Vaccines prevent diseases, yet the movement against immunization has been gaining momentum for years. The result? A staggering graphic depicting "vaccine-preventable outbreaks" in the world from 2008 through 2014, courtesy of the Council on Foreign Relations.
According to an article in the LA Times, what immediately jumps out from the map is the spread of measles throughout Europe—particularly Britain—and the US, places where the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is widely available.
So much for the charlatan claims about the MMR vaccine causing autism. Someone out there must still be taking their medical cues from the likes of Jenny McCarthy and Katie Couric.
Another avoidable condition—whooping cough—has seen a resurgence in Americans, who were exempted from the vaccine for personal, rather than medical, reasons.
This graphic should come as an eye-opener to those in developed countries who naively regard vaccinations as 'optional extras' rather than public health necessities.
See how some pediatricans are reacting to the anti-vaxx movement.
Does this graphic surprise you at all?
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