Want to save lives? Vaccines are one of the most efficient ways to do just that.

The past century has seen some incredible successes in protecting people all over the world from deadly diseases. Smallpox, once a disease that was as good as a death-sentence for millions, has been totally eradicated. Polio too, which was once common, is on the verge of total eradication.

Vaccines are cheap, easy to administer, and effective at protecting people from some of the world’s deadliest diseases. That’s why I’m shocked at what’s happening right now in California.

Over the past decade, there has been a campaign launched against vaccines in the United States that has baffled public health experts.

The entire anti-vaccine movement seems to be based on junk science. The oft-repeated line that there is a link between autism and getting vaccinated has been refuted countless times. That whole theory can be traced back to one article published in 1998 by someone named Andrew Wakefield.

Since then it has come to light that Wakefield “was secretly funded by personal-injury lawyers whose clients were suing MMR vaccine makers,” presenting a clear conflict of interest.

With all the problems that need addressing with our global health system, it seems like vaccines are a silly target.

Here’s a list of some of the successes of global immunization efforts:

immunize.org

That’s pretty impressive progress.

When a child isn’t vaccinated, they’re vulnerable to a host of diseases like the ones above. Unfortunately, we could be seeing that scenario play out in California right now.

The campaign against vaccines has caused immunization rates to drop. This trend is exacerbated in California because of its comparatively lax immunization rules for kids in school. In 2010, a whooping cough outbreak in California sickened 9,120 people, more than in any year since 1947.

A study has since been done to test the link between the outbreak and kids getting the recommended suite of vaccines. It found the contraction rate of the disease was 2.5 times higher for kids living in areas with a high number of people opting out of the treatment, than the general population.

While correlation doesn’t necessarily imply causation, this is exactly what public health officials would expect to correspond with a drop in immunization rates.

No vaccines are 100% effective, and no medical treatment is 100% without risk. What’s clear though is that there are real costs to not getting vaccinated, both to oneself and to others.

In the US, the anti-vaccine movement is a blip and will in all likelihood die out. However, in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan, two of the last countries where Polio is still endemic, the consequences are tragic.

Together we can help ensure everyone lives a happy, healthy life. The first step, as always, is education.

Help us spread the word about the importance of vaccines. Sign the petition on this page to help ensure every child gets the chance at a healthy childhood.