In a globalized world, contagious diseases like measles quickly hop borders. A measles outbreak started in December at California’s Disneyland, and the disease quickly spread to 17 states in the US. “While people do not shudder upon hearing the word ‘measles’ as they do with ‘smallpox’ or ‘Ebola,’ this does little to lessen the heartache of the thousands of parents who lose their children to measles or see their children develop pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or even go blind as a result of the disease,” notes Paula Kavathas, professor of laboratory medicine and of immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine. Yet vaccination coverage is uneven around the globe with some developing nations reporting higher coverage than advanced economies like the United States, Germany and France. Out of fear, some parents perpetuate myths that vaccinations may cause autism despite substantial research that shows otherwise. To protect all, parents should pursue vaccinations. Measles, like smallpox, could be eradicated from the planet and that would eliminate the need for that vaccine. – YaleGlobal
