What Is Free-Riding?
The Real Truth about Vaccines
Can you guess why an anti-vaccine pediatrician might not see any serious complications from vaccine-preventable diseases in any of his unvaccinated kids?
I mean, besides the fact that he may simply not be telling the truth?
What Is Free-Riding?
Of course, it’s because of herd immunity.
If most people around his patients are vaccinated and protected, then they are relatively safe, free-riding on their protection, as there is no one around to get them sick.
So they don’t get sick very often and don’t suffer from complications of any vaccine-preventable diseases because they are hiding in the herd.
Unfortunately though, free-riding doesn’t work as the herd disappears, something that Bob Sears used to warn people about…
As we slip below herd immunity levels of protection, especially if you already live, visit, or work among pockets of susceptible intentionally unvaccinated children or adults, you will be at very high risk to get measles, now that counts are increasing.
The free ride is over.
Tragically, it is also over for those who are too young to be vaccinated or who have true medical exemptions to getting vaccinated. These are the people whose life depends on hiding in the herd, and who don’t have the luxury of getting vaccinated to avoid getting sick with measles.