Should American children have the right to be vaccinated?

Yes

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by John Traveler

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In 1952, more than 21,000 Americans were afflicted with a viral infection which left them paralyzed. In the same year, a number in excess of 300 were killed by the same disease.

Infantile paralysis, or Polio as you may better know it, was a disease that afflicted children, and as it turned out, I went to school with a few of them. For those like myself who can remember the era of Polio, kids we knew with the disease were obvious because they had to wear heavy metal braces on their legs, and walked with crutches strapped to both arms, dragging their useless limbs to get around. President Roosevelt, is probably the most notable victim of Polio, and evidence that this disease and others like it, have no respect for social distinctions. In 1958, a vaccine to inoculate kids against Polio became a reality, and just about all of us from that time can remember first getting the shots, and later the oral form of the vaccine. By the mid 1970's Polio was wiped out.

Polio, was certainly not the only dread viral infection back in the day. Whooping Cough (Pertussis), Smallpox, Mumps, Measles, Chickenpox, and Tuberculosis, were all highly contagious childhood diseases that had devastating effects on Americans before vaccines were developed to eradicate them. In fact, in some areas of the world, these diseases still account for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, and many more carry the scars left by these viral scourges on their bodies.

This morning on ABC's Good Morning America, they did a story about new outbreaks of Measles in the U.S., among children who were not vaccinated. The fact that children have not been vaccinated for Measles, and most likely some of the more devastating diseases I have mentioned, is at least alarming, or should be, to every American. But what is more egregious, is the reason that these kids are not getting vaccinated, or more appropriately being denied these life saving vaccinations. We could perceive parents preventing the vaccination of their children, as an act of civil disobedience from a political perspective, or perhaps a behavioral paradigm sponsored by radical ideological factions. But through the eyes of at least one American, who has seen the horrors and heartbreak these diseases can cause if unchecked, the denial of vaccines to kids could better be framed as an issue of human rights, and the inalienable right to "life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Think about it. How might you feel, if you were grossly disfigured, mentally disabled, left blind or deaf, perhaps paralyzed and wheel chair bound for the rest of your life, because your parents or legal guardian denied you vaccinations when you were a child in their custody. Would you think that was right? Some of these anti-vaccine parents and groups, suggest that these vaccines are not safe, and can actually cause more harm then they prevent. All of the data, most of which is now accessible at the CDC web site on the Internet, strongly counters this ignorance. When you boil it all down, it comes back to the fact that these parents are using their own children as pawns in some ideological protest. It is wrong, it is child abuse plain and simple, and it needs to stop.

Just a couple of years ago, the Congress of the United States felt compelled to step in and try to save the life of one citizen, Terri Schiavo, on the basis that her constitutional right to life was being denied. So what about all the kids who are being put at risk today because they are being denied basic health care and immunization? Are they any less worthy? Does the same right to life that applied to Terri Schiavo not apply to them? Are they expendable? Indeed, some of the same people who deny their children life saving vaccinations, can be seen at "right to life" protests, and taking part in political action campaigns against stem-cell research, abortion, and other related issues. This is fine, we don't want to trample on anybodies first amendment rights, but what about the rights of these peoples children? Who is protecting their right to good health, their future, their opportunity to be part of the American dream?

I don't think that there are any of us who are grandparents today, or at least I would like to believe it, who would not trade their own mortal existence to save or prolong the life of our own children, or grandchildren. A few years ago, when my grandson was diagnosed at the age of 10 months with retnoblastoma ( an extremely aggressive cancer of the eye), and I held him in my arms, as his little body trembled from the chemotherapy drugs they pumped into him, I knew the drugs could kill him, but I also new they could save his life. One of his eyes had to be removed, but he still has one good one. What's more important is that he is alive, and has a better then not chance of living a normal life, because his parents and grandparents made sure that he had access to the best, and most advanced treatment that medicine had to offer. Should we do no less for every other American child today? My grandson has already suffered plenty enough in life, and I have to tell you I feel good, knowing that he and his sister will never be afflicted with Measles, Chickenpox, Polio, Mumps, Tuberculosis or Whooping cough, because they have been vaccinated against these diseases. Many of past generations were not so fortunate. That there are children out there across America that are being denied the same insurance policy against disease, because their parents subscribe to some radical ideology, is no less than a human rights atrocity, and one that needs to, and can be, abolished.

The American philosopher George Santayana, first coined the phrase we all have heard, that: "those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it." I appeal to all of those who's not so distant memory of the devastation these diseases caused in our own generations, raise your voices now, and don't let the progress made to eradicate these diseases in our lifetimes be forgotten, and a new generation doomed to suffer the consequences.

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about constitutional amendments to outlaw desecration of the flag, abortion, and other controversial issues. But I think there would be an outpouring of support among Americans, regardless of ideological persuasion, for a constitutional amendment to give every American child the right to basic health care and immunization against disease. Surely our forefathers would have included one, had there been such a cure for these diseases in their time. We can get the ball rolling by linking this page in an e-mail to your own congress person and senators. This is a case where a little "government of the people; by the people; and for the people," can make a big difference. Forward the link for this page to your friends and family, and have them send it to their elected representative. Send it to your friends, local TV and radio stations, the major networks, and anywhere else you can think of. We can make it happen, so won't you join me, in making America a better place for all of our kids and grand kids? More then half of all Americans polled had suggested that they want change, so here's your chance do do something about it and make a little change happen.

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