When the Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson scored a record-breaking 37 points in one quarter, no one watching the game thought, "Geez, maybe he shouldn't take those shots."
But that sentiment seems more widespread than ever before when it comes to vaccinations, and that's a shame. If parents were as eager to have their kids take shots to prevent measles as fans are to watch Thompson sink his shots, we wouldn't be experiencing an outbreak that threatens to reverse the declaration, made just 15 years ago, that "measles has been eradicated in the U.S."
Since the Disneyland measles outbreak started with 42 cases, the problem has continued to spread. (California's unvaccinated rate is 13 percent; Ghana's is 11 percent.) Unfortunately, people have listened to faulty info about vaccinations causing harm and NOT to just how dangerous measles are to those who are unvaccinated, especially infants who don't get the first measles vaccine until they're 12-15 months old. (Expanded recommendations: Kids 6 months to 12 months heading abroad should get the vaccine.)
But now a 12-year study shows that the measles vaccine, as part of measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine or separately administered as part of MMR + V vaccines, has greater benefits than risk, even for children 12 months to 23 months. Although researchers found that 1 in 1,000 1-year-olds could experience febrile seizures a week or so after getting the shot, getting these shots is more likely to prevent a serious problem than cause one by more than 4,000 to 1. You should only be so lucky in Las Vegas. Just get the shots.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.