The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, responded today to a We The People petition by anti-vaxxers scared of mandatory vaccination schedules. He knocked it out of the park.
So here are some excerpts, followed by the YouTube video and a transcript I typed up for people who hate videos. Enjoy!
Full transcript:
Hello, I’m Dr. Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States.
I want to thank you for taking time to sign a We The People petition on the issue of mandatory vaccines. I understand you are concerned about laws that require individuals to be vaccinated, including those which require children to have certain vaccines as a prerequisite to attending public schools, group activities, and daycare. I know that many of you are parents who are concerned about your children’s health and safety.
When I started this job, I traveled around the country during the height of a measles outbreak, and heard from parents who have deep-seated fears about the side potential effects of vaccines. I know you want only the best for your children; I do too. Others of you may have signed this petition because you object to the idea that government should be able to require anyone to get a vaccine. You may ask if government should be able to tell people what to inject in their bodies. That is a reasonable question to ask. I understand your fears, and I appreciate your concerns.
Safeguarding your rights and upholding the responsibilities of a government that is dedicated to serving its people is one of my greatest privileges and most important duties as your surgeon general. That is why I want you to know that he evidence on the safety and benefits of vaccines is strong and consistent. Vaccines are safe and effective ways to prevent disease and death. I join healthcare leaders and public health experts from around the world in supporting childhood vaccination programs.
Most of us grew up in a time when we didn’t have to live through terrible epidemics that killed millions of children and adults. We can be grateful for that. It was because of vaccines that we have been spared the tragedy of past epidemics. For example, before the development of the measles vaccine, many children contracted measles and died in the United States every year, and even more were hospitalized. After the introduction of the vaccine the number of infections and deaths dropped precipitously.
Measles is a highly contagious disease. If you aren’t vaccinated and are exposed, you have a 90% chance of getting it. We know that measles spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. It spreads so easily that if one person has it, nine out of ten people close to that person will also become infected, unless they are vaccinated or otherwise immune. In fact, you can get measles just by being in the same room as a person who has it, even several hours after that person has left. As a doctor, I know that one of the most important things people can do to protect their children from diseases like measles is to get them vaccinated.
And not vaccinating your children doesn’t just affect your own kids. It affects other kids too. Consider this: some people cannot get immunized for medical reasons. For example due to an allergic reaction, or compromised immune system. And a small percentage of people won’t develop immunity even though they received the vaccine. These children and adults who cannot receive or do not respond to vaccines rely on the rest of us to be vaccinated in order to protect them from exposure to life-threatening illnesses. It’s call herd immunity, and it’s based on the concept that we are part of a social structure that requires us to take responsibility for one another.
That’s why getting vaccinated is more than an issue of personal choice or religious practices. It’s also a matter of public policy, where one person’s decision affects another person’s health. Our individual liberties, to live on our own terms, cannot interfere with our social responsibilities to protect others from harm. We inhabit this planet with more than seven billion people, and every day we have to make accommodations, great and small, to live and work, and learn and play, in the communities that we share.
Laws regarding vaccine requirements and exemption policies are determined by your state and local governments. Right now, all states in the US require children to be vaccinated against certain communicable diseases as a condition of school attendance. There are some employers, such as health care facilities and day care centers, that require vaccinations to protect their employees as well as their customers. If you have specific questions on what vaccines to get, and why, I encourage you to talk to your doctor.
In recent years, there has been some inaccurate information circulating about vaccines, mostly stemming from a British study linking vaccines to autism. Please know that this study, and its assertions, have been repeatedly and thoroughly debunked. It’s not true, and the confusion it has generated has been both dangerous and counterproductive to public health. So let me be absolutely clear: there is no link between the measles vaccine and autism.
In closing, I want you to know that it is understandable to have concerns and questions about how to keep your children healthy and safe. For those of you who are parents, as I hope to be some day, you may have questions about which vaccines are being administered at a specific doctor’s visit, and how to recognize and manage any potential side effects. I always encourage parents to raise these kind of questions with your children’s health care providers, who are trained and experienced in handling vaccines. When it comes to keeping our nation strong, healthy, and secure, we all have a role to play.
Vaccinations are one of the great triumphs of science and public policy. Through vaccines we eliminated the scourges of polio, smallpox, and so many childhood diseases that once plagued our nation. The best way to benefit from these advances in medicine is to get the necessary vaccines for both you and your family. If you have further questions about this topic, please visit www.vaccines.gov. Thank you again for participating in this We The People petition, our democracy works best when everyone participates in constructive public dialogue. Thank you.