The ongoing measles outbreak across the country shows that the anti-vaccination movement is powerful enough to create a legitimate public health crisis. There are now 940 reported cases of measles in 26 states. This is the country’s largest outbreak of the disease in a quarter century.
The size of this outbreak tells us that arguments in favor of vaccination are not working as well as we need them to. This is not because the pro-vaccine arguments are not scientifically sound (they are) or not well-publicized (again, they are). We are at a societal stalemate for one reason: People who argue in favor of vaccines are making rational arguments to people who have already proven themselves not to be moved by reason.
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