Diseases, such as measles and typhoid fever, have reached a point in which they are getting progressively more and more uncommon… until now.

After the recent measles outbreak in New York, California, the Philippines and other places around the world, vaccination has progressively become a contentious topic internationally. Inaccurate research reports have given some people the idea that vaccinating causes some certain illnesses and disorders, like autism, even after that report has been debunked. These thoughts have spread and have evidently persuaded many people, which has created controversy and strong disagreement between anti-vaccination believers and pro-vaccination believers. Aside from issues with other illnesses that could interfere with the vaccination, religious reasons, etc. vaccination should be an important safety measure people take into account to help prevent deadly diseases from spreading.

It is the agreement of The Mentor editorial board that if there isn’t any proof of a specific healthcare issue or any other valid reason that could interfere with getting vaccinated, then it is highly recommended to get vaccinated to provide safety for everyone.

With the numerous amount of false beliefs and ideas spreading, it can cause a tremendous amount of danger to public safety. It’s a major safety concern for everyone around the unvaccinated people. That is why there are rules to help enforce those unvaccinated or sick with contagious illnesses to stay away from everyone else.

According to NYC.gov, there have been 423 confirmed cases of measles since October in Brooklyn and Queens as of yesterday. NYC.gov also states that there are 202 confirmed cases of measles between the ages 1-4 years old. This is due to the rise in unvaccinated kids, especially because of parents who are convinced that the vaccination process causes danger to people. At such a young age, it is extremely detrimental to a child’s health to suffer such a serious disease, like measles.

In an article written on NBCnews.com after the recent outbreaks in New York, the University of California, Los Angeles, has discovered two measles patients who inevitably were in contact with roughly 700 people total. To ensure that the disease doesn’t spread, those 700 people along with the two measles patients themselves have been quarantined in hospitals and/or their homes to help prevent contact and spread of the disease. This should be a sign to parents and others who are choosing to not get themselves or their children vaccinated.

The question that should come to mind when choosing between getting vaccinated is: is this going to affect my health if I step forward with this action? Not getting vaccinated should be for an actual, valid reason backed up with proof.

According to an article published on the U.S. National Library of Medicine, there are four valid reasons that will be approved for not getting vaccinated. Those reasons include religious reasons, philosophical reasons, interference with other illnesses and a desire for more information on the vaccination itself.