I’m a septuagenarian, and I had it all. Chicken Pox, Mumps, and both strains of Measles. Thanks to a sugar cube I didn’t end up with polo. And while I managed to survive these childhood diseases, I’ve vivid recollection of being sequestered to my dark bedroom when I contracted the nine-day measles. The deadly one, which can also result in rheumatic fever and other serious complications, such as blindness. But thanks to modern medicine and a plethora of vaccines, these have all been eradicated until recently.

According to a recent CBS News report, at least 8,500 American schools have measles vaccination rates below the 95% threshold. The Center for Disease Control indicates that threshold is “crucial for protecting a community from measles.” Communities must have high vaccination rates to “maintain herd immunity and prevent outbreaks. Further, herd immunity protects those who can’t get vaccinated due to health issues like cancer.”

Among the reasons for the decline in vaccinations are: mistrust and misinformation via social media, political influences, and fear of vaccines. Further, some states allow exemptions for philosophical reasons! A fact I find absurd to put an entire kindergarten class at risk for a preventable, debilitating illness.

Several years ago, half of the schools in Maine were below the 95% immunity threshold from parents claiming religious exemptions. Thankfully, the churches joined a coalition of medical, pediatric, and teacher organizations to promote vaccinations. Rev. Jane Field, executive director of the Maine Council of Churches stated, “When it comes to public health, for us, it didn’t seem radical at all to say, in this instance, the way we love our neighbor is to get vaccinated, to protect the vulnerable, to protect the marginalized, the young, the very old, the sick.”

Perhaps, my pediatrician friend said it best. “Our practice does not treat unvaccinated, school-age children. We have neither the time, nor the patience to deal with ignorance.” In other words, Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That.