Social Policy in Ontario

That puts them at risk for contracting measles and other highly contagious diseases. Even more importantly, it puts others at risk as well. We are falling far short of the level of 90-95 per cent immunization needed to prevent outbreaks of disease.

Medical professionals are sounding the alarm. This week the Ontario Medical Association launched a public awareness campaign through both traditional and social media to combat myths about vaccines.

At the same time, Toronto Public Health says it’s concerned about outbreaks of diseases like measles that were once considered eradicated in North America.

These are worthy efforts, but they’re clearly not enough. The numbers gathered by the Star from public health units around the province show vaccination rates vary considerably, but are too low to provide so-called “herd immunity” for the general population.

This is particularly worrisome at a time when there have been outbreaks of measles in British Columbia and in several U.S. states, as well as Europe.

The disease is making a comeback and at this point there’s little mystery why. A hard core of “anti-vaxxers” have been spreading misinformation about vaccines, and have sown doubts in the minds of many other parents. Others are simply complacent because of the remarkable success of past immunization efforts.

Education and encouragement have been tried. More effort along those lines is needed, as is making sure that the false claims of the anti-vaxxers are countered with science.

But Ontario should go further. The province should move toward eliminating non-medical exemptions for the vaccinations that children must have in order to attend school.

At the moment, parents must sign an affidavit stating that immunization conflicts with their “sincerely held convictions” and watch a 40-minute video on the benefits of vaccination.

The idea is to make sure they have the facts, but it’s been shown to be very ineffective in changing minds.

Given the increasing number of measles outbreaks and the threat to public health, it’s time to go further. Ontario should follow the lead of the U.S. states —California, Mississippi and West Virginia — that have done away with non-medical exemptions. Maine is moving in the same direction.

California eliminated non-medical exemptions in 2015 and its immunization rates for kids entering kindergarten are nearing an all-time high. The other states that don’t allow such exemptions also have high vaccination rates and no outbreaks of measles.

Of course such a move would be controversial. But the best expert evidence and experience elsewhere shows it’s the right way to go to break through the barrier of “vaccine hesitancy” and get immunization rates up to the levels needed to protect the general population.

The alternative, given current trends, is to wait until a serious outbreak of disease shocks everyone into action. Better to act now than to put health and lives at risk.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2019/04/04/ontario-should-get-tougher-on-raising-vaccination-rates.html