By Anna Pentler
Executive director, N.M. Immunization Coalition
I had the privilege recently of hearing Joe Lastinger of "Families Fighting Flu" speak about the untimely, tragic death of his daughter Emily from influenza. It has been more than three years since his bright, healthy, sweet 3-year-old became ill with influenza and died less than a week later.
"Children are our future." This phrase has become cliché for the very reason most do— it's true. Without the survival of our children, we cannot survive as humans.
Our continued existence depends on keeping our children safe and healthy. When children become dreadfully sick or die, we as a society mourn for a life struck down too soon, for the unfairness of lost potential and ultimately for the threat to our own future.
Lastinger generously shared his family's terrifying experience with the audience— his grief and the shock that influenza could be deadly in a child. The Lastingers had not immunized Emily or their other two children against the flu.
Because of his terrible ordeal, Lastinger now works as an advocate to protect all of our children from the unchecked spread of influenza. He hopes that sharing his personal story may help convince other parents to properly protect their children.
The day after I had been moved to tears by Lastinger's plea for childhood immunization, I read a news article in the New York Times about a group of mothers in California who choose not to vaccinate their children. These mothers assert that they would like to expose their children to "natural" infection so they will become immune more organically. They are afraid that vaccines are harmful and are not convinced that vaccines work.
I believe these mothers are truly trying to keep their children safe and protect them from harm— I don't question their intent. However, I was moved to tears again— this time by the misguided information by which these mothers were being influenced.
For example, one mother was eager to expose her son to measles at a "measles party" but reconsidered— concerned that her son might be ostracized while sick. She seems to have no concept of how dangerous measles is and how miserably sick (or worse) it would make her son. I tried to conceive of how devastated this woman would be if she saw her child die from this awful disease.
We, living in the 21st century United States, are very fortunate to be shielded from vaccine-preventable diseases. Most young mothers have never been confronted by measles, or polio or tetanus. They have not stayed awake for days on end with a baby struggling to breathe with whooping cough.
We are fortunate that vaccines have changed the landscape of disease in our children, keeping them healthy and safe from devastating diseases. Unfortunately, the incredible epidemiological success of vaccines in modern society has lulled some into a false sense of security or complacency.
Immunizing our children (and ourselves) is absolutely necessary. Each year, even in New Mexico, children suffer and sometimes die from vaccine-preventable diseases— we had a baby die from influenza this past winter in New Mexico. And all vaccine-preventable diseases still exist in other countries.
Our continued vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases is a legitimate threat to our children if we choose not to immunize them. Further, unvaccinated children pose a threat to others who are too young to be vaccinated or who, for some medical reason, cannot be vaccinated. As a society, we must ensure that all children are protected from harm, and for vaccine-preventable diseases this means maintaining high levels of "herd immunity."
With declining disease, the need for— and safety of— vaccines are in question. Our great success is becoming our biggest obstacle when some believe the risk of a vaccine greater than that of the disease.
Joe Lastinger spoke very personally and directly to the devastating consequences of choosing not to immunize, then losing a child to a vaccine-preventable disease. Like all medications, vaccines carry a small risk for an adverse reaction, but serious reactions are quite rare. Moreover, vaccines are the most rigorously tested medications used today and are continually monitored to make sure they are safe and effective.
Gov. Bill Richardson has declared April "Childhood Immunization Awareness Month" in New Mexico. I implore all parents to protect their children— and all of our children— from vaccine-preventable diseases.
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