Editorial: Vaccination rules protect the public good

For the sake of public health, it’s refreshing to see some push back against the “anti-vaccine movement.”

It’s a fight that must be fought, and it is the job of health experts to see there is no backing down.

To this end, the state Department of Health has promulgated rules that say children entering kindergarten through grade 12 will now be required to receive a complete series of all required vaccines to attend classes this fall.

As of this week, students must have begun vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella and other diseases in order to attend class.

“These revisions are based on the most current science and will give our children the best protection we can provide from devastating diseases,” declared state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker.

Yes, let’s reiterate, the decision is based on science. And the state’s policies are more comfortably aligned with federal standards on childhood vaccines

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 764 recorded cases of mumps in the U.S. between 2014 and May 2015. Of those cases, 98 were reported to be in New York.

Over the last few years, there also has been a dangerous correlation between the alarming increase in cases of measles across the country and a stunning poll showing a big gap between the thinking of the general public and that of scientists.

As a result of vaccinations, measles was effectively eliminated in the United States in 2000. But CDC Director Tom Frieden has warned that the growing number of unvaccinated people could result in a “very large” outbreak if the problem isn’t brought under control. While some parents refuse vaccinations for religious reasons, others are basing the decision on a widely discredited study alleging a link between vaccines and autism. Readily available misinformation on the Internet exacerbates that situation. It’s imperative health experts continue to get the word out. There is no excuse for parents putting the health of their children and others at risk. Children should be properly vaccinated, and the state has good cause to do what it can to ensure the health of every child.