The Anti-Antivaccination Movement

            Having been born in the 80s not only spared me the embarrassment of the popular trends that came along with the disco era, but it also saved me from the the age of diseases. I didn’t need to lose sleep over the thought of suffering from measles, small pox, or polio thanks to the advancements in medicine. A simple vaccine took care of all of that.

            But living in Luanda has served as a time machine for me because I have traveled back to the age of diseases that I was fortunate enough to miss out on during my own childhood. I’ve witnessed individuals sleeping on the streets outside of the hospitals in hopes of being seen by a doctor. Some of these individuals die before they are able to receive medical help. Others walk the beaches and streets (as seen below) begging for money or food because diseases have left them too disabled to work. These individuals don’t know what it is like to live in a world where diseases don’t devastate their communities. With an average life expectancy in the late 40s, many Angolans have grown accustomed to a lifestyle controlled by disease and illness.

            One very serious disease that still claims the lives of thousands of Africans every year and helps contribute to the short life expectancy is malaria. My husband is currently getting over his third bout of malaria making the disease hit even closer to home for me. There still isn’t an approved vaccine for malaria, only preventive methods that often times fail or are impossible to take every second of every day. One brief moment without being covered by a net or without putting on bug spray is all a mosquito needs to infect someone. A vaccine would prevent the spread of this terrible disease.

            My experiences living in a third world country have left me extremely bothered by the current anti-vaccination movement taking place in the States. Many parents are making the decision to not vaccinate their children for various reasons. But many of these same parents weren’t around when diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria and small pox devastated the country, so they haven’t directly experienced what impact these diseases can have on their lives or those around them.

            Small pox is the only disease that has been completely eradicated worldwide. The World Health Organization reports that the last case of naturally occurring small pox was in Somalia in 1977. But other diseases are still very much a concern for the rest of the world. Even though polio has been eradicated in the States, it still exists in several African countries making it just one flight away from re-establishing itself in America.

            Measles obviously bought itself a ticket on that flight already because it has once again become a concern for Americans. The Centers for Disease Control reported in 2000 that measles had been eliminated in the United States; however, the anti-vaccination movement has paved a road for its re-entry. So far this year there have been 593 documented cases of measles in the U.S., a significant rise from previous years and a devastating increase from 2000 when it was considered non-existent.

            Living in a country where preventable diseases, many of the same diseases that have already been eliminated in the United States, kill thousands of individuals a year has been an eye opening and frustrating experience for me. Angola has been working very hard to eradicate diseases such as measles from its country through vaccinations and has cut the death rate significantly over the years. The progress it has made makes me very hopeful for this developing country. However, it also raises the concern I have for the United States. I am currently seeing first hand the devastating effects that diseases such as measles can have on a country. The same devastating effects Americans are starting to see and will continue to see in years to come if the anti-vaccination movement continues.

            I am very optimistic that medications and vaccinations will continue to reach Angolans so that one day they will experience a day to day life that doesn’t involve malaria, Ebola, measles, and other diseases that are currently claiming so many lives. I also hope that Americans realize how fortunate they are to have access to all of these vaccinations that have yet to reach other countries worldwide. I hope that parents don’t have to experience the devastating effects that so many other countries are experiencing before realizing how important it is to continue to vaccinate their children. We too often take health for granted.

References:

World Health Organization. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/en/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov

Monkey Business

            I am a creature of habit. I start nearly every morning off by feeding my caffeine addiction with a cup of coffee. However, two weeks ago I had a bit of a surprise during my morning routine. I was putting coffee into the filter when I heard a large thud at the living room window. Assuming it was just another bird flying into the glass, I didn’t pay it any attention and continued about my business. A short time later I heard a light tapping noise on the glass. When it didn’t stop, I turned around to see what was making all of the racquet and found myself staring into the eyes of a little monkey sitting on our window seal.

            As soon as the monkey had my attention, he stopped tapping on the window. We continued to stare at each for a brief moment before he decided that he wanted to join me for my morning coffee. He put his lips against the window and used his little hands to try to slide the window open. Unsure as to whether the window was locked or not, I grabbed my phone and slowly backed myself towards our front door. If the window wasn’t locked and he somehow managed to snag himself a seat on our couch for a morning coffee, I needed to know that I had an easy escape. Luckily for me, he got bored with me before he figured out how to open the window. 

            This little encounter with the monkey may have been my first, but it wouldn’t be my last run-in with him. I was in our apartment one morning when I heard loud screaming from the other end of the hall where the community kitchen is located. The little monkey may not have successfully made it into our apartment during his previous visit, but he had managed to make it into the community kitchen during this little drop by and he wasn’t alone. He brought along a friend. A few of the workers found the monkeys in the kitchen having a feast. They pulled all of the food out of the fridge and were obviously enjoying what was surely a jackpot in their minds. The workers managed to get them out of the building, but they didn’t go quietly. They jumped onto the thatched roof covering the outside patio and put a nice hole in the middle of it. 

            These little monkeys that have started to make regular visits to our compound bring a whole new meaning to having 'nosy neighbors.' I’ve learned to keep our doors and windows locked at all times because you just never really know who is going to drop by for a morning cup of coffee.