British Columbia should make immunization mandatory for children attending public schools. The Fraser Health Authority is warning communities in its region of a measles outbreak, with two cases confirmed and 100 cases suspected. The most recent case occurred in a school in Chilliwack, an area with traditionally low immunization rates. Some schools checked by health officials had immunization rates as low as zero.
Seventy-two per cent of seven-year-olds in the province had up-to-date immunizations in 2013, according to the sa国际传媒 Centre for Disease Control. The rate for the Vancouver Island Health Authority was 69 per cent.
That鈥檚 not good enough. Officials say an overall immunization rate of at least 90 per cent is required to keep the population safe from measles, because the disease is so contagious.
Some parents resist having their children immunized because of perceived risks. The Public Health Agency of sa国际传媒 admits that there are occasional vaccine side-effects, but they are minor and of short duration. The diseases they prevent, on the other hand, carry huge risks: pneumonia, deafness, brain damage, heart problems, blindness and paralysis.
While sa国际传媒 makes vaccinations readily available for infants and school-age children, it does not require them. The province should follow the example of Ontario and New Brunswick, which require immunization for children entering school.
It might appear to be an infringement on personal choice, but one person鈥檚 wrong choice can risk the health of hundreds or thousands of people 鈥� many of them young children.
