Measles outbreak linked to Disneyland

[circus4u]

Mickey, Minnie and measles for nine Disneyland tourists

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/07/health/disneyland-measles/index.html

 

[piccolopat]

How is this surprising? People choose not to vaccinate their kids and then we let unvaccinated immigrants (legal or not) into this country from areas of the world where measles is still found. This isn't a Disneyland problem per se. It is simply the number of people in a single space at one time set the stage for measles to spread if only one guest (or employee) came in while contagious. We should expect to see more outbreaks like this and be prepared to deal with the problem.

 

[BlackSwan]

How is this surprising? People choose not to vaccinate their kids and then we let unvaccinated immigrants (legal or not) into this country from areas of the world where measles is still found. This isn't a Disneyland problem per se. It is simply the number of people in a single space at one time set the stage for measles to spread if only one guest (or employee) came in while contagious. We should expect to see more outbreaks like this and be prepared to deal with the problem.

This has nothing to do with immigrants, that's a strawman. Every outbreak so far can be traced back directly to ignorant, selfish middle and upper middle class parents who refuse to vaccinate their children because they saw something on some wackjob website on the internet or heard something Jenny McCarthy said on TV. Since they aren't poor, they've deluded themselves into thinking they're smarter than they are so they ignore their children's doctors, pretending they know better when they don't. Unvaccinated children should never be allowed in school. The only exceptions should be children who cannot take them due to an allergy or pre-existing medical condition. Exemptions based on a child's parent being a selfish idiot who places their own opinions above their children's health should no longer be allowed. We don't let parents refuse to take sick children to the doctor and we shouldn't allow them to let their children and all the other children in their community get sick with easily preventable diseases.

 

[ilovebassets]

This has nothing to do with immigrants, that's a strawman. Every outbreak so far can be traced back directly to ignorant, selfish middle and upper middle class parents who refuse to vaccinate their children because they saw something on some wackjob website on the internet or heard something Jenny McCarthy said on TV. Since they aren't poor, they've deluded themselves into thinking they're smarter than they are so they ignore their children's doctors, pretending they know better when they don't. Unvaccinated children should never be allowed in school. The only exceptions should be children who cannot take them due to an allergy or pre-existing medical condition. Exemptions based on a child's parent being a selfish idiot who places their own opinions above their children's health should no longer be allowed. We don't let parents refuse to take sick children to the doctor and we shouldn't allow them to let their children and all the other children in their community get sick with easily preventable diseases.

As a physician, I completely agree with this. This has nothing to do with immigrants and everything to do with people thinking they know better and have done more "research" than their own physicians and the CDC.

Mexico (99%), Guatemala (93%), El Salvador (93%), and Honduras (93%) all have a better vaccination rate for the measles than the United States (92%).

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/im...cs-slam-rumors-migrants-carry-disease-n152216

 

[Alice Royal]

This has nothing to do with immigrants, that's a strawman. Every outbreak so far can be traced back directly to ignorant, selfish middle and upper middle class parents who refuse to vaccinate their children because they saw something on some wackjob website on the internet or heard something Jenny McCarthy said on TV. Since they aren't poor, they've deluded themselves into thinking they're smarter than they are so they ignore their children's doctors, pretending they know better when they don't. Unvaccinated children should never be allowed in school. The only exceptions should be children who cannot take them due to an allergy or pre-existing medical condition. Exemptions based on a child's parent being a selfish idiot who places their own opinions above their children's health should no longer be allowed. We don't let parents refuse to take sick children to the doctor and we shouldn't allow them to let their children and all the other children in their community get sick with easily preventable diseases.

I agree with this statement wholeheartedly, but there are states in which 'faith healing' parents whose children die as a result of receiving no medical care in favor of prayer cannot be prosecuted for murder. We've got a loooooong way to go.

 

[ursalita]

This has nothing to do with immigrants, that's a strawman. Every outbreak so far can be traced back directly to ignorant, selfish middle and upper middle class parents who refuse to vaccinate their children because they saw something on some wackjob website on the internet or heard something Jenny McCarthy said on TV. Since they aren't poor, they've deluded themselves into thinking they're smarter than they are so they ignore their children's doctors, pretending they know better when they don't. Unvaccinated children should never be allowed in school. The only exceptions should be children who cannot take them due to an allergy or pre-existing medical condition. Exemptions based on a child's parent being a selfish idiot who places their own opinions above their children's health should no longer be allowed. We don't let parents refuse to take sick children to the doctor and we shouldn't allow them to let their children and all the other children in their community get sick with easily preventable diseases.

 

[DonnaL]

As other poster made statement about some states and their laws...... here in PA meningitis vaccine is supposedly REQUIRED for first year college students in order to live in dormitory situations.....yet, all a student needs to do is sign a document waiving the vaccine and that's OK? No reason needed for waiving it.....just sign and date it and they are no longer required to have the vaccine and may go live in a dormitory. I totally agree with the poster who states children should not be allowed to attend any school w/o proper immunizations....if you choose not to vaccinate your children just because....then you should choose to home school them so they do not possibly carry some totally preventable disease into a school environment.

 

[mytripsandraces]

This has nothing to do with immigrants, that's