Thursday, November 6, 2014

Measles in America Now as Prevalent as It Was Twenty Years Ago

The anti-vaxxers created the vulnerability and the source is legal immigration as something I'm sure you'll really love is that vaccination requirements for you in touring outside the country and returning are not the same as the requirements for someone who immigrates (i.e. it's much lower for immigrants).  So a large number of immigrants bring measles.  One of them infects a pool of anti-vaxxers and the lot of them get it.  Whammo, an American outbreak.  (This has happened multiple times)

It was good to see a doctor yesterday taking the position if you don't take care of your kids then neither will I.  He interviews patients and if they will not vaccinate their children then he will not accept them into his practice.  Good for you, doc.

I have no kids so the biggest problem for me is seeing the infestation of crap science on Facebook that, in sum, is focused on eliminating vaccination.  They claim vaccination causes autism and a host of other problems and this is likely the same crowd that wants fluoride out of the water ... because it eliminated too many problems with cavities in teeth.

The power of the Internet to spread false information is being recognized much more quickly than any other capability except handling ATM machines and, usually, landing aircraft.  The Internet is riddled with hoaxes and some of them are funny but some of them are deeply malicious and in very subtle ways.  That twenty years could yield such a profound change in a disease that had been nearly eliminated gives, hopefully, all the evidence you need to see it.  Thus any vehicle that promotes that change is necessarily a threat to health.

Welcome to Facebook.

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