But several contagious and potentially deadly diseases once thought to have vanished in the United States are now reappearing. It’s a reminder that the price of good general population health is constant vigilance.
There are a number of reasons why several formerly defunct diseases are making a reappearance. One is the number of immigrants from countries where vital medical services and early childhood medical care is not as prevalent as in the United States. Illegal immigrants, who are largely poor and not monitored upon entrance may be unaware of the need for childhood inoculations and perhaps the cost of same – both in dollars and unwanted attention. These factors may keep them from obtaining the services that they should get.
Paranoid Parents Part of the Problem
But there’s also a pernicious wave of anti-vaccination parents, who believe many diseases that have foggy causes – like autism – may be tied to vaccinations that contain mild strains of certain diseases. In one prominent study, parents from wealthy Marin County, Calif., were the biggest nay-sayers when it came to having children vaccinated.
While some school districts mandate proof of certain vaccinations before admission to school, others are less stringent. The result is a higher risk of reappearance of the dreaded diseases.