Forgetting fears may be deadly mistake

THE most wonderful thing about vaccination is that it's so incredibly effective at getting rid of common infectious diseases that people have forgotten how awful they are.

THE most wonderful thing about vaccination is that it's so incredibly effective at getting rid of common infectious diseases that people have forgotten how awful they are.

Unfortunately this is also its biggest problem.

The thing is that people no longer have the fear of terrible illnesses such as polio, diphtheria or whooping cough. The very success of the immunisation program has meant that it is not seen to be as vital as it once was. In fact it is as vital as ever if we are to stop society being once again overrun by the worst epidemics of the 19th century.

We have a duty to protect ourselves and our children. We also have an obligation as members of the community to stop the spread of disease.

If enough of us are immunised we can prevent a wholesale spread but if too many people are unprotected, an epidemic can take hold.

There are a lot of people who are well-meaning but really believe vaccination is harmful to children. The truth is that yes, sometimes there are side-effects but these are usually very minor and far more preferable than the alternative.And many of the claims that have been so damaging to public health have been completely discredited, such as that immunisation could cause things like autism or cot death.

There is also an idea that vaccinations are somehow unnatural. In fact it represents a tiny dosage of the disease that the body then builds up its own resistance to. In other words, it's the most natural way of combating disease.

The science is unequivocal: vaccinations save lives. Without them we would have tragedy on a huge scale.

Professor Fiona Stanley is a world-renowned epidemiologist