Everyday our bodies are at war — constantly defending us against predatory pathogens trying to best our natural defenses.
Humanity has made easy work of many bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that once took lives by the hundreds of millions — making casualties inflicted by man pale in comparison. With the advent of modern medicine, we often find it hard to fathom what the world would look like if epidemics from our past came back to haunt us. But it’s a possibility that we all must consider in New Jersey at this critical juncture.
With children at the forefront of the current measles outbreak in Lakewood, it’s easy to point fingers and write nasty comments on social media, but it won’t help the children who are too young or too sick to be vaccinated. These include infants whose immune systems aren’t ready for the MMR vaccine until 12 months; children who unfortunately need chemotherapy, organ transplantation or were born with HIV; children whose immune systems are too weak for the vaccine — again through no fault of their own.
The parents of these children are terrified and holding their breath for this all to blow over.