Doctors in Arizona Are Begging Parents: Vaccinate NOW!

Over the last few years, there's been a lot of confusion about vaccinations. Healthcare workers are beginning to see a rise in childhood diseases that were nearly wiped off the map in Arizona, and they're begging parents to reverse the trend.

Why Arizona's Childhood Vaccination Rates Are Falling

A since-debunked study released 15 years ago claimed childhood vaccinations could cause serious side effects. The article in the medical journal The Lancet claimed that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could cause autism in children.

Will Arizona Be Hit by New Mask Mandates?

The study has since been retracted, but the bad press haunts some parents, causing them to hesitate before seeking routine vaccinations.

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Healthcare workers are sounding the alarm, begging parents to get their kids vaccinated. The falling vaccination rates have caused an alarming measles outbreak. Last year, there were 222 reported cases in the United States, and 34% of those cases affected children under five.

Measles: The Outbreak is Growing in Arizona

Since the erroneous vaccine study was released a decade and a half ago, there have been 5 times as many cases of measles in Arizona. Measles isn't just a rash and a fever; the viral infection can lead to severe complications like pneumonia, brain damage, and even death.

This Deadly Disease Found In Arizona For The First Time

Most of us can't remember a time when measles was common. Before the vaccine was widely available in 1963, nearly every child got measles by age 15. This caused almost 48,000 hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths every year across the United States.

Enter the MMR vaccine. When it became common to vaccinate children against this once-virulent illness, infections and deaths plummeted.

COVID-19 Reignited Vaccine Fears in Arizona

The COVID-19 pandemic brought vaccine skepticism right back into the spotlight.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding the mRNA Covid vaccine; some people believed it was rushed to market, with fears it hadn't been thoroughly tested. For the skeptical, that impression spread to all vaccines, not just mRNA vaccines, and that fear disrupted routine immunizations that had been administered for generations.

Doctors Are Sounding the Alarm: Get Children Vaccinated!

Doctors are seeing an alarming rise in childhood illnesses. The consequences of not vaccinating could be deadly.

Measles is incredibly contagious; one infected person could spread it to 12 to 18 others. If vaccination rates continue to fall, there's an elevated risk of outbreaks. Lowering herd immunity through vaccination could lead to severe consequences, especially for vulnerable populations, such as young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

Sources: CDC | Johns Hopkins | Ars Technica | YNetNews | Time Magazine | The Lancet