Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin in an interview with WKCT said that he made sure all of his nine children were exposed to chickenpox and caught the disease at an early age rather than giving them a vaccine.
“They had it as children. They were miserable for a few days, and they all turned out fine,”
Bevin and his wife, Glenna, have nine children between the ages of 5 and 16, according to his campaign website.
The governor supports freedom of choice and believes parents have a right to decide whether or not they vaccinate their children. He said the decision shouldn’t be up to the government.
“This is America…..The federal government should not be forcing this upon people. They just shouldn’t.”
However don’t get too excited, while Bevin’s rational words are a breath of fresh air, the media are not backing down on the fear campaign against just about any disease, including Chickenpox – CNN Reports:
‘Chickenpox is a very contagious disease that causes a blister-like rash, itching, tiredness and fever……It can be especially serious for babies, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.’
The article from CNN which also cites the statements of Governor Matt Bevin continues on stating that:
‘Chickenpox has not gone away since the vaccine was introduced in the United States in 1995, but each year, more than 3.5 million cases are prevented by the chickenpox vaccination’
People on the whole still seem pretty relaxed about Chickenpox and don't consider it to be a life-threatening disease, particularly here in the UK where the vaccine is not yet on the schedule.
Let's see how quickly that sentiment can be changed, as it was only a few years ago Measles was treated as a fairly mild childhood disease which caused few issues.
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