So far in 2019, there have been 41 reported cases of measles outbreaks in Canada. Simultaneously, the use of alternative medicines are on the rise; they seem to be considered more often than they used to, even with diseases as severe as measles. It’s not rare to venture into your favourite bookstore and find an alternative medicine book gracing the shelves. Since there is a rise in the popularity of alternative medicines and anti-vaxxers have the choice to access them over modern medicine, it is no surprise that there has been an increase in measles outbreaks here in Canada. Needless to say, I think the vaccine should be mandatory, or at the very least that there should be more efforts taken to provide facts about the disease to the public.
When potentially deadly diseases — such as measles, which was eradicated in Canada in 1998 (odd cases still occur due to emmigration) — continue to be reported, especially in high population density areas such as Vancouver and the lower mainland, it makes you wonder how a scientifically progressive, developed nation can have these issues. Questions arise: does this resurgence stem from people underestimating the severity of measles and diseases like it, or is there a developing disinterest -or even distrust – in scientific research and modern medicine? With a surplus of websites filled with misinformation and unscientific advice, it seems the latter is true, and leading to the growth of anti-vaccination groups.
Dr. Jane Finlay, a pediatrician and vaccine counsellor, commented in The Vancouver Sun on the ideology rampant amongst those who commonly refuse vaccines.
“Often the first thing they say is, ‘I’m not anti-vaccination, but I’ve done my research.’ And that research is usually from non-validated sites on the internet,” Finlay said. “Those sites can be very frightening.”
Currently, B.C. health officials are working to contain 22nd confirmed cases of measles in B.C. With the short and long term effects of measles ranging from ear infections and diarrhea to more serious implications, such as pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and – oh, yeah – death, the seriousness of this disease cannot be understated.
On this issue I am of two minds. On one hand, I think it would be of great benefit to have mandatory vaccinations, especially for those who can’t receive vaccinations (for example, due to autoimmune disorders). On the other hand, if there is a growing amount of people who trust pseudoscience or ascribe to alternative forms of medicine, is it so bad that they get a feeling of what a horrible disease measles is? It is a sad day when people are willing to risk infecting others by pursuing alternative remedies. Autoimmune disorders, chemotherapy, or other scenarios in which a person’s immune system is compromised put the individual at a massive disadvantage when it comes to contact with the measles, considering the disease is already potentially deadly to those with a fully functioning immune system.
Personally, I’ve been hospitalized due to two staph outbreaks within the last five years and it is the miracle of modern medicine that allows me to live today. It wasn’t long ago that people died of diseases that are now often little more than inconvenient; I think at this point people should understand that science is a good force for humanity.
Image: Kayt Hine
