The return of measles, one of the consequences of the lack of vaccination.
Today, vaccines are experiencing a paradox: they are “victims of their own achievements”. This was warned yesterday by the Medical Association of our district in view of the continued reluctance of a part of the community to comply with the National Vaccination Calendar, a situation that worsened following the rollout of the Covid vaccines.
Given this scenario, the company released a document highlighting the need for articulated collaboration between healthcare teams, the educational community, social organizations and journalism to disseminate science-based information and restore lost reporting.
“The community, and especially young adults, is unaware of the risk that the emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as fulminant invasive meningococcal disease poses to the quality of life and life itself,” said the document signed by board members.
From the organization they recall that decades of continuous vaccination have allowed “the elimination of serious and potentially fatal diseases such as poliomyelitis, measles and congenital rubella syndrome”, but warn that without 95% coverage, these pathologies could recur, as was the case with measles this year.
The College’s directors emphasize that to permanently eradicate neonatal tetanus, it is necessary to vaccinate 100% of pregnant women and warn against the return of controlled diseases.
“Other vaccine-preventable diseases such as whooping cough, hepatitis A, chickenpox and COVID-19, which have been controlled, are causing targeted epidemics,” they emphasize, pointing to the cases of whooping cough in the metropolitan area, which caused seven deaths in children under two this year, and the Covid outbreak in Formosa.
In this context, the local medical association calls for increased consultation on vaccination history, to point out the relevant vaccines and to respond sensitively to the population’s doubts. The final message is powerful: “Misinformation and lies can kill.”
“Controlled diseases cause targeted epidemics”
The decline in vaccination coverage is a phenomenon involving several factors. But there is no doubt that the perception that many diseases “no longer exist” plays a central role, especially because of the historic successes of vaccination campaigns, which reduce the feeling of risk in large parts of the population.
Added to this is the spread of misinformation about vaccines, particularly on social networks and unregulated channels, where messages are circulating that question their safety and effectiveness without scientific support.
Finally, there are also structural difficulties: problems in access to the health system, interruptions in routine checks and territorial inequalities that affect the continuity of vaccination plans.
Reversing the trend will undoubtedly require a comprehensive strategy that combines consistent public policy, an active state presence and coordinated work with communities so that vaccination is once again perceived as a right and a collective responsibility.
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