Louisiana's leaders should champion vaccines and children's health
NOLA.com
by Trey N. Parker and Tammy Rider
It’s been more than 60 years since The Advocate (then called The Morning Advocate) published a story about the Boy Scouts volunteering their time to help get kids vaccinated against the polio virus. It’s hard to imagine the devastating impact of that terrible disease, which often left young children unable to walk, because Americans rallied to the cause and got vaccinations that virtually eradicated it.
Many diseases like polio once plagued society. But due to the revolutionary implementation of vaccines, we have become desensitized to the dangers of these illnesses.
As experienced school nurses in Louisiana, we’ve seen firsthand the critical role that vaccines of all kinds play in maintaining the health of our children and the continuity of their education. The recent outbreak of several dozen cases of measles in 17 states, including here in Louisiana, is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities we face when preventable diseases are not kept in check.
Consider the numbers: The current measles outbreak has a 54% hospitalization rate, and one in 1,000 children who contract measles develop brain swelling, leading to the death of 1 to 3 of every 1,000 affected. The risks don't end there. Fatal, progressively debilitating brain damage can develop 7 to 10 years after a person recovers from the measles. Furthermore, measles causes "immune amnesia," effectively wiping out the immune system's ability to fight diseases the body previously knew how to fight.
Children entering school in Louisiana are vaccinated against a range of diseases, including measles, mumps and rubella, as well as tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis, polio and chickenpox. However, the state has some of the nation’s broadest exemptions letting parents opt their children out of the vaccination requirement. House Bill 47, which mandates that exception information be included with any communication about vaccine requirements, threatens to expand that even further. The bill has passed the House and is now before the Senate. Its passage would be to the great detriment of Louisiana’s children.
Beyond the direct impact on children’s health, skipping vaccines can affect school attendance, which is crucial for continuous learning. Missed school days disrupt educational progress and can widen the achievement gap, especially in communities with already limited resources. At the same time, frequent absenteeism can impose an additional burden on working parents.
The importance of vaccines extends beyond the individual; it's a social contract. One unvaccinated child can spark an outbreak, endangering vulnerable populations such as chemotherapy patients, nursing home residents, teachers and those who live with conditions like asthma, diabetes and compromised immune systems.
One such example was a young patient who had received a life-saving kidney transplant after a year-long wait. While this transplant freed her from dialysis, she now relies on community-wide vaccination to protect her due to her immunocompromised state.
Our schools should be safe learning environments, not breeding grounds for preventable diseases. The health of our schoolchildren is interconnected with our community's health. By promoting accessible vaccines, we protect both individual children and the broader community. Vaccination is not just a health issue; it's a social, economic and moral imperative.
As such, our state's leaders have a responsibility to prioritize funding for healthcare programs, ensure robust access to preventative care and maintain clear immunization requirements to foster a safe and conducive learning environment in schools. By supporting vaccination efforts and school health initiatives, policymakers can safeguard our children's health and education.
The recent measles outbreak serves as a stark warning of the consequences of low vaccination rates. A single case can escalate into a widespread health emergency, disrupting education and jeopardizing lives.
We urge Louisiana's elected officials to champion policies that protect children from preventable diseases. Let's equip schools with the necessary tools to ensure our children remain healthy, present and engaged in learning. Our children's futures, and our collective future, depend on it.