Children not being vaccinated

   I think most people have heard the myth that vaccines are linked to autism and now know that this myth has been debunked. The myth was driven by corrupt science in an effort to win a law suit. Unfortunately, many parents heard about this link to autism and were quick to believe it. This has led to many parents refusing to get their children vaccinated and the re-emergence of diseases that were considered nearly gone from the Western world.
   This topic enrages me because I cannot believe any parent would be ignorant enough to not vaccinate their child. Some children are allergic to vaccines, but if every child who can get vaccinated does, the allergic children are better protected. This is what doctors consider herd immunity. The most recent outbreak is of measles at Disney in California. As of today there have been 59 reported cases. Measles, although not the deadliest of diseases, is one of the most contagious. Doctors have said that in an non-vaccinated population each infected person can be expected to spread the disease to 11 to 18 others. Compare that to influenza, where an infected person will only spread it to 2 to 3 people on average. The reason measles is so contagious is because the virus is airborne and can linger for days. In addition, the incubation period is 21 days so an infectious person can go about their normal lives for three weeks while also spreading the disease. What angers me so much is how easily this could have been prevented.
   I was thinking about the ethics involving this subject. Is it ethical to not vaccinate your children? I don't think so. What immediately came to mind was John Stuart Mill's Harm Principle. Are these parents harming others? Absolutely. They are harming their own children, children who have legitimate reasons for not being vaccinated, and the estimated 5% of the population that has been vaccinated, but do not have full immunity. The potential is there to harm many people.
   I believe not getting your child vaccinated is horrible parenting and unethical. The worst part is that the possible negative effects will be on someone else. The parents are most likely vaccinated. I, and everyone I know in my generation, have been vaccinated. We are just fine and never got any of the diseases we were vaccinated against. The autism myth was proven to be false. Parents, get your children vaccinated.

Fox, M. (2015, February 4). Disney measles outbreak could get worse, experts warn. NBC News.
              Retrieved from http://http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/measles-outbreak/disney-measles-                 outbreak-could-get-worse-experts-warn-n291426