Shropshire Star comment: We have a duty to our babies
An increasing number of parents are deciding not to vaccinate children against preventable diseases.
The rate of those opting out of the MMR jab is at a worryingly high level and action should be taken now to ensure the trend does not continue.
Some are concerned that the MMR jab is linked to the development of autism, though medics have provided their clearest advice that that is not the case. And in such circumstances, it is encumbent upon parents to follow the medical advice and do what is best for their own children and also for the wider community.
If too few parents allow their children to be immunised against measles, the entire programme fails. And that is a situation which is to the detriment of society. Parents have an obligation to avoid selfishness and to opt in, not out.
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The fact that almost 10 per cent of parents are now opting out of the MMR vaccine means that there is a very real risk of widespread measles. Children are also at increasing risk of mumps and rubella.
The poor immunisation rate means there are already increased cases of measles, with three times more cases this year than for the whole of 2017. Measles is highly infectious, of course, and can lead to serious consequences for those affected. It is a curious state of affairs when there is an effective vaccine at the disposal of medics.
And so action must follow. It is for our health authorities to both encourage and reassure parents. They must communicate with parents and spell out the benefits of participation in the MMR programme. They must also tell adults what happens when children are not immunised and become subjected to unnecessary risk.
Additionally, they must dispel urban myths that circulate among those who do not have the same amount of scientific research at their disposal as our leading health practitioners.
Further, they must provide reassurance that children have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Parents, however, must also take responsibility. They should not behave against the better interests of their children and their children’s friends by taking autonomous decisions that have little benefit, if any. We are fortunate to have the MMR vaccine – many in other parts of the world would be grateful for it.
