Could Anti-Vaxxers Turn Mumps Into the New Polio?

Children with allergies to vaccines, and individuals with weak or compromised immune systems, rely on “herd immunity” for protection from disease. “Statistically, there are significant increases in vaccine-preventable diseases during modern times when the numbers of vaccinations in certain areas dropped,” says Shikha Jain, M.D., a hematologist and oncologist at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital. In other words, when everyone else is vaccinated, it provides “indirect protection to those who are unable to receive the vaccine,” she says.

Source: Could Anti-Vaxxers Turn Mumps Into the New Polio?

About Shikha Jain, MD FACP

I am a practicing, board-certified hematology/oncology physician in Chicago. I speak on topics ranging from the impact of social media on healthcare, how physicians can utilize social media, how to write Op-eds in the medical world, gender equity and barriers to career advancement, and topics in GI oncology and immunotherapy. My goal is to explain complicated topics in simple terms. I also enjoy writing and you can find some of my writing on this site. I am a mother to three amazing kids and married to a gastroenterologist. I look forward to connecting with you.

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