T
here was a long period of time when you didn't hear a lot about measles, mumps, whooping cough and other once-common diseases. Nor did the word "polio" spark the dread it once did.
The reason: Vaccinations.
It wasn't that long ago that children were vaccinated as a matter of course. In recent years, though, an anti-vaccine wave has caught hold. It's still a relatively small movement, but those who are against vaccinations are serious.
Sometimes deadly serious.
There's a lot of misinformation floating around about vaccines, fueled by the internet and in some cases by outspoken celebrities. But their claims that vaccines are responsible for serious medical disorders such as autism have been proven groundless.
Thankfully, most parents do have their children vaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 95 percent of children are fully vaccinated by the time they reach kindergarten.
But according to a separate CDC report released this week, an estimated 100,000 younger children have not been vaccinated against any disease.
Some may say that's the parents' choice. But often children too young for vaccinations mix on the playground or day care with those whose parents refuse to have them vaccinated. If the unvaccinated child comes down with a disease like measles or mumps, that could lead to serious complications. Contact with senior citizens could lead to infection as well.
These parents may feel justified in denying their own children much-needed protection. And in many states the law will let them get away with it. But they should have the common decency not to endanger others.