Obama: ‘You Should Get Your Kids Vaccinated’
GUTHRIE: "I'm out of time, but I did want to ask you about Measles. Do you feel there should be a requirement that parents get their kids vaccinated? Are parents who aren't getting their kids vaccinating endangering others?
OBAMA: “I just want people to know the facts and the science and the information. And the fact is that a major success of our civilization is ability to prevent diseases that in the past have devastated folks and Measles is preventable. I understand that there are families that in some cases are concerned about the effect of vaccinations. The science is pretty indisputable. We've looked at this again and again. My children are vaccinated, you got a new born at home, I'm assuming you're going to get them vaccinated. There is every reason to get vaccinated, there aren't reasons to not --"[crosstalk]
GUTHRIE: "Are you telling parents you should their kinds vaccinated?”
OBAMA: “You should get your kids vaccinated. It's good for them and the challenge you have is that if you have a certain group of kids who don't get vaccinated, as if it grows large enough that -- the percentage of population that doesn’t' get vaccinated -- then the folks who can't get vaccinated, small infants for example, or people with certain vulnerabilities that can't get vaccinated, they suddenly become much more vulnerable. They are counting on us to create this protective fence because most people have been vaccinated. So, I'd strongly encourage everybody, look at the science, look at the facts. CDC, the Center for Disease Control can give you good information. Listen to your pediatrician. Get your children vaccinated. If you do end up having somebody contracting the Measles, or having been exposed to somebody who turns out to have Measles, the CDC is very clear about, you are quarantining yourself a little bit to make sure that you are not spreading what is a highly contagious diseases. But we should be able to get back to the point where Measles effectively is not existing in this country."
