MMR vaccine failure in Ireland: Time to consider compulsory vaccination?

[SaneVax: A recent article by Dr. John Delap, in Irish Health, calls for compulsory vaccination due to recent outbreaks of measles in Ireland. Perhaps Dr. Delap should read the two recent court cases involving allegations of Merck virtually inventing the efficacy rate for the mumps component of the same vaccine used to ‘control’ measles. Perhaps Dr. Delap should remember every citizen on the planet has a right to informed consent regarding any medical procedure, including vaccination. Maybe Dr. Delap should read some of the vaccine safety and efficacy studies comparing the vaccinated to unvaccinated population – Oh, that’s right – there aren’t any. In order to quote the ‘greater good’ as a reason for compulsory vaccination, one would think you would have to scientifically demonstrate said ‘greater good.’]

Time to consider making vaccination compulsory

By Dr. John Delap

In recent weeks, people in west Cork have been dealing with the consequences of a measles outbreak.

The HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre has reported 64 cases of measles, mostly in teenagers who were unvaccinated. Four children have required hospitalisation to date.

In 2011, the World Health Organization European region reported a measles outbreak affecting 26,000 people, mostly adolescents. The equivalent number in 2009 was 6,000. The 2011 episode resulted in 7,288 hospital admissions and nine deaths. In Ireland we had 282 reported cases of measles during 2011.

Doctors of my age and older have a vivid memory of the ravages of measles. Many younger GPs have little or no experience of the disease. Some years ago we had an outbreak of measles in North Dublin following a prolonged shortage of MMR vaccine. Two vulnerable children died.

In the 1970s there was concern about the link between pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination and the risk of seizures and impaired intellectual development. I recall a professor musing that the best option was that everybody else would be vaccinated so that his children would not need to be exposed to any risk.

Read the entire article here.