"And back to vaccines ...." S2 #3,916
https://profiles.yahoo.com/brands/women-s-health/
I’m an Infectious Disease Doctor. Here’s the Problem with “Doing Your Own Research” on Vaccines
Morgan Goheen, MD, PhD / Wed, September 9, 2026 at 11:15 AM GMT-5
... vaccine avoidance is at an all-time high. Non-medical kindergarten vaccine exemptions are
rising rapidly, doubling even just since the COVID-19 pandemic. National flu shot data shows a similar pandemic-era
downtrend, with only ~42 percent of adults and 50 percent of children receiving the 2024-2025 vaccine. Childhood measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage has fallen to 92.4 percent,
below the 95 percent threshold needed to achieve herd immunity.
The Privilege of Choice
Anti-vaccine discourse is so widespread these days that it can sometimes feel impossible to ignore. I understand how people might think that in the face of uncertainty, doing nothing (in this case, "waiting and seeing") is better than risking something with possible unwelcome outcomes. But I wish people acknowledged that choice is easier to make in the U.S., where the spread of many vaccine-preventable infections remains relatively low compared to several other countries. The paradox of protection is that we enjoy that luxury
because of modern vaccine successes.
I know well-meaning parents want to protect their children—but denying evidence-based care is not the way forward. Doing so
opens the door to measles and other diseases like pertussis, chickenpox, mumps, and beyond. Not to mention, if you or your child do get sick, skipping vaccination raises the risk of severe disease complications.
It doesn't help that vaccine policy and messaging have changed so drastically in recent years. Our current Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has long
opposed mandatory vaccines, and has also overseen numerous developments reducing public access to unbiased information on vaccine safety and efficacy. This April,
The New York Times reported that the acting head of the CDC
blocked publication of a study showing COVID vaccination reduced the likelihood of emergency department visits and hospitalizations last winter by more than half. The following month, the Times also reported that the FDA
withheld publication of multiple peer-reviewed, large-scale studies that supported the safety of COVID and shingles vaccines.
In an op-ed, infectious disease doctor Morgan Goheen, MD, PhD breaks down what she wishes parents knew about vaccines.
www.yahoo.com
