EDITORIAL: Vaccine bill would protect New Yorkers’ health |
If you had a way to spare infants from having a 90% chance of developing a dangerous form of hepatitis, you’d do it. If you could spare a quarter of infected babies from dying a premature death, you’d do it. If you could significantly reduce the chances of infected individuals suffering the horrors of liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer, you’d do it. Wouldn’t you?
Well, the truth is, we already do it — by vaccinating all babies against Hepatitis B at birth since 1991. The result has been a significant drop in the number of people suffering the ravages of this virus and dying early from it. Loosening the vaccine recommendations could result in a resurgence of cases and a decline in the degree of protection the immunizations........