etc. I remember going through two diphtheria epidemics in different parts of the country where we lost many children. Children coming to us choking due to the membrane that diphtheria causes in the throat and our futile struggle to salvage them. And for those that seemed to survive, some die suddenly from the complication of myocarditis (inflammation of the nerves of the heart). It was heart breaking for parents and those of us caring for the children.
Medical professionals recognise that vaccines have side effects but most of them are mild. However the health benefits of vaccines to the community are enormous. No health initiative has changed the lives of children as much as vaccines. Vaccines protect not just the child vaccinated but also all the children and susceptible adults (such as the very young, sick and the elderly) in the community by herd immunity.
In this day and age, to deny a child a vaccine for a basic preventable disease like dipht...

Source: Malaysian Medical Resources - June 24, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: palmdoc Tags: - Education - Ethics - Guest diphtheria pertussis vaccination vaccines Source Type: blogs