Editorial: Ignoring the Cold Hard Facts

In America, we have some of the most advanced institutions and laboratories in the world. In America, we have a 99 percent literacy rate. And currently, in America we have an outbreak of a preventable disease.

The Harbinger believes that vaccines aren’t just an important part of civil society. They are integral to the safety of American children, and to protect that safety, states should repeal their vaccine exemption laws.

The 2015 outbreak of the measles virus began in California, where according to CNN over 100 children have already been diagnosed with the illness. Similar cases broke out in states such as New Mexico, where over six percent of kindergarteners go unvaccinated each year according to CNN. In the month of January alone, 102 cases were diagnosed nationwide in 14 states. Each state involved in the outbreak has lenient legislation exempting certain citizens from vaccinating their children.

Exemption legislation is an individual state law that allows parents to cite religious and philosophical reasons to not vaccinate their children. In the U.S., 48 states allow religious exemptions from vaccines, and 20 states allow philosophical exemptions.

This statistic seems directly tied to the fact that last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported over 600 cases of measles, a drastic increase from the 50 cases reported in 2012. Only one month into 2015, the country is on pace to record over 1,200 cases according to the CDC. This outbreak is rooted in a new wave of thought sweeping across America — a distrust of medicine and science. As a country, we can’t afford to allow this distrust to endanger innocent lives, especially the lives of children who don’t have any control over their own health.

As a publication, we believe that the most important duty of our government is to protect the safety of others. When scientific research repeatedly proves that measles vaccinations effectively prevent disease without dangerous side effects, it is ridiculous to allow parents to continue to infect others and spread the disease through their children. The law should always be based in both scientific fact and moral righteousness. Vaccine exemptions are both scientifically illogical and morally neglectful, which is why they should no longer be legal in the U.S.

It isn’t possible to completely prevent disease in our country. However, as a nation we should take every measure available to improve the health and safety of our children. Requiring vaccinations is just one more step towards a healthier future.