Concerned neighbours exposed an anti-vaxxer in a letter written to the neighbourhood. Photo / Getty Images
Concerned neighbours exposed an anti-vaxxer in a letter written to the neighbourhood. Photo / Getty Images
A mother who doesn't believe in vaccinating her children has been exposed in a letter sent to all of her neighbours.
The note was created by a group of mums in Wisconsin, US, who bandied together to warn other neighbours about the woman who "does not believe in vaccinating herself or her family".
The group said the woman made them feel uncomfortable and insisted everyone should "use caution" when visiting the anti-vax family.
The note was shared on Imgur, coinciding with multiple outbreaks of measles across the US.
Neighbours exposed an anti-vax mum so others in the area could be warned. Photo / Facebook
The letter warned that the woman's decision, "puts anyone at risk if they are medically fragile, immunocompromised, or out of date in their vaccinations."
"Please use caution when sharing work or personal space with this individual, eating foods prepared by this individual, or attending gatherings at this individual's house if you or the people who are important to you fall into medically at-risk categories."
The note explains the threat unvaccinated people pose for those who cannot be vaccinated or have a weaker immune system such as newborns, people undergoing chemotherapy and the elderly.
"The unvaccinated pose a unique threat to infants, who often don't yet have a full course of vaccinations completed, and can quickly become deathly ill or die," the letter states.
The note goes on to detail outbreaks across 15 US states.
The Canterbury District Health Board issued a measles warning in March following an outbreak in the region. Photo / Getty Images
"Nearly all outbreaks of disease were started by unvaccinated individuals, who pass along vaccine-preventable diseases to those without adequate protection," says the letter.
"People who don't believe in vaccines often hold other views that are at odds with widely accepted facts related to science and medicine."
At the end, the letter gives a link to a website that lists the diseases that could be prevented by a vaccine, finally advising to "protect yourself, your family, and your community by using caution when interacting with these people".
In New Zealand, The Immunisation Advisory Centre offers support to people by explaining the benefits of vaccinating and clarifying rumours.
There have been multiple cases of measles in New Zealand this year, including in Auckland and Christchurch.
