Let's Hear it for Non-Vaccinators

[Kanastrous]

ATLANTA - Measles outbreaks in several states have led to more than 70 cases so far this year, the worst in six years, health officials said Thursday.

Most of the cases have been traced to outbreaks overseas and are mainly in children who were not vaccinated for religious or other reasons, according to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention. Since measles vaccinations began in the early 1960s, cases have dramatically declined in the U.S.

So far this year, the CDC has confirmed reports of 64 cases in nine states. There were no deaths, but 14 people were hospitalized, said CDC spokesman Curtis Allen.

That count doesn’t include Washington state, where eight cases were reported this week. Those cases stemmed from an international church conference in suburban Seattle in March, according to the state health department.

Measles is caused by a virus that normally grows in cells that line the back of the throat and line the lungs. It spreads through contact with a sneezing, coughing, infected person.

Symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. But about 1 in 5 measles sufferers experience more severe illness that can include diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis and even seizures and death.

Of the 64 cases reported to the CDC, 63 were unvaccinated or it wasn’t known if they were vaccinated. At least 54 of the cases stemmed from outbreaks in Switzerland, Israel or other countries, Allen said.

The largest concentration has been in New York City, with 22 cases. Arizona has had 15, California, 12, and Michigan and Wisconsin have each had four. Hawaii, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and upstate New York also reported cases.

It’s the largest number of cases since 2001 when 116 cases were reported, according to CDC records.

The worst year for measles was 1958, according to modern public health records. More than 763,000 cases were reported that year, including 552 deaths. Outbreaks in the early 1990s led to a revision of vaccination guidelines to include children younger than school age.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24408430/

[Darmalus]

Until the kids start to die, this will continue. Stupid non-vaccinators.

[Wyrm]

"It's just a childhood illness!"



Well, when it reaches about 1000 cases or so, there'll be a good chance that there will be deaths, too. Then you'll see this nonsense reverse itself like last week's cod dinner — made with month-old cod.

[CaptainChewbacca]

The good thing is, the stupid people will either die or learn their lessons.

[Singular Intellect]

The good thing is, the stupid people will either die or learn their lessons.

Uh...I thought it was the parents who were deciding this fate for their kids? At the time of vacination, kids certainly cannot be educated enough to decide such a thing.

[Raxmei]

Until the kids start to die, this will continue. Stupid non-vaccinators.

You underestimate their conviction. People will die, and let others die, for their faith.

[Singular Intellect]

Until the kids start to die, this will continue. Stupid non-vaccinators.

You underestimate their conviction. People will die, and let others die, for their faith.

Faith often justifies outright murder for many believers, therefore this type of situation wouldn't even make them blink.

[Tsyroc]

The hospital I work at had a couple of cases of measles not too long ago. So now they are going through all employee records to makes sure that we all have been vacinated or have tested as being immune (ie from having either had the disease as a kid or having been exposed before the vaccine was created.).

Considering all the vaccines I had to prove that I had before I started work I'm kind of surprised that they even have to check this. Then again, they might have gotten sloppy about requirements when they were scrambling to get nurses.

[SirNitram]

The good thing is, the stupid people will either die or learn their lessons.

No. They won't. Their kids will. Those kids did nothing wrong. That's the atrocity of this.

[weemadando]

The good thing is, the stupid people will either die or learn their lessons.

No. They won't. Their kids will. Those kids did nothing wrong. That's the atrocity of this.

And after all, their kids are in heaven with God now...

[Kanastrous]

There's also the category of parents who are suspicious of inoculation for non-religious reasons, everything from supposed effects of preservatives to whacky-fun Fox Mulder government conspiracy shite.

I have a little less contempt for them: they're uneducated, which is sometimes not entirely their own fault, and there's reason to distrust the intentions of government and big pharmaceuticals. Put those together and resistance naturally follows.

[Drooling Iguana]

Until the kids start to die, this will continue. Stupid non-vaccinators.

You underestimate their conviction. People will die, and let others die, for their faith.

Yes, but will judges and politicians continue to let people die for the faiths of others? Stupid people can still be stupid but it won't matter (in this particular case) if they just finally balls-up and make vaccinations mandatory.

[weemadando]

In Australia there is also a group that doesn't vaccinate for money.

Because you get paid by the gov't as an incentive to vaccinate (in addition to them also being free under the Australian health care system), the fundies got pissy and said "what about us - we don't vaccinate for religious reasons - why shouldn't we be eligible for this payment for vaccinating children?" (ignore the inherent stupidity for a moment).

So the gov't put in an exemption, you can still get the vaccination payment (only about $300 IIRC) but you don't have to get your kid vaccinated, just say that you are a conscientious objector.

Hence, there is a group, however small who are so fucking lazy/cheap as to not pay for the doctor's appt (or even bother booking one with one of the multitudes of free doctors here) and claim for the vaccination bonus as free money.