In recent weeks there has been an outbreak of the measles impacting people in the northwest region of the United States, particularly Oregon and Washington.

According to USA Today, there have been 41 confirmed cases since Jan. 1 and there are about 15 more that are suspected. These regions are areas where the vaccination rate is relatively low in comparison with other parts of the country.

This brings up the issue of people having non-medical vaccine exemptions. We at The Voice believe that the only reason for vaccine exemptions should be for medical reasons, end of story. The laws in these states are very loose as far as reasons to refuse vaccines, thus putting many people at risk.

According to CBS News, as of the year 2000 the measles had been ruled non-existent in the United States due to the measles mumps rubella vaccine, commonly referred to as MMR. Travelers can of course bring the disease into the country, but the unvaccinated people help it spread, putting even vaccinated people in danger.

We at The Voice believe that the politicians in these states are taking a step in the right direction with enacting policies that are stricter with requiring children be vaccinated.

Essentially, these laws would be protecting people from themselves, by ultimately not really giving people a choice in the matter. In a previous study done, California passed a law that required all children entering Kindergarten had to be vaccinated or else they had to be home-schooled or enrolled in an independent study program.

This brought the total of children vaccinated to 95% within two years of the law being passed. This is definitely an issue that needs to be examined by all states, but especially the ones currently at the forefront, Washington and Oregon.

Some of the politicians that are proposing the stricter vaccine policies are physicians in their own right and so it makes sense that they would know what they are talking about more than a person with no study in the field.

It seems that a lot of the argument is about whether it is a parental rights issue. Overall, people deserve to be able to go out in their communities and not have to worry about being exposed to diseases every day.

It has already been proven many times over that there is not a link between vaccines and autism, but even if there was a connection, people that choose not to have their children vaccinated are essentially saying that they would rather their child be in danger of getting a number of potentially life-threatening illnesses than have autism.That is just plain silly.

Not only is that child at risk, but that puts everyone else at risk if and when the child gets the measles or any other illness that there is a vaccine for. Vaccines were created for a reason.

The science and technology of medicine has come a long way and it would be foolish to not take advantage of what vaccines offer.

– The Voice