A message for the anti-vaccine campaigners

The resurgence of the measles epidemic, largely blamed on parents who have not vaccinated their kids, has brought to light, the fear that vaccines can cause harm. There need not be a debate on whether one should be vaccinated or not. It is a fact that vaccines have saved lives in several countries over the years. The scientific community along with academics and the pharmaceutical industry should partner up with people at the community level and educate them on the benefits of being vaccinated. The recent failure of the flu vaccine to confer protection and the adverse side effects of Gardasil vaccine against HPV has only perpetuated the idea that vaccines do not benefit people but only line the pockets of the rich.  Similar to the campaign started against the tobacco industry using images of tobacco users suffering from various cancers, a campaign for use of vaccines should be initiated. Images of patients suffering from various vaccine-preventable diseases should be displayed on milk cartons and grocery store products. Some of the images are graphic and I have displayed them on this blog. These images are available on Google Images and I do not have any copyright over these images. I hope they serve to educate the public on the benefits of being vaccinated.