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Since the late 1990s, there has been an overwhelming decline in children who receive vaccinations. Specifically, M.M.R. (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) has taken a hit after a study by Andrew Wakefield was published in 1998, claiming there was a scientific proof of a link between the M.M.R. vaccine and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The results of these findings caused mass fear among parents nationwide. The result: taking unnecessary risks with their children's health by choosing not to vaccinate. Study Comes Under Fire After investigative reporting was conducted by a London Times journalist, Brian Deer, Wakefield's findings began to come into question over several years. From 1998 to 2010, 10 of the 13 authors had removed their names from Wakefield's study and retracted their findings. Additionally, in 2010, the Lancet Medical Journal fully retracted the study after it was evident that the results were falsified in exchange for a monetary payoff. The Iron Lung One of the worst viruses to ever cause an epidemic was poliomyelitis in the mid-1900s. Prior to 1955, polio was claiming 2,000 lives and responsible for 16,000 cases of paralysis per year. If the infected survived the disease, their nervous system was typically paralyzed, leaving them unable to breathe on their own. When this would happen, the patient frequently became entombed within a negative pressure ventilator, or iron lung. The iron lung served as a forceful way to imitate respirations, causing air flow to and from the chest cavity and lungs. Jonas Salk, lead scientist at the Virus Research Lab, University of Pittsburgh, began to study and eventually introduced the vaccine for polio – a process that would save thousands of lives and bring new hope for preventing diseases. By August 1955, the vaccine was being mass produced and had already been received by four million individuals. In the same year, 28,985 cases of polio existed. By the following year, 1956, this number was reduced by 50 percent with a reported 14,647 cases and by one year later, 1957, only 5,894 cases were noted. Within less than a five-year span, 90 countries worldwide were using the vaccination and preventing further spread of the virus, according to pbs.org. Because of the invention and mass use of the vaccine, the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City describes the virus as having "virtually been eliminated from the Western Hemisphere." This was possible because of vaccines. While polio is just one example, vaccines are credited with saving millions from experiencing similar epidemics. Herd Immunity The importance of vaccinations are not only to keep the child receiving the injection healthy but it protects others also. Vaccinations begin at birth and follow a timeline over a period of years, some extending into adulthood. By vaccinating, a community can develop what is known as "herd immunity." According to vaccines.gov, herd immunity is defined as "a critical portion of a community is immunized against a contagious disease, most members of the community are protected against that disease because there is little opportunity for an outbreak. Even those who are not eligible for certain vaccines – such as infants, pregnant women, or immunocompromised individuals – get some protection because the spread of contagious disease is contained." Vaccination Required Dr. Charles Cockerell of Cockerell & McIntosh Pediatrics, is a strict enforcer of the rules at his practice that includes nine other pediatricians and nurse practitioners. "If a parent chooses not to vaccinate their child, they are invited to find another pediatrician outside of our practice," he said. "It's that simple. Vaccinations save the lives of children and protect our babies." Even though Wakefield's findings were found to be false and not credible, Dr. Cockerell still encounters parents who are on the fence about vaccinations. He encourages all parents to think of the consequences and evaluate the risks. "I would never, nor would my fellow partners, medically treat a child where the risk was greater than the outcome," Cockerell said. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) records specific statistics and produces publications that outline potential side effects. "In our practice, since 1950, we have had zero fatalities nor have we ever had a child develop autism or any neurological deficit because of a vaccine," Cockerell said. With the recent new outbreaks of measles affecting families who attended Disneyland, Dr. Cockerell expresses the importance of not just M.M.R. vaccines but all vaccines in general. "Historically, before vaccinations, families would have very large families because the likelihood of survival to adulthood was one in four. Diseases such as diphtheria, smallpox and polio were wiping out whole communities sometimes. If you did live through a disease, your quality of life was usually very low and in some instances very painful," he said. In the last 50 years, medical technologies and treatment advances have improved health outcomes by increasing healthy immune defenses. The most profound effort to minimize or eliminate dangerous diseases is through the vaccination process. Vaccine information and a recommended vaccine schedule for children are available at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules. Vaccine Debate Ignites Measles Outbreak Urges Parents to Vaccinate By Jessica Mauzey

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