Letters
In response to the outbreak of measles in New York and New Jersey, Touro College and University System has released a video public service announcement presenting facts about the disease and the measles vaccination, and dispelling fictions propagated by anti-vaxxers.
My team at Touro is eager to educate the public and doctors affiliated with our school are happy to speak with institutions interested in educating their membership on measles vaccinations.
This is vital not only to saving lives, but also to stemming the tide of anti-Semitism that is resulting from the publicity surrounding the epidemic.
Opposition to vaccinations on religious grounds is the result of an international urban myth. The research implicating MMR vaccines as a cause of autism has been repeatedly debunked. A recent study of more than 600,000 children actually showed those who received the vaccine were slightly less likely to develop autism. While those who oppose vaccines are not confined to the Jewish community, there still are small pockets of the community that represent part of a larger, ill-informed nationwide movement who oppose vaccines. But vaccines are crucial and it is incumbent upon educated people, from clinicians and physicians to religious leaders who serve as influencers, to debunk the myths.
Dr. Alan Kadish
Teaneck
President, Touro College & University System
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