People who preach that vaccines are bad should be imprisoned.

Growing up in one of the most well educated communities in the country one could assume people to have the knowledge not to believe the absurd rumors about the danger of vaccines. However for one reason or another, the population in the city of Boulder tends to believe that vaccines are bad and do not have their children vaccinated. Because of this lack of vaccinations, Boulder Colorado’s herd immunity has dropped significantly, leaving the vaccinated portion of the community susceptible to diseases brought on by the non-vaccinated populous in the community.

 About five years ago, I received my scheduled TDaP (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) booster vaccine. Unfortunately about a year later I found myself diagnosed with Pertussis, a sickness more commonly know as whooping cough. Due to the poor decisions of the people who decided not to vaccinate their children, but are immune to decease through herd immunity, I ended up in the hospital and under legal quarantine for a week (For those who don’t know what that is, if you leave your house and they catch you, you go to prison) despite receiving my vaccination. My immune system was down all of the following year leading to more sickness. Due to the damage I received over the month or so of continuous coughing, I was then diagnosed with permanent asthma. I just wanted to put into perspective how serious and real the danger of not receiving a vaccination can be. People should not have to suffer due to the unbelievably irrational community that buys into claims that are based on literally non-existent science. Vaccines are one of the most brilliant advancements in science. Lets not reverse the progress they have made.