The recent outbreak of measles at Disneyland has reminded us about the impact of vaccinating – and not vaccinating – our children. At the time that I am writing this, there were 84 new cases of the disease in 14 states, all of which stem from exposure to measles at the California theme park. The issue has found its way into national politics.
The benefits of vaccination are well known in the scientific community. Some studies several years ago suggested a link between autism and vaccination, but those studies have since been thoroughly discredited. As the father of a son with autism, I followed that earlier controversy with a great deal of interest, and I am convinced that vaccinations were unconnected with his condition.
But this is not just a public health issue; it is a Jewish one. I found the case for this put impressively by Jamie Rubin in Kveller, an online Jewish parenting website. This is what she writes:
“I assumed Jewish parents vaccinated because we have, more than many other groups of people, a deep sense of community within us. We are the people who don’t let mourners mourn alone. We don’t even let dead bodies rest in solitude until after they are buried. The first Jews to come to America in the late 19th century set up the Hebrew Free Loan Society which still operates today. Our food banks feed our neighbors, Jewish or not. For a Jew, being communal is not an option, it’s an obligation. We can’t even have a minyan unless 10 of us are there. We are a group of people who Show Up.”
She was surprised to find that there are some Jews who do not vaccinate. I am less surprised than I am disappointed. I agree with Rubin: “For a Jew, being communal is not an option, it’s an obligation.” Being Jewish at its heart is about “us” much more than it is about “me.” The tradition tells us that we all received the Torah at Mount Sinai; we work together to bring it into the world.
Vaccinating our children helps more than our children. It protects all the other children, and all the other adults. A decision not to vaccinate is, of course, a personal choice, but it is one that hurts the community. That is not what we are supposed to do as Jews.
I am pleased that Massachusetts and Rhode Island both rank high in the levels of the population that are vaccinated. In Masssachusetts, over 78% of childen aged 19 to 35 months have received all the vaccinations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. In Rhode Island, the number is an even more impressive 82%. I hope that those in the Jewish community are contributing to these good numbers. That way, we can indeed Show Up.
– Rabbi Thomas M. Alpert