Politics is not the remedy for our vaccine problem

So presidential politics has infected the national debate over vaccinations and the growing number of folks who disregard sound scientific advice urging them to immunize their kids.

Inevitable, I suppose, but not a good sign.

Let me put it in terms of medical treatment. If you see our vexing vaxing debate as a complicated problem in need of solutions, our politics is a remedy roughly as effective as applying leeches. The sort of leeches that suck up all available common sense, empathy, critical thinking and thoughtful restraint. Sometimes, they appear on cable news.

In case you missed it, a pair of likely Republican presidential hopefuls tap-danced into the vaccine minefield. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was in London wearing a spiffy white lab coat when he suggested parents need 'a measure of choice” when it comes to vaccinating while government needs to strike a 'balance.” Later, his spokesman said Christie believes 'there is no question kids should be vaccinated.” Good to know.

All heck broke loose anyway, with folks on the left eagerly fitting Christie for a tinfoil hat. 'The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccines work.,” tweeted Hillary Clinton with snarky glee.

Later, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican and physician, told a conservative radio host that he thinks 'most (vaccines) ought to be voluntary.” Also not well received.

Here in Ioway, where the presidential race begins, the Iowa Code says parents and guardians 'shall” immunize their kids against several diseases, including diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, rubella and varicella. If not, those kids can't enroll in public school or a licensed day care.

There are exceptions. The requirement can be waived for medical reasons with a doctor's OK, or on religious grounds if it conflicts with practices of a recognized denomination. In the 2012-13 school year, according to the Department of Public Health, 7,967 kids received those exemptions. That's up from 5,514 in 2009, but that's only an increase from 1 percent to 1.5 percent of overall school enrollment.

Iowa does not allow parents to simply opt out for philosophical or ideological reasons. But that doesn't mean lawmakers haven't tried in the past to make shots a choice.

'”I'd say, for the first 15 to 20 years of my career, I was over at the Legislature basically every session trying to convince them to not allow parents to not vaccinate their children,” said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the health department's top disease expert. 'Sometimes it was like. ‘let's get rid of all the requirements totally, and things like that.”

State lawmakers did open another small gap in 2013 by creating a new home schooling category, Independent Private Instruction, eliminating much of the reporting parents previously were required to submit to local districts. That includes immunization. But, truth is, 'choice” is sound bite, not an effective public health policy. One family's choice to not vaccinate against highly contagious and dangerous diseases such as measles or polio is a lousy choice for the communities and neighborhoods where they live. Individual choice can potentially affect many.

'People say ‘It's my right.' But one of the things I've seen it compared to is drunk driving. You can say I have the right to drink and drive. But as someone said, your right stops where it could affect me and kill me,” Quinlisk said.

'I think most people n public health would say these vaccines are necessary because there is too much risk of you passing on a disease to somebody who it will severely harm or maybe even kill,” she said.

But the last thing that's going to make Americans re-evaluate bad choices is our blue-red festival of feckless finger-pointing. Look no further than climate change to see how effective yelling 'fake” and 'moron” at one another is at meeting a clear and present threat. The trenches only get deeper.

It's got to be doctors and health pros who will need to work, one family at a time, to tackle the falsehoods and fears pushing parents to make a misguided choice.

Politicians should say two words. 'Get immunized.” And take off those white coats.

l Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com.