Health Buzz: Measles Epidemic and Other Health News
Reader Comments
I believe that it most important for people to educate themselves regarding vaccinations. There is no link between vaccines and autism. Janet Z I definately have sympathy with your two cousins who have autistic children (I have a friend with one.) In this instance it seems more like genetics than the vaccines they might have received.
The only way to eradicate these diseases is through proper education and not listening to just the media that tries to link autism with vaccinations.
Vaccination - Yes or No
Caitlin - I do understand the concept of vaccination and have had my share of shots. As a child I received my small pox vaccination, DPT and subsequent booster shots, and polio shots,
I have 2 cousins and each has an autistic child. 1 of them has just had a second child and has chosen not to get vaccinations for the second child. There seems to be a connection between vaccinations and a genetic mutation which causes autism. I am not a scientist or doctor and am not sure I understand it all but if it was my child I would have to look at the situation this way. Autism lasts a lifetime - childhood diseases lasts about 2 weeks.
I know there is a risk of complications with childhood diseases but I already know what has happened to 2 children.
Time will Tell
It is important to wait to see how this outbreak plays out. It certainly does not deserve the title of epidemic, even with a now uncommon disease. It is hard to draw any conclusions this early in the story, but it does speak to the need for vaccines. Once the final numbers come in, we can analyze how effective the vaccine was, but the fact that 63 people were not immunized, especially those who should have been, is striking. I respect the religious beliefs of others, but not at the loss of my own safety. If another's religious beliefs threaten the health of me or my children because they have decided modern medicine is bad for them personally, I think they lose the right to their opinion. Although this is politically incorrect, I think the research shows that vaccines are safe and effective, and so people should be forced to be vaccinated to insure the health of the greater population.
"Uncommon" illnesses
Ginger M: Re your observation about malaria: I'm not sure if you know that malaria was once very common indeed in the US. It was finally eradicated because of great efforts beginning during the Depression, and the use of the insecticide DDT also played a large role in its eradication. The mosquito vectors for malaria still exist in parts of the US (and most likely they always will). Control over malaria comes from controlling the vector population and preventing any increase in breeding sites, which may be exacerbated by global warming in some areas of the world. The control of measles, however, comes from using the best weapon at hand: vaccination.
Vaccination importance
Janet Z: You are correct - the measles vaccine (and others) are not 100% effective in all indviduals. However, as long as the vaccine "takes" in a certain amount of individuals in a population, herd immunity results, which produces enough protection (usually) against a disease for those in the population (or "herd") who are not vaccinated.
This is why vaccination is so important for indviduals and should be strongly encouraged.
Universal Health Care Coverage Needed
Many factors for the rise in measle cases (and other childhood diseases) could be due to fear of numerous multiple vaccinations (many doctors are giving "bulk" vaccinations to children, thus resulting in a rise in autism in children), and also due to the lack of health care available. If you don't work for a company that offers adequate (or any at all) for you and/or your family, you don't have healthcare for your children's shots.
And if you don't have shots, you don't have protection. Hence, the rise in the number of epidemics.
It also doesn't help that immune systems are constantly being challenged by super-bug viruses (because of the rise in use of germicide/anti-bacterial soaps/lotions).
Also - I don't mean to throw in global warming in the mix - but the rise of global temps means its easier for once-unheard of diseases in the U.S. to become very common - like malaria, for example. Malaria used to be something you only worried about when traveling to warm, exotic countries. Well, it's coming, thanks to you-know-what.
Oh, but if you don't believe in global warming..or science...you can just pretend none of this matters at all.
Measels Infections and other common disease
Illegal immigrants have contributed to these problems. Surprised the CDC and other government entities do not realize what it is costing us to not control illegal alien immigration and residency in our country!.
Control our immigration and regain control of common diseases once put down here entirely 50 years ago.
We control the influx of certain fruits, flowers, plants, vegetables, and animals, but not people. Stupid.
A true test for vaccine
The intriguing part of this story is that one of the infected people had been vaccinated. Obviously, the vaccine is not 100% certain. 64 is not an epidemic but it will be interesting to see how this plays out. How many infections will there be as a percentage of the population, how will people react to the illness (panic or calm), how will the news react to the story (panic or calm), how will doctors react to an illness they have never had or seen.
As a child of the 50's and have had measles, rubella, chickenpox and mumps I can truthfully tell you that I would rather have the childhood diseases the flu.
sensationalization
How about just reporting the news and not sensationalizing the article title. "Epidemic" is hardly an appropriate word to be used. 64 cases in mostly un-vaccinated people across 9 states, I'd hardly call that an epidemic.
