One may wonder why anyone even under celebrity influence would believe that vaccinating their children is unsafe. Dr. Toya Tillis P.D. of Pomona Pediatrics said there were 7 main myths parents give as to why they choose not to vaccinate their children. The first myth was the fact that the illnesses are rare. Dr. Tillis said, "This one is so interesting, because it's actually a testament to the effectiveness of vaccines. Many illnesses are rare purely because of vaccines. And when lots of people are vaccinated, it protects those who can't be or choose not to be vaccinated. We have a name for that: "herd immunity." But that herd immunity can break down when more people start choosing not to vaccinate -- and in our global society, illnesses like measles or polio are just a plane ride away. Even if you or your friends don't travel, you just can't know where the family next to you in the elevator or waiting room or food court has been," Another myth Dr. Tillis disproved was that parents believe the potential illnesses contracted aren't that bad. "I hear this one often in comments on blogs I write about immunizations. It's certainly true of many vaccine-preventable illnesses that they aren't always serious, except perhaps for illnesses like meningococcemia [infection similar to meningitis] -- that's pretty much always bad. But they all have the possibility of being serious. Measles, for example, can lead to many complications, including brain complications, and can be fatal. Of the U.S. cases last year, 43 were hospitalized, five got pneumonia and three had other complications. Many have died in the measles outbreak in the Philippines. The risk of getting really sick from the disease is always going to be higher than the risk of getting really sick from the vaccine. That's an important point that sometimes gets lost in the discussion. The other point that often gets lost is that while you or your child might weather chickenpox or measles or whatever just fine, if the newborn next door or your ailing grandmother catches it from you, they might not.
