The Polio vaccine was licensed in the United States in 1955. During 1951 to 1954, an average of 16,316 paralytic polio cases 36 and 1,879 deaths from polio were reported each year. As of 1991, polio caused by wild-type viruses had been eliminated from the Western Hemisphere. A physician entering practice today may never see a case of meningitis due to Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib). Before the introduction of effective vaccines, in 1988, approximately one in 200 children under the age of five developed invasive Hib disease. Hib was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children under age five—accounting for 60 percent of all cases. From 15 to 30 percent of affected children became hearing impaired and about 420 children died every year despite antibiotic therapy. In addition, Hib vaccine has prevented the leading cause of acquired mental retardation in the U.S. By 1998, vaccination of pre-school children reduced the number of Hib cases by more than 99 percent. In the 1960’s many people witnessed first-hand the terrible effect of rubella, commonly known as German measles. During an epidemic between 1964 and 1965, about 20,000 infants were born with deafness, blindness, heart disease, mental retardation and other birth defects because the rubella virus infected their pregnant mothers.37 Today, thanks to nearly universal use of an effective vaccine, the rubella virus poses virtually no threat to the children of expectant mothers. (former Surgeon General of the United States, David Satchar, M.D., Ph.D)
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Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Yehoshua Neuwirth have both ruled that a parent cannot be compelled to vaccinate their child, regardless of how irrational their concerns may be.38 Similarly, Rav Hershel Schachter, Rav Mordechai Willig and Rav J. David Bleich are all of the same opinion.
נשמת אברהם ח' חושן משפט סי' תכ"ז) with communications further and Rav Yehoshua Neuwirth
“Dangerous Disease & Dangerous Therapy,” Rav Akiva Tatz; Targum Press. From page 48: “The question was put to Rabbi Elyashiv, who ruled that the parents should accede to immunization despite their concerns. When asked if the reason behind this ruling was the issue of fairness and the obligation to share responsibility, Rabbi Elyashiv indicated that it was; his reason was that since immunization of children is normal practice throughout the world, one should follow that normative course. In fact, Rabbi Elyashiv went so far as to assert that failure to immunize would amount to negligence.” He then continues, “Refusing childhood immunizations on the basis of unsubstantiated fears of vaccine side-effects is irresponsible and out of order halakhically. The danger of precipitating epidemics of measles, poliomyelitis and other diseases with potentially devastating complications is far more real than the dangers attributed to vaccines on the basis of anecdotal claims. Until objective evidence to the contrary accrues, the halakhically correct approach is to do what is normal. In addition, a legitimate government’s legislation concerning standards of medical conduct adds weight to their halakhic acceptability.” As is well known, the “theories” that suggested that the MMR vaccine was responsible for autism have been thoroughly discredited by all medical authorities, not to mention that Thimerosal (the mercury-based ingredient alleged to have caused the problem) is no longer used in the production of these vaccines.
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