WHIDBEY
OPINION Page A6
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Wednesday, April 30, 2014 • Whidbey News-Times
Vaccinating kids an obligation we all must honor PUBLISHER’S COLUMN
By KEVEN R. GRAVES
At the elementary school I attended in Anacortes, my classmates and I would line up in the halls for immunizations. There were the shots for measles/ mumps/rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and sugar cubes for polio. We all held a copy of our vaccination records and, when our turn arrived, handed them to the school nurse for updating. It was the culture … you got your shots and you didn’t argue about it. Over the years, my mother talked about two children she knew growing up who were stricken with polio and died. That disease was particularly cruel. Polio can inflame the spinal cord’s grey matter, affect breathing and many who are stricken with the disease suffer permanent spinal paralysis. Vaccinations helped to virtually eradicate polio. I grew up believing that vaccinating our children is a societal obligation. There are some who say they are convinced that vaccinations lead to autism, a claim not supported by scientific studies, but perpetuated by such experts as talk show host and former Playboy model Jenny McCarthy. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, the World Health Organization, and the Institute of Medicine all agree that there’s probably no relationship between autism and vaccines. As a parent, I understand being concerned about your child and wanting to protect them. As a parent, however, I believed any possible risks that might come from vaccinating my son were far outweighed by the protections it would afford him and others. It was our responsibility. That’s why it’s concerning to hear that diseases like whooping cough (pertussis) and measles — easily prevented with vaccinations — are popping up around us. Whooping cough is a respiratory infection characterized by severe coughing spells, which can sometimes end in a “whooping” sound when the person breathes in. Before a vaccine was available, the disease killed up to 10,000 people in the United States each year. Measles can be serious and potentially fatal for small children. By 2000, the measles vaccine practically eliminated the disease in the United States, but there is a resurgence of the disease, as more people have chosen not to vaccinate their children. As members of society, parents who don’t vaccinate their children need to rethink their position and meet the societal obligation to prevent the spread of potentially fatal diseases.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Research
Thanks
Summit dogs are very well trained
Drug Take Back was a tremendous success
Editor, I read the April 26 paper looking for some clarification of your front page article on April 23, but didn’t find any. I wish Janis Reid had done some research before the story about Summit Assistance Dogs was published. All she had to do was visit www. summitdogs.org to learn Summit Assist Dogs is a nonprofit founded in 2000 to provide highly trained mobility, hearing and therapy dogs for people with disabilities. It is not a business or “commercial or income producing” facility. They provide a wonderful service for people who really need the help. I would be proud to have them move into my neighborhood. Their dogs are better behaved than some people I know.
Editor, I am pleased to announce we just completed another successful “Drug Take Back Day” on Saturday, April 26. My sincere thanks go to the City of Oak Harbor and Town of Coupeville in making this an island-wide event. The Island County Sheriff’s Office, the Coupeville marshal and the Oak Harbor Police Department teamed up with the Drug Enforcement Agency to collect approximately 400 pounds of unused prescription medication and other drugs from local citizens throughout Whidbey Island. Thanks to this team effort, a lot of narcotics with highly addictive potential were taken out of medicine cabinets in our community and will sub-
Karen Bess Oak Harbor
sequently be destroyed in accordance with federal regulations. I would like to once again acknowledge the promotional assistance we received from various media in the area, including the Whidbey NewsTimes, South Whidbey Record, government employees, local businesses and “word of mouth” amongst prior participants. By spreading the message about this program, the result was a very successful collaborative event that not only brings awareness to the inherent danger of “unused” prescription medication, but helps protect the environment of our island as well. Finally, my sincere thanks to the Oak Harbor Police Department, which recently installed a drop-box in its lobby. That box can be used for prescription drug disposal during the interim time between scheduled Drug Take Back events. Mark Brown Island County Sheriff
Executive Editor & Publisher........................................................................................ Keven R. Graves Marketing Representatives.........................................................................Phil Dubois, Debbie Leavitt Associate Publisher..............................................................................................................Kim Winjum Creative Manager................................................................................................................. Connie Ross Co-Editors........................................................................................ Jessie Stensland and Megan Hansen Lead Creative Artist...........................................................................................Michelle Wolfensparger Reporters.............................................................Michelle Beahm, Janis Reid, Ron Newberry, Jim Waller Creative Artists............................................................................................. Adine Close, Jennifer Miller Administrative Coordinator............................................................................................Renee Midgett Circulation Manager...................................................................................................... Diane Smothers Senior Marketing Representative...................................................................................Teri Mendiola Circulation Assistant........................................................................................................ Liam K. Graves IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT AND SUBSCRIPTION RATES The Whidbey News-Times (ISSN 1060-7161) is published semi-weekly by Sound Publishing on Wednesdays and Saturdays for $19 for 3 months, $29 for 6 months, $45 per year and $75 for 2 years delivered by carrier in island county from North Whidbey Island to Greenbank; $20 for 3 months, $32 for 6 months, $52 per year and $94 for 2 years delivered by in county mail from Greenbank to Clinton; $35 for 3 months, $65 for 6 months, $105 per year mailed out of county. Payment in advance is required. It is published by The Whidbey News-Times PO Box 1200, Coupeville, WA 98239. Periodicals rate postage paid at Coupeville, WA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Whidbey News-Times, PO Box 1200, Coupeville, WA 98239. Copyright © 2014, Sound Publishing ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENTS: WHO’S WHO • CABELAS • SEARS • FRED MEYER • JCPENNEY
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