There are currently 100 cases of measles in the United States, and there is growing concern that this number could rise significantly. Some parents believe childhood vaccines are closely linked to autism and other conditions, so they have opted against immunizing their children, but the reality is that these kids then run the risk of spreading measles to infants who are too young to be immunized. When President Barack Obama sat down for his pre-Super Bowl chat with Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, immunizations was a topic he was eager to address.
"I understand that there are families that, in some cases, are concerned about the effect of vaccinations. The science is, you know, pretty indisputable. We've looked at this again and again. There is every reason to get vaccinated, but there aren't reasons to not. You should get your kids vaccinated. It's good for them and the challenge you have is if you have a certain group of kids who don't get vaccinated, and if it grows large enough that a percentage of the population doesn't get vaccinated and they're the folks who can't get vaccinated, small infants, for example ... they suddenly become much more vulnerable," explained Obama.
There have been numerous stories in the news lately about the measles outbreak and how just a trip to Disneyland has caused numerous people, including five park employees to get seriously sick. Telling people to stay at home if their child is sick sounds like common sense, but obviously some parents have opted to take risks that have resulted in the illness of others.
Do you think a measles outbreak might prompt some parents who were against immunizations to rethink their position now that there is a serious threat? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
