Nobody is immune to the truth

Graphics+by+Rachel+Lee%2C+Amber+Olson%2C+and+Bradley+Fishman.

Graphics by Rachel Lee, Amber Olson, and Bradley Fishman.

Graphics by Rachel Lee, Amber Olson, and Bradley Fishman.
Graphics by Rachel Lee, Amber Olson, and Bradley Fishman.

According to an article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been more measles cases within the first two months of this year than the total number of cases in 2012. In 2012, only 55 cases of measles were reported, but since January 2015, there have been 141 cases confirmed in 17 different states. Of these 141 cases, 14 are in Illinois, and 13 are directly related to the measles outbreak at KinderCare Learning Center in Palatine.

Glenbrook North nurse Peggy Bassrawi said she believes a concept known as “herd immunity” is a contributing factor to the recent measles outbreaks.

“‘Herd immunity’ describes a form of immunity that occurs when a significant portion of a population has been vaccinated for a specific disease — in this case, measles,” said Bassrawi. “[The immunization] provides a certain amount of protection for those students who do not have immunity due to not receiving the vaccinations. The greater the proportion of students who are immunized, the smaller the probability that a susceptible student will come into contact with an infectious individual.”

When people are not vaccinated against measles and come in contact  with a person who has the disease, Bassrawi said the non-vaccinated individual can not only get measles, but also pass it on to anyone else who is not yet immunized, such as an infant or a student who cannot get the vaccination due to medical concerns.

According to family practice physician Beata Danek, many people decide against getting immunized for personal reasons.

“There is a lot of controversy about vaccinations, usually brought up by unscientific evidence, so some people choose not to get vaccinated,” Danek said.

Some of the reasons people do not get vaccinated include vaccines having too many side effects and the misconception that vaccines can cause autism. Danek said she believes there are more side effects from taking Tylenol than from common vaccines.

“Just because you have a headache [and take Tylenol], doesn’t mean you will get the side effects [listed] on the box,” said Danek. “Same goes for vaccinations. Just because the vaccination has side effects, doesn’t mean you will get them.”

Bassrawi also said the belief that vaccinations cause autism is completely false.

“There is no scientific evidence behind getting autism from vaccinations,” said Bassrawi. “The doctor who initially did his own study that stated that the [Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)] vaccine caused autism has not only had the research rebuked but has also lost his license to practice medicine.”

In contrast to the unreliable assumptions, Danek said vaccinations have been proven to play a significant role in “preventative medicine.”

“The truth is, when you look at the statistics in medicine, vaccinations were proven over and over in multiple scientific studies that they decrease mortality, meaning there have been millions of people’s lives that were saved because of the vaccine,” Danek said.

Specifically for MMR, the first vaccination is typically administered at 12 months old. The second dose is administered at four to six years old. Bassrawi said that until the late 1980s, doctors did not realize that the MMR vaccinations wear off. Eventually, when the kids in that generation went to college, the measles “spread like wildfire.”

“One vaccine will cover a child for a substantial period of time, but not a lifetime,” said Bassrawi. “No vaccine is 100 percent effective, but with a double MMR, you’re up at 96 to 97 percent. If you’ve [had both doses], A, your chances of getting the disease are slim, and B, passing it on to another person is very slim.”

Danek said she believes there are two dominant reasons why people should be vaccinated. The first reason is to promote personal health, meaning people should, first and foremost, get immunized in order to protect themselves from disease. Secondly, vaccinations are crucial in order to keep the general population safe from disease.

“Vaccinations are fighting contagious diseases,” said Danek. “If one person gets the disease, it spreads very easily. Vaccinations protect society from getting epidemics, diseases that spread and affect everybody around us.”

The GBN policy regarding vaccinations applies to all students, as well as the entire state of Illinois: All incoming freshmen must have their immunizations updated.

GBN school nurse Mary Beth Manso said the school cross-checks every student’s physical with the state requirements of the Illinois Public Health Department in order to confirm that everyone is up-to-date on his or her vaccinations.

“For example, a student may have already gotten his or her MMR  [vaccine] when [he or she was] a baby, but tetanus is one that needs to get redone every 10 years,” said Manso. “Different vaccinations are given at different times. We have to make sure that [a student’s immunizations] are current.”

Although the school strongly recommends that all students be vaccinated, Bassrawi said there are two exceptions to the vaccination policy.

“The first one is a medical exemption, which means that if a student has a medical condition, such as chronic health illnesses or a compromised immune system and is unable to receive vaccinations, we get a letter from the doctor,” Bassrawi said.

Bassrawi said the other exemption is for religious reasons. To qualify for a religious exemption, the student’s parent must write a letter stating how their religious beliefs affect their decision not to vaccinate their children. They must disclose specific beliefs, but do not need to state the specific religion. She said some nurses believe that a letter such as this should have the signature of a religious leader, but this is not yet required by the state.

“In the time that I’ve been a school nurse, I’ve seen [the administration] get stricter with [the religion policy],” said Manso. “It’s much stricter now than when I started as a school nurse 14 years ago.”

According to Bassrawi, even if there is only a small amount of people who have not been vaccinated, those couple of people can be dangerous in any public environment.

“There’s a big difference between someone who can’t get vaccinated and someone who doesn’t get vaccinated due to religious reasons,” said Bassrawi. “If the religious person gets the measles, then it can spread anywhere — especially to the kids who are immunocompromised and can’t receive vaccinations.”

Manso said the reason for the outbreak at KinderCare is because kids who are not old enough to receive their first MMR were exposed to the measles virus.

“The kids that got [the measles]  are probably under 12 months old and they haven’t had the chance to get the immunization,” said Manso. “At that point, there is nothing a mother can do [to prevent infection].”

Bassrawi said there is a concern regarding staff or parents who may have had only one MMR vaccine. Adults born between 1957 and 1990 would potentially fit into this category. They may not have full immunity and can determine this by checking with their family doctor.

“The measles vaccine was introduced in 1963,” said Bassrawi. “People born between 1957 and 1990 had one MMR vaccination, and those born after 1990 had two. So it’s that group with only one MRR [vaccine], which is a lot of the staff here, who may not have had [the second dose].”

Although there is a nationwide outbreak of the measles, Bassrawi said GBN’s “herd immunity” among the students is very strong.

“We have very few medical and religious exemptions,” said Bassrawi. “There [were] 2,020 students back in October [of 2014]. The number who have not been immunized is less than one percent.”

In addition to the safe high school student population, GBN preschool director Leanne Kotlarz said the preschool’s policy on immunizations is straightforward.

“All students must have their immunizations up to date to be enrolled [in] GBN Preschool,” said Kotlarz. “We cannot accept students that are not vaccinated since this puts our other students at risk, including our high school helpers.”

Physical education teacher Beth Figaro has a daughter who attends GBN Preschool. Figaro said she believes it is important to have vaccination protocols for group settings with many children.

“I just follow my doctor’s recommended timeline for when the vaccinations should be given,” said Figaro. “I think [my daughter gets] a lot of exposure to other children and possible situations where she could acquire [an illness], so I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Danek said she respects people’s right to choose whether or not to get vaccinated. However, she emphasizes the significance of receiving all the proper immunizations.

“The measles are coming back and it is very likely due to some groups of people who were not vaccinated and brought it to the United States,” said Danek. “Now the number of measles cases is higher than four years ago. It is a potentially deadly disease, so it brings awareness that it is important to reconsider vaccinations for those who didn’t.”