The others were babies who lived nearby and had not gotten their measles vaccines. Offit remembers those children, he says, when he hears debate over whether vaccines should be mandated. If most people are vaccinated, there are too few susceptible people in a community to allow bacteria to circulate. But between 1997 and 1999, there were 116 cases of measles carried into 33 states by people from other countries, Orenstein says. If enough parents stop vaccinating against measles, then we're going to have a problem.
People say it's the condition of the host that's important.
If a person is healthy, they're going to fight off disease. They think, for instance, with measles that true immunity is achieved through the disease, and the vaccine wears off. The points of view of the public health person and the parent are irreconcilable. Most people do what their doctors tell them to do. Decision not to vaccinate Some choose not to.