Arizona legislator calls measles vaccine compulsory in fight against epidemic "communist"

An Arizona lawmaker called mandatory vaccinations the equivalent of communism, saying the experts call a "false argument" that dangerously undermines efforts to combat measles outbreaks in that country.

The lawmaker, Republican state representative Kelly Townsend, wrote in an article published on Facebook Thursday: "It seems we are ready to give up our freedom, the very sovereignty of our body, because of measles" .

"I read yesterday that the idea is that if not enough people are vaccinated, we will force them to do it," wrote Townsend, who wrote controversial articles on social media. "The idea of ​​forcing one to give up one's freedom on behalf of the collective is not based on American values, but rather on communism."

His post came a day after Governor Doug Ducey, R-Arizona, said he was "supportive of vaccination" and told reporters that he would not sign any bill that would broaden the exemption categories of vaccines in his State.

Study after study proved the safety of vaccines.

But so far this year, nearly 160 cases of measles have been reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cases involve 10 states, four of which are in crisis: New York, Washington, Texas and Illinois.

Many cases are due to the fact that parents do not vaccinate their children for fear of adverse effects, such as the risk of developing autism, although science has repeatedly found that there is no link between this type.

Public health experts quickly condemned Townsend's message on Facebook.

"It's a false argument," said Dr. Peter Jay Hotez, director of the Vaccine Development Center at Baylor College of Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Texas and author of "Vaccines". have not caused Rachel's autism ". The book challenges any link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder and describes his experience of raising a girl with autism.

"If you are a child, you have the fundamental right to be protected against deadly infectious diseases," he said. "Just as if you are a child, you have the basic right to be put in a car seat or seat belt."

In a phone interview with NBC News, Townsend said his message was misinterpreted. She stated that she was not anti-vaccine, adding that she had fully vaccinated her eldest child, but that she had stopped giving her the vaccine because she thought that his second child, who was suffering from Asperger's Syndrome and had seizures, was shot and wounded at the age of 11 months.

"She had her shot and she stopped talking," Townsend said. "Her eyes have darkened and she just screamed and arched for hours and hours every day for years."

Townsend said she thought people should be able to choose to vaccinate their children rather than being forced to do so. She also said that more research is needed on vaccine safety, a common refrain among anti-vaccine activists.

"I have a hard time believing these studies when I live them everyday," said Townsend, his catchy voice, about a study showing the safety of vaccines. "You can make me look crazy or whatever, it will not change my daughter's life."

Injuries caused by vaccines are rare. Hotez said the risk of serious neurological injury related to vaccination is "about one in a million – less than the probability of being struck by lightning".

"What the legislator is doing, and others in these states, is essentially putting children at risk for the sake of political expediency and political gain," he said. Hotez. "This individual should be censored in front of the state legislature for saying these things."

Dr. Albert Wu, professor of health policy management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and medical practitioner, described the Townsend position as "unhappy", especially at a time when it is essential to educate the public.

"Immunization is one of the cornerstones of public health safety, and measles immunization is the only effective way to prevent what is one of the most contagious and deadly diseases in the world." Wu said. "The benefits far outweigh the risks."

Experts claim that refusing to be vaccinated decreases the immunity of the group, which occurs when enough people in a community are vaccinated against an infectious disease to protect unvaccinated people, such as infants too much. young people to get vaccinated.

Measles has not yet been reported in Arizona in 2019. The Republic of Arizona announced earlier this month that state health officials fear an epidemic because of the large number of deaths. 39, vaccine opponents and lax laws allowing vaccine exemptions for non-medical reasons.

Wu said that he hoped Townsend's comments would serve as a lesson to others.

"There is a good side, it is that people are aware that they must exercise the utmost vigilance and the greatest responsibility when they make statements that could harm public health, "he said.

Elizabeth Chuck

Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News.