With the controversy about vaccines from several years ago still fresh in the minds of many young parents, the discussion regarding vaccination has had a strong change and impact since.
The result – many more parents opting to ignore vaccinations for their children, much to the alarm and worry of doctors and healthcare professionals.
Instead, these parents have turned to so-called “parties”, wherein they send their children to hang out with an infected child in hopes of their children gaining the disease, and from there, gain a lifelong immunity to it.
The most popular of these are chickenpox parties, which have recently been gaining a lot of attention.
Caused by a highly infectious virus that creates itchy, pus-filled blisters all over the body, the disease was once one of the most common childhood illnesses there was.
There is a compelling reason for this – dealing with the virus is a lot less problematic as a child, and provides a lifelong immunity to the disease.
As such, many parents who refuse to vaccinate their children are hoping to have the child get infected with the disease, so they may build up resistance via the body’s immune system.
Often, the way this is done is to have the children interact with the infected child in close proximity.
Many use a tent in order to trap the particles that carry the virus, so that it is easier for the children to breathe it in and be infected.
However, with the discovery and use of the varicella vaccine, there no longer is any real need to expose your child to such a disease.
For starters, not many people are aware that the virus can reactivate several times over the course of an infected person’s lifetime, usually showing up as shingles in adults.
The use of vaccine often helps children avoid that possibility in the first place, in addition to allowing the child to gain immunity without running the risk of severe complications that come with the chickenpox.
While the general assumption of the chickenpox being not a very dangerous disease has some merit, what is of greater concern is just how harmful its complications can be.
The list of possible complications includes life-threatening illnesses such as pneumonia and encephalitis.
This isn’t even without considering health risks that chickenpox increases during its infection period, such as other bacterial infections, sepsis, and dehydration.
This situation has gotten to the point that the Colorado Department of Health and Environment is publicly urging parents to have their children vaccinated.
It is important to note that these vaccinations are not only for the safety of your own child, but for that of your surrounding society members as well.
Many people are unable to take the vaccine for a multitude of reasons, such as age (young babies are unable to take the vaccine until they are at least 12 months old) or having compromised immune systems.
It should be reminded that when you choose to have your children and yourself vaccinated, you are adding to the herd immunity that protects the weak and the vulnerable in your community.
Share away, people.