Another Measles Case in Pennsylvania Because of Vaccine Hesitancy

A measles case was reported last week in southeastern Pennsylvania in an unvaccinated child. As I have posted the last several years, there have been outbreaks of measles, which is highly contagious, in Western Europe and America, as well as other diseases that had nearly been eradicated in the West, with the increase in vaccine hesitancy because of false beliefs about the safety of vaccines and exaggerated confidence in natural immunity. False conspiracy theories, advanced by the far left, the far right and libertarians, and amplified by Russian Federation disinformation to weaken the West, have increased vaccine hesitancy and spread deadly diseases, as has been especially noticeable during the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic. Vaccines are safe and effective weapons against disease. Although there are some side-effects to vaccines, as there are from any medical intervention, the risks are far less than the diseases they protect against. It is necessary that a sufficient number of people be vaccinated to achieve “herd immunity” to protect those who cannot be for certain valid health reasons. Therefore, it is a matter of civic responsibility for people to get their recommended vaccines, just as it is that they minimize the spread of contagion through better hygiene (hand-washing, covering coughs and sneezes), staying home when sick, and avoiding people who are ill with a contagious disease. Because protecting others is also a moral matter, it is consistent with conservative beliefs to promote public health measures against contagion, including vaccination.