Massive measles outbreak - thank you, Andrew Fucking Wakefield

[Uber_the_Goober]

@Jackmannii

Once you fully understand the concept of herd immunity, you will care.

Vaccinations do not “take” in 100% of those vaccinated; thus they are still susceptible to disease. In addition there are those too young to be vaccinated for certain diseases, cannot be vaccinated due to hereditary or acquired immunodeficiency or are receiving immunosuppressive drugs.

All of those people are dependent on the rest of the population to be immunized and thus limit the spread of infectious disease. The more vaccine refusers there are, the more herd immunity is jeopardized and the greater the chance for disease outbreaks.

Put another way, your kid’s vaccinations may make him completely immune to vaccine-preventable diseases. But if for whatever reason he’s not fully immune, he’s susceptible to illness if lots of kids in the community whose parents attend the Church Of The Divine Antivax get sick. Or maybe he won’t get sick, but Grandma who is ailing will catch something nasty from an unvaccinated child. Or your brother who’s getting cancer chemotherapy will come down with it.

Understood, accepted, got it.

So it’s really a question of whether or not I *care *that evolution will actually be working the way that it should…

Those born with immunity, or able to immunize themselves, don’t die. The rest, do.