A Shot of Prevention: The Need for Idaho to Vaccinate
In early 1777, General George Washington made a calculated maneuver to protect the Continental Army from a stalking enemy. It wasn’t a silent sniper lurking in the forest, a British spy in the American camp or an improved musket; it was an invisible virus called smallpox.
Washington wrote a letter to Dr. William Shippen, Jr., head of all hospitals west of the Hudson River, outlining his concerns.
“Necessity not only authorizes but seems to require the measure, for should the disorder (smallpox) infect the Army ... we should have more to dread from it, than from the Sword of the Enemy.”
Washington knew a mass outbreak of smallpox would decimate his troops more than a firefight. A mass inoculation had not been attempted before, and Washington’s strategy wasn’t without controversy. However, the tactic kept the Continentals fighting the British rather than fighting a deadly disease.
Medical science has improved over the last 242 years and has remained grounded in a fundamental purpose: ridding humanity of deadly diseases. Scientific discovery and global use of vaccines defeated smallpox, nearly eliminated polio, saved millions from tetanus, and almost made measles a disease of the past.
The United States declared measles eliminated in 2000. This year, the CDC has confirmed approximately 1,164 cases of measles in 30 states, including Idaho – the highest number since 1992.
A revival of measles, a preventable disease, should not be taken lightly. A higher prevalence of measles increases the likelihood of the disease mutating or becoming stronger.
Measles is highly contagious and can spread even in the absence of person-to-person contact. Imagine an infected person sees a two-hour movie and is sneezing throughout the film. You and your family enter the same theater for the next show with the smell of buttered popcorn and an invisible measles infection lingering in the air. Anyone unvaccinated for measles has a susceptibility rate as high as 90 percent.
If a pregnant woman contracts the disease, it could lead to a low birth weight for her baby. Alternatively, if someone has a weakened immune system, the person may be vulnerable to measles even if he/she had received the vaccination.
Other complications from measles include permanent brain damage, corneal ulcers, and visual impairment. Unfortunately, up to 2 of every 1,000 people who contract measles can die from respiratory and neurological complications – and both of those deaths are preventable.
Further, the long-term consequences of measles can impact our friends, family, and neighbors. There are vulnerable populations in our neighborhoods who cannot receive vaccinations, or may have limited response, such as infants and some of the very sick.
We must help those populations remain healthy and wholesome – and the best way to do so is through regular vaccinations.
If you have health insurance, your child’s vaccinations are fully covered. If you don’t have coverage, your child can receive an immunization at a local public health district for a significantly reduced rate. Also, I encourage you to contact your child’s doctor, as he/she may offer free or discounted vaccinations.
Benjamin Franklin lost a son to smallpox, and he noted his regret for not inoculating him in his autobiography. Unlike Franklin, we have the tools to prevent tetanus, measles, chickenpox, and rotavirus in our young men and women.
The science surrounding the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is well established and give our children the best protection science can provide against these dangerous and preventable diseases.
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Dr. Steve Lucht is the Vice President and Medical Director for Blue Cross of Idaho.