Anne:  Although I agree that immunizations do not provide immunity in 100%
of people, I believe that it's worthwhile to immunize against a disease
such as measles (I am much less convinced of the need for universal
immunization against chicken pox in young children, since that is a
relatively mild disease, especially in childhood).  My main concern is
your suggestion that it's probably better to have the measles than to get
the vaccination.  I haven't seen a case of measles in my practice, but
from reports of physicians who have, it's something I wouldn't wish on any
child, and it carries with it a significant risk of brain damage and
death. To my knowledge, there is no better treatment nowadays than there
used to be. As much as I would like to believe that a breastfed baby,
especially an optimally breastfed baby, wouldn't suffer as serious a case
of measles, the fact is that many babies used to die of the disease even
in times when breastfeeding was very prevalent.  Although other factors
such as poor hygiene and crowded conditions may have been factors, I would
hate to put otherwise healthy breastfed babies at risk when a generally
effective and safe vaccine is available.
I don't want to get into a discussion of the right or wrong of making
immunizations mandatory, but parents who do not wish to immunize their
children do have a choice. There have been a number of parents in my
practice who take an exemption, I believe on religious grounds.  Ideally,
this is an informed consent issue where they fully understand the risks
and benefits of immunizing or not immunizing as we currently understand
them.
Regards, Alicia Dermer, MD, IBCLC.