Regrettably, the Amish community has often been utilized as a banner for the anti-vaccination movement, painting a picture of security that, in actuality, harbors significant risks. A misconception exists that life without vaccines within the Amish population is safe and healthy, a belief that in many ways is a product of disinformation and misunderstanding. Therefore, this perception requires careful corrections, given that the Amish community is deeply at risk due to low immunization rates, and is not immunized to vaccine-preventable diseases, including the likes of polio.
It is essential to challenge and rectify the erroneous message disseminated by anti-vaxxers. They propound that Amish people are sturdy, despite not taking vaccinations, and imply that the same would hold true for the wider population. However, this is far from the reality, as it overlooks the considerable hazards these communities often face. One such issue emerged from a surprising quarter – a newly appointed official who openly promoted unproven treatments for COVID-19 and seemed to be dismissive of measles-related mortalities.
An alarming trend materialized with recent appointments to a relevant committee: the induction of individuals with broadly anti-vaccine beliefs. This development not only made waves but reinforced mounting apprehensions about truth distortions and an escalating journey away from science-based decisions. Fixed core beliefs often result in stagnancy, which impedes the progress of public health. Hence, it was a daunting time, especially with a recorded decrease of 1.8% in total vaccinations among kindergartners in Kentucky during the 2024-2025 school year.
Amongst the appointed committee members, one individual was particularly troubling. Not only did he tout unproven treatments for COVID-19, including hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, but he also dismissed the accounts of two adolescent girls’ measles-related deaths in Texas as falsified information. This member’s stance demonstrates the particular difficulty faced in promoting a balanced approach to public health when confronted with misinformation.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Amish communities do not reject vaccines unilaterally. Still, their low vaccination rates are a cause for concern; this results in unnecessary susceptibility to preventable diseases. It is a misunderstanding that they live an entirely robust and disease-free life, and this incorrect perception could—if not challenged—lead to harm in broader communities.
The medical community has been alert to this issue for a long time, as evidenced by an incident in 1979. As a trainee doctor in a medical Institut in La Crosse, Wisconsin, one of my unforgettable experiences was being involved in an emergency episode of a teenage girl who exhibited difficulty managing her limb movements. The diagnosing doctor speculated on the possibility of polio—a bold conjecture considering the scarcity of such cases in the post-vaccine era.
The diagnosing doctor’s speculation was audacious, primarily because the last known case of polio manifesting in the United States was before the introduction of the Salk vaccine in 1955. That was almost a quarter-century ago. However, as more paralysis cases surfaced, they corroborated the suspicion of an infectious agent behind the outbreak. The most reasonable suspect? The polio virus itself.
In the outbreak I had found myself in the midst of, states affected included Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. All of these states had reported a cumulative 14 cases amidst their Amish populace. Unfortunately, this particular episode of disease outbreak amongst the Amish communities was not studied or widely reported in the medical fraternity. Information and evidence about the cases that transpired in Iowa and Wisconsin remain sparse even today.
Among the Amish, their isolation lends a certain protection against infectious diseases which could otherwise be rampant in large, populous communities. However, there exists an inherent paradox–their very need to socialize for their youth’s intermarriage eventually leaves them exposed to viral transmissions across communities. There was an epidemiological breakthrough that connected the dots across geographies, the import of the Type 1 polio strain from the Netherlands to Canada in 1978, and its subsequent arrival in the United States a year later was found to be the single thread tying up the instances.
The index patient of this outbreak was a young lady from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, whose right leg became paralyzed. The disease subsequently spread to Lancaster County in the same state, with three more Amish community members exhibiting polio symptoms. The local Amish Bishop gave his consent to immunize the community–a decision that would have far-reaching implications. Out of approximately 12,000 Amish community members in that region, 7,000 were vaccinated over that summer season, effectively counteracting the spread of the disease.
The CDC, with their extensive research into diseases, had paralleled SARS-CoV-2 with the majority of polio cases being asymptomatic, only 25% exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Further, 1% to 5% developed meningitis, and less than 0.5% evolved to paralysis. Statistically speaking, the 1979 outbreak might have involved hundreds of inconspicuous polio infections.
To further instill fear amongst the public, anti-vaxxers propagate misinformation relating to yet another contentious matter – the seeming absence of autism amongst unvaccinated Amish children. Contrary to these claims, a study that screened 1,899 Amish children ended up identifying 25 cases of possible autism, of which 14 were further evaluated and seven were confirmed as genuine cases of autism.
Reflecting on the above recounts, it would be reasonable to infer that the polio vaccine effectively curtailed an impending epidemic, preventing possible paralysis and disabilities from becoming extensive. Likewise, the data available does not substantiate a correlation between vaccination and autism, a notion presented by certain factions of society. Public health circles are in broad agreement on these principles.
The challenge now lies in promoting public health by appointing those to vaccine committees who understand and embrace scientifically-backed concepts. Appointing advisors who do not actively endorse such concepts and principles can compromise our collective effort to protect the nation.