When a child dies, all that you have is a small coffin, a small grave and probably a small bowl of ash. And if that does not move your heart, then nothing will, for nothing is more heartbreaking than the death of an innocent child.
I am not a doctor, but I am a mother of four, and this is probably the only way to talk to those who are for anti-vaccination of their children, or those who are preaching anti-vaccination.
The issue is not new and it is not only here in Malaysia – it is a global phenomenon that has sadly taken over the world, especially int he advent of technology. The days when only the Mormons who refuse vaccination is long gone. For even the Mormons of Utah, who refuse to embrace development in the name of religion has decided that they will vaccinate their children when a measles outbreak in the Salt Lake County in 2011 took away their precious little bundles.
And today in Malaysia, we have those Muslims who claim that vaccination is haram and that we should not vaccinate the child for fear of putting pig’s DNA and haram stuff into the body.
Their small minds are further shown when they come up with statistics to show that vaccination has fatal side effects and can even cause autism – a myth that has been debunked by the experts again and again.They claim that the Prophet Muhammad never vaccinated and thus was fine. I ask why do they use cars, and not camels, or use pipe water, and not dig wells in their garden?
These are the very people who will rather let their child die from diseases than to admit that they are wrong and that the child should be taken to a doctor. These parents, who claim that they do it for their children, in the name of religion, are the very ones who google for self-medications while their children lie suffering, their small body beating against all odds to live as they do not have vaccinations to fight the diseases.
These parents, and some who are not even parents, go to the extent of trying to convince others to do the same with data from the internet, many of which is not scientifically valid.
While it is heartening to note that the government is doing its best to keep these groups at bay, even to the extent of preaching for Muslims to vaccinate their children in Friday sermons, the social media presence of these people are strong and they do it in your face.
They come up with all kinds of arguments and as they experiment with their own children, they ask that we do the same. They even say vaccines will not stop the deaths of children as it is all fated, despite Islam very well stating that one must do his or her best to stay healthy.
Some parents claim it is their right not to vaccinate their children, either not realising or refusing to realise that when they do not vaccinate, they are actually denying the rights of the children, for the children do not have a say.
They also do not realise or refuse to realise that their actions put the whole community at risk, for the non vaccinated child can easily be a carrier or contract diseases which have been eradicated in that community, such as polio, meningitis, small pox, rotavirus, whooping cough or diphtheria.
They refuse to accept the fact that it is the right of the community which already has herd immunity, to refuse their child access to the public places, for fear of contaminating others should he or she be a carrier. Without immunisation, an infection will snowball and the more unvaccinated people there are, the higher the chance of it spreading exponentially.
They say one must be allowed to do what they think is best for their child, but what if what he or she thinks is best, puts the whole community at risk of an epidemic?
We are lucky that we are living in a country where vaccination is freely given by the government, even to those babies whose parents are illegals. I have personally seen government clinics administering these to those without papers on a humanitarian basis as the government understands very well that should they discriminate, they would put all other Malaysian children at risk.
The vaccination card is almost the bible that we hold to throughout the first years of the child, and to be able to be admitted into government schools, the child must have the card filled, as proof that they have been vaccinated and is ‘safe’. And throughout school years, vaccination is also given for other diseases such as rubella and what-nots.
It is therefore sad to see those who are pooh-poohing the efforts by the government to provide us with proper health and disease-free environment.
Those who are anti-vaccine, who are usually from much developed countries, should visit countries where this is not done and experience for themselves how ravaged the small child’s body is when he or she contracts measles. When a vaccinated child can recover, the non-vaccinated child dies from measles or gets maimed.
So, to those who still think it is the right of the parents, think again. Is this the right of parents to abuse their child and deny them health?
For when a child dies, and you cradle that body in your arms, and you know you may have prevented this by vaccinating, would that feeling not be a like a knife shredding through you?
Religion is simple, do not complicate it and please, vaccinate your child.
As to those who are still stubbornly spewing their anti-vaccine rhetoric, please, keep your views to yourselves. The rest of the world wants to live.
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