Although various diseases that can be prevented by vaccines, such as diphtheria and meningitis, were on WHO's health threat lists before, in 2019 the organization included "vaccine hesitancy." Among other top 10 threats are HIV/AIDS, the global influenza pandemic, along with the spread of the deadly Ebola virus and Dengue fever, as well as air pollution, lack of primary care and noncommunicable diseases like diabetes.
Vaccination remains one of the most "cost-effective" ways to avoid infection, WHO stated, and refusing it directly threatens to cancel out the progress made in fighting preventable diseases.
The WHO listed "complacency" and "lack of confidence" among the key reasons why people reject vaccines. Anti-vaxxers usually say they fear the side effects, in particular the possibility of developing autism, although some cite conspiracy theories about big pharma and governments.
This attitude has already contributed to the recent measles outbreak, which has gone up 30 percent globally, WHO said. The organization earlier reported that measles outbreaks due to "gaps in vaccination coverage" killed 110,000 people in 2017. Experts are alarmed to see the disease spreading, even in nations that until recently were on the verge of completely eliminating it.
Comment: Vaccination does nothing to prevent measles outbreaks. In fact, vaccination seems to be the cause.
Nadezhda Yuminova of the Moscow-based Vaccine and Serum Research Institute told RT that the anti-vaccination movement "may be relatively small but leads to very serious consequences."
Yuminova said the activity of its campaigners, especially when amplified by the media, can wipe out the earlier "tremendous successes" of fighting highly-contagious diseases in Europe. Rejection of vaccination can not only lead to death, but deliver a blow to the "collective immunity" of people in the area. Doctors say that individuals whose health does not allow them to be vaccinated rely on "collective immunity" for their protection from diseases.
Comment: 'Collective immunity' has now replaced the term 'herd immunity', apparently. No matter what you call it, it's nonsense. A strong immune system, not vaccination, protects from disease.
Katrine Habersaat, form WHO's Vaccine-prevented Diseases and Immunization programme, warned about the dangers of spreading "anti-vaccination misinformation."
"When some people advocate actively against vaccination using information that is not evidence-based nor supported by scientific consensus to create fear and distrust and to discourage others from vaccinating, this has potential to lower vaccination uptake and consequently threaten public health," she told RT.
Comment: The only threat is to the bottom line of drug companies.
The public debate on vaccines has been reignited in recent years in developed countries, with celebrities like Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy joining the ranks of the skeptics, and pushback has increased.
Legislators in Europe frequently mull the idea of mandatory vaccination. Yet specialists believe countries need to have sufficient political commitment to cover gaps in coverage. Habersaat named "vaccine stock outs," poor access to services and training of health workers who could advocate for vaccination, delays and refusal to vaccinate as reasons that led to the spikes of diseases such as measles.
Australia has introduced punitive measures against parents who do not vaccinate their children. In June, billboards were put up in Perth promoting American anti-vaccination group 'Learn the Risk'. It caused an uproar in the media, and the campaign was heavily criticized by the nation's government officials.
Reader Comments
I'm just saying that its far more likely that they made a mistake - error - omission and now they just cover up the fact that they were and are fallible, and have completely lost control of their error.
Just like the following shaming examples:
Smokers are shamed as the cause of rising health cost and the cause of a host of diseases.
Meat eaters are shamed the cause of global warming (cow flatulence etc.) animal cruelty and a host of other things.
Disbelievers in Anthropogenic Global warming are shamed as climate deniers and on par with war criminals, destroing the world for the next generation etc.
People who protests the globalist world view are shamed as being right wing bigots and ...
People who are critical of immigration and open borders are shamed as being bigots, racists, homophobes, closed-minded, nationalists etc
People critical of political correctness and postmodernism are shamed as being bigots, racists, homophobes, closedminded etc.
People who are not vegan are shamed as being cruel, unfeeling, less spiritual brutes etc.
People who are against sexualisation of children and pedophilia are shamed as being conservative, homophobes, closed-minded, not in step with the times.
People who are against gun-control are shamed as rednecks, right wing brutes, nationalists, being the ones culpable of every shooting incident.
People who are not active against Trump are shamed as Russian agents, traitors, rightwing, homophobes, deplorable etc.
People who are not Russophobes are shamed as Russian agents, traitors, naive etc.
People who question the official narrative are shamed as conspiracy nutjobs, deplorable, etc.
And on and on...