VOA常速英语:欧洲麻疹爆发 致35名儿童死亡

A vaccine ended small pox, another vaccine is close to ending polio.Besides polio, vaccines prevent the flu, hepatitis, liver cancer, cervical, oral and penile cancers and a dozen or so other diseases.They have saved countless lives and prevented enormous suffering.Scientists are now working on vaccines for AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

Immunization and vaccines are the most powerful public health tools that we have.

One of the most effective vaccines available, to prevent measles, mumps and rubella,is meeting resistance from many parents because of a debunked study that linked the vaccine to autism.Yet some parents oppose all vaccines.

“We don’t want anybody to force anything on our children, as parents, it’s our decision whether or not we want to vaccinate."“We the parents have the rights…”

In the U.S., it’s become a parents’ rights issue.“We now in the state of Texas have 50,000 kids whose parents are opting them out of getting vaccinated.”

Doctors feel strongly about the benefits of vaccines.Dr. Hope Scott lost a daughter to pneumococcal meningitis five years before a vaccine became available.

“Has she been born five years later, or has that vaccine been five years earlier, I would have three children, not two.And, it is hard for me to have conversations with people who choose not to vaccinate.Because, you know, I would give anything to be able to trade places with them.You know, I’d give a million dollars and my right arm to have the opportunity to vaccinate my child and save her life. ...And I didn’t have that opportunity.”

Doctors and other health professionals wonder how to convince parents that vaccines will keep their children healthy.

I think the approach toward people who are anti-vaccinating is to respect their opinion and don’t denigrate them and don’t criticize them,but try to explain to them on the basis of solid evidence why the risk benefit of vaccines clearly, clearly favors —very, very heavily — toward vaccinating your children."

In a column written for The Seattle Times newspaper, autism expert Annette Este said health professionals need to “urgently find a way out of our impasse and rediscover the connections between“ those who oppose immunizations and the medical community.

The American Medical Association has plans to continue to promote public understanding and confidence in the safety of vaccines.Some European countries now make vaccines against measles and other diseases mandatory.

Carol Pearson, VOA news, Washington.