The Unseen Attacker: Age Old Diseases Now Endangering Students

Students today now threatened by diseases that were once nearly eradicated.

By Reina Peterson

In this day and age, we do everything to protect students. We have more mandatory shelter in
place drills, teachers are being educated on how to handle active shooter situations, and lock out
doors are more common in schools. However, students are now under attack from not only
predators, but pathogens and bacteria. With the anti-vaccinations movement growing in strength,
vaccines are losing their foothold and school districts are experiencing outbreaks of once rare
diseases like chickenpox and measles.

The most important and effective point of vaccines is known as “herd immunity” According to
Vaccines Procon​, “Herd immunity (or community immunity) means that when a "critical
portion" (the percent of people who need to be vaccinated to provide herd immunity) of a
population is vaccinated against a contagious disease it is unlikely that an outbreak of the disease
will occur so most members of the community will be protected.” As more of a population is
vaccinated, the chances of a dangerous outbreak drop. However, the anti vax movement is
causing those numbers not to increase, but drop. This means that “herd immunity” is no longer
an effective form of preventing diseases. This is why an increase in vaccines is necessary to
protect the next generation of students.

The result of this anti-vaccine movement is outbreaks of diseases that we're nearly eradicated in
this century. Prior to the movement, polio and measles were almost completely extinct from the
United States. However, now schools are dealing with diseases that result in disability and
occasionally death. Measles for example can result in swelling in the brain. This can lead to
permanent brain damage. Measles also can lead to blindness and more symptoms that often
require hospitalization. This dangerous disease is now sweeping through rural communities and
school districts in Utah due to a lack of vaccinations. When we say we are willing to do whatever
it takes to protect our children, are we?

The large misconception that vaccines cause autism has been debunked in recents years. The
article by Andrew Wakefield claiming this has “​been completely discredited due to serious
procedural errors, undisclosed financial conflicts of interest, and ethical violations.” according to
publichealth.org​. There is now no standing argument that vaccines cause more health issues than
solve. The evidence behind this is now seen as false. So why are we risking the lives of our
children for a false theory?
Some school districts around the country have put mandatory vaccination orders in place for
student safety. Many may say that this violates our rights and free agency. But when our choices
violate the safety and well being of others, our ability to make choices is taken away. This is why
criminals and those who have hurt others cannot make their own choices and go to prison. So if a
student not being vaccinated threatens other students and teachers, that right can be taken away.

We need to be willing to protect our children despite the fads and trends that arise. As vaccines
make a comeback, our communities will be protected from the illnesses that plagued our
ancestors in generations past.