Vaccines are safe and save lives

I’d like to highlight a political effort in our neighboring state of West Virginia. There, a freshman state senator named Patricia Rucker has introduced Senate Bill 359. It seeks to eliminate the state’s mandate that all children be vaccinated to attend public school. Because of the mandate, West Virginia is a nationwide leader in vaccination rates among school-age kids. It is an example all states should aspire to.

Why does this matter to Ohio? Having a neighboring state where 97 percent of children are vaccinated would prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable disease to our state. This is a good thing, especially when you consider that Ohio is near the bottom of the list in terms of vaccination rates. This is surprising when some of the best children’s hospitals in the world are located here.

Readers should know that Ohio allows for parents to not vaccinate their children for “philosophical” reasons. If you take a look at the necessary form, it’s no more complicated than a permission slip for a school field trip. Vaccines work best when the community is largely vaccinated (greater than 90 percent). The freedom to not vaccinate should not threaten the health of our communities. We aren’t free to drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs, or to disobey traffic laws.

Not vaccinating threatens the community in similar, if less obvious, ways. As a pediatrician, it breaks my heart to hear about children across our country dying from whooping cough. This past winter, four Ohio children died of flurelated complications. These deaths are largely preventable by using vaccines.

Ohioans should be encouraged to contact their representatives and request that more be done to protect our children. Vaccines are safe. Vaccines save lives. Vaccines work.

Dr. Sean Gallagher Pediatric resident Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus