Measles on the rise worldwide

[Howl]

CNN noted today that CDC/WHO reports  that measles (I got the disease right this time) cases are on the rise.  This statistic floored me:  measles were responsible for 110,000 deaths worldwide in 2017 

Quote

The number of measles cases around the world soared from 2016 to 2017. Measles surged 31% during that year, says a joint report from the World Health Organization and the CDC. Measles outbreaks were reported all over the globe, with an estimated 110,000 deaths in 2017. Health officials blamed gaps in vaccine coverage, fueled by "the spread of falsehoods about the vaccine in Europe," as well as low immunization coverage in Africa, a failing health system in Venezuela and general complacency about the disease elsewhere.

 

[Flossie]

@Howl CNN noted today that CDC/WHO reports  that measles (I got the disease right this time) cases are on the rise.  This statistic floored me:  measles were responsible for 110,000 deaths worldwide in 2017 I went for the sad emoji, but I really wanted a "frustrated" one.

 

14 minutes ago, Howl said:

CNN noted today that CDC/WHO reports  that measles (I got the disease right this time) cases are on the rise.  This statistic floored me:  measles were responsible for 110,000 deaths worldwide in 2017 

 

I went for the "sad" emoji, but I really wanted a "frustrated" one.

Edited November 30, 2018 by Flossie

[Baba O'Riley]

In New York State where I live, there have been lots of measles outbreaks among the ultra Orthodox Jewish communities over the last many years. Many sects, especially the Hasidic sects, follow specific dynastical rabbis.  For example, the Satmar sect has been led by the Teitelbaum dynasty since 1905. Sect members will  seek their rabbis' advice on whether to vaccinate their children.  Some, if not many, of these rabbis are anti-vaxxers.

Edited December 3, 2018 by Baba O'Riley

[elsiedindin]

This complication of measles scares me. The fact that your kid could recover and seem fine, and then years later that's it and there's nothing you can do. Awful. 

[Terrie]

1 hour ago, elsiedindin said:

This complication of measles scares me. The fact that your kid could recover and seem fine, and then years later that's it and there's nothing you can do. Awful. 

Every narrative I've read of someone who has witnessed SSPE has sent chills down my spine.  Here's an example posted to a pro-vax FB group.

Spoiler

 

 

[cindyluvs24]

On 12/2/2018 at 10:30 PM, Baba O'Riley said:

In New York State where I live, there have been lots of measles outbreaks among the ultra Orthodox Jewish communities over the last many years. Many sects, especially the Hasidic sects, follow specific dynastical rabbis.  For example, the Satmar sect has been led by the Teitelbaum dynasty since 1905. Sect members will  seek their rabbis' advice on whether to vaccinate their children.  Some, if not many, of these rabbis are anti-vaxxers.

It spread to Lakewood here in NJ as well.  There are tons of babies and pregnant women at risk in that community now.  Absolute idiocy.

Edited December 9, 2018 by cindyluvs24

[Howl]

This  is in Washington state.  The rally is against a bill that would get rid of the philosophical vaccination exemption.  I'll share this snip if you don't want to read the entire article: 

Measles is so contagious that an unvaccinated person has a 90 percent chance of catching the disease if they're near someone who has it. The virus can survive for up to two hours in a room where an infected person sneezed. 

Washington state now has 50 measles cases.  I wouldn't be surprised if there are more cases being hidden in socially isolated anti vax communities. 

And one more snip from MedicalNewsToday.com:  Measles is caused by infection with the rubeola virus. The virus lives in the mucus of the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. The disease is contagious for 4 days before the rash appears, and it continues to be contagious for about 4 to 5 days after. 

I take this to mean that anyone first infected with the rubeola virus is asymptomatic but already highly contagious. 

Hundreds rally to preserve right not to vaccinate children amid measles outbreak

Spoiler

With more than 50 cases of measles in Washington state, there's been a new push to change the law. Washington is one of 17 states that allow parents to refuse vaccines for philosophical reasons.

