Individual rights vs. society's health: It's not a wash

A MEASLES outbreak among more than 100 children has turned political, and apparently so has hand-washing.

Earlier this month, repeating the conservative trope of an over-regulated America, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told a bipartisan group in our nation's capital that "restaurants should be allowed to opt out of certain regulations, like making employees wash their hands after going to the toilet." This misguided belief in the primacy of individual liberty over the larger benefits of society often transcends political parties.

Both Democrats and Republicans debate about an individual's right to forgo vaccination against measles, a highly contagious and sometimes deadly infection. The outbreak in Disneyland, in December, likely started from one infected traveler from another country who visited the California theme park, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that most of the people who contracted the virus since were unvaccinated. Like Sen. Tillis' opposition to hand-washing, abstaining from routine vaccinations defies reason and threatens public health.

For Sen. Tillis and others who doubt the importance of hand-washing, here's a stark reminder:

We're in the midst of an influenza epidemic, with 56 deaths attributed to the virus, and the CDC says that this year's vaccine is only 23 percent effective.

In addition, Enterovirus D-68 (EV-D68), a rare viral infection, recently reared its ugly head in the United States, and its effects can be just as dangerous.

Although Sen. Tillis may not wash his hands after using the toilet, he would benefit from understanding that both of these viruses can be prevented with basic good hygiene. But because EV-D68 has occurred mostly among children, and because there's no vaccine, it's harder to stop.

As of this writing, EV-D68 had infected 1,154 children while spreading to 49 states and the District of Columbia. In southeastern Pennsylvania alone, 49 children became ill from the virus. By contrast, from 1970 until last year, only a few more than 100 cases had been reported in the United States.

The virus has predominantly infected 3-to-4-year-olds and is especially severe for those with an underlying respiratory condition, such as asthma. Children are particularly vulnerable to viral infection because they don't have a fully developed immune system. Many children infected with EV-D68 have required hospitalization. Most fully recover after several days, but not all. The infection has been linked to lasting neurological problems, including paralysis, among 107 children, and has led to the deaths of 14 children.

No specific treatment or vaccine currently is directed against EV-D68 infection. But some simple strategies can go a long way toward stopping enteroviruses of all types - as well as the flu - from spreading. We know that the virus spreads through respiratory secretions. Infected individuals can infect others nearby when they cough or sneeze, or when they accidentally contaminate a surface and others touch that surface and then touch their eyes, noses or mouths. So, the best way to prevent EV-D68 infections is simply by making children wash their hands and practice good hygiene.

Parents shouldn't be afraid to make some rules about this. Individual rights have their place, but children benefit from rules, one of which should mandate hand-washing - not only after using the toilet, as Sen. Tillis suggests, but also after coming home from school and before meals. Children should regularly wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Parents also should teach children to cough into a sleeve or a tissue.

When it comes to our nation's health, let's not wash our hands of responsibility. Whether Sen. Tillis wants to accept it or not, enforcing these modest and effective rules will stop illness and save lives, and might prevent another EV-D68 epidemic in 2015.