But on Friday, hundreds rallied to preserve their right not to vaccinate their children. Lawmakers heard arguments on a proposed bill that would ban the measles vaccine exemption for philosophical reasons. Thirty-two other states have similar laws.

Measles is so contagious that an unvaccinated person has a 90 percent chance of catching the disease if they're near someone who has it. The virus can survive for up to two hours in a room where an infected person sneezed.

Measles vaccination rates here, at the epicenter of the outbreak, are now up by 500 percent.

"I think we're seeing people rush to the doctor now because it's real and it's been growing every week. And so folks actually see a real threat," said Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman.

But opponents of the bill still think the measles vaccine is a bigger threat than the disease itself.

"I don't feel I'm putting my child at risk. There's nothing that's going to change my mind on this on that specific vaccination," said mother Monique Murray.

The CDC insists the two-dose measles vaccine is safe and 97 percent effective. Washington lawmakers hope to get the measure passed by April.

Vaccinate, dammit. 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Howl

[milkteeth]

I live in Multnomah County, Oregon, and let me tell you this was a great time to get a vaccine titer done and learn that I'm no longer immune to measles. I had even been in one of the places where you could be exposed to measles about  24 hours before the sick kid had been there. Vaccinate your damn kids people, and if possible check your titers and see if you need to get your shots again as well! 

[Plexus31Wife]

Shit's fucked up, y'all. Vaccinate yourselves, vaccinate your kids, and remind your friends and family to get their boosters when needed. 

[AliceInFundyland]

8 minutes ago, milkteeth said:

I live in Multnomah County, Oregon, and let me tell you this was a great time to get a vaccine titer done and learn that I'm no longer immune to measles. I had even been in one of the places where you could be exposed to measles about  24 hours before the sick kid had been there. Vaccinate your damn kids people, and if possible check your titers and see if you need to get your shots again as well! 

I agree. This is a mess. It’s indeed over on our side of the bridge. It has presented in an adult as well as the children. And we are talking about stopping exemptions.

https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-measles-cases-4-confirmed/

https://www.opb.org/news/article/measles-vaccination-exemption-law-oregon-greenlick/

 

[HarleyQuinn]

I was watching a news report yesterday with an anti vax mom in Oregon holding her baby at a rally saying "Nothing you will say will make me change my mind on the MMR vaccine."

This is insane. 

[HarryPotterFan]

10 minutes ago, HarleyQuinn said:

I was watching a news report yesterday with an anti vax mom in Oregon holding her baby at a rally saying "Nothing you will say will make me change my mind on the MMR vaccine."

This is insane. 

Can I punch this woman in the face?

[THERetroGamerNY]

http://www.jennymccarthybodycount.com/

:(

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

14 hours ago, milkteeth said:

Vaccinate your damn kids people, and if possible check your titers and see if you need to get your shots again as well! 

Did your insurance cover the test to check your titers? If it didn't, could you share roughly how expensive it was? I got an MMR booster when I was about 20 years old (because I was working in a daycare, and I'm cautious), but that was a long time ago. If the blood test costs very much, it's probably cheaper for me to just get another booster. (I'm next door to Washington and Oregon. No measles here, yet.)

[Terrie]

The whole thing makes me so damned angry. I have the mild form of alpha-1 (I have one bad gene), a respiratory and liver disease. While I am spared the worst of the disease, I am prone to prolonged issues if I get a respiratory infection. I've had ordinary colds turn into bronchitis so severe I cracked a rib. Even when that doesn't happen, I end up with muscles so badly strained that it's hard to take a deep breath. One of the most common complications of measles is pneumonia. I don't need that shit.

[Howl]

I came across an article on NPR today about an 18-year-old kid still living at home who decided to get himself vaccinated.  His mom said it "felt like a slap in the face."

Defying Parents, A Teen Decides To Get Vaccinated

 

[SilverBeach]

Anti-vaxxers explain why we have Dump as president. Too stupid for words.

[Ozlsn]

On 2/10/2019 at 3:30 AM, Howl said:

Measles is so contagious that an unvaccinated person has a 90 percent chance of catching the disease if they're near someone who has it. The virus can survive for up to two hours in a room where an infected person sneezed. 

<cut bit>

I take this to mean that anyone first infected with the rubeola virus is asymptomatic but already highly contagious. 

Basically yes. Measles is (from a virology viewpoint) a really cool virus. The infectious period is relatively long, the airborne bit means it pretty much infects anyone susceptible in range - and even after the infected person has left a room! There is a reason you need over 90% coverage to stop transmission - it is that efficient. The "natural cycle" goes in roughly three year spikes in cases - pretty close to everyone susceptible gets it (babies and toddlers in particular), then it ticks over with low level transmission (someone comes in from an area with a spike and causes a couple of cases etc) until there is a big enough pool of susceptible people again.  You can actually see the outcomes of vaccination programs flattening and then causing the curves to become more spread out as the pool of susceptible people drops. I really don't get why people decline MMR (or the others tbh) - all three diseases are pretty awful and carry significant risks. And measles - because it is, as I said, a pretty cool virus - also wipes out your immune memory for up to two years to you can catch all the stuff you actually had immunity to again! I mean, who doesn't want their child to catch every damn bug from daycare/playgroup/school again, right?

[Don'tlikekoolaid]

Yesterday Vancouver General Hospital reported a case of measles and the health care community is not at all happy.  So there will be more.

[Dandruff]

How about a massive tax on measles treatment for those who didn't get vaccinated for philosophical reasons?  I also like the idea of building a wall around them and what they touch, let them work from home (or not), and have their food and supplies shipped in unless and until they vaccinate.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

6 hours ago, Howl said:

I came across an article on NPR today about an 18-year-old kid still living at home who decided to get himself vaccinated.  His mom said it "felt like a slap in the face."

That's a smart kid. 

[Don'tlikekoolaid]

@Dandruff they used to quarantine the whole house, Public Health would nail a big quarantine sign on the door and no one was allowed in or out until it was lifted.  

I was just at the recycling depot and the guy that works there is Hare Krishna.  They have a big compound in the mountains where they grow organic produce, they also have about 60 kids and they don’t vaccinate.  I asked him about it, he said his wife is a naturopath and treats the community. They think vaccinations buy into “the Corporate Lie”, whatever the hell that means IDK.  ?

[Gobsmacked]

My Nana told me that when she was young ( born in 1908),  a sheet soaked in disinfectant or bleach would be hung in the doorway to the bedroom where a child (children) had measles.  I'm not sure how effective it would have been?

[Dandruff]

2 hours ago, Gobsmacked said:

My Nana told me that when she was young ( born in 1908),  a sheet soaked in disinfectant or bleach would be hung in the doorway to the bedroom where a child (children) had measles.  I'm not sure how effective it would have been?

I imagine it would have been partially effective in keeping measles from escaping the room, and killed some of the measles circulating around the room, but ineffective otherwise.  Unless people entered the room with a mask and sheeting, and immediately removed the mask and sheeting into hazard-type bags upon exiting the room (with a similar process for other items brought in then removed, such as plates and dirty laundry), measles could be carried out.

[milkteeth]

11 hours ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

Did your insurance cover the test to check your titers? If it didn't, could you share roughly how expensive it was? I got an MMR booster when I was about 20 years old (because I was working in a daycare, and I'm cautious), but that was a long time ago. If the blood test costs very much, it's probably cheaper for me to just get another booster. (I'm next door to Washington and Oregon. No measles here, yet.)

I had to get my titers done because I started a new job (working in a health clinic) and they required either your vaccine records or a titer before you started work. For all of my previous jobs that have required this I just submitted a proof that I had all my shots as a kid and that was enough, but I couldn't find my vaccine record. My work paid for the titers, but I know another person who got their titers checked and said it wasn't covered by insurance but cost them around 100 bucks out of pocket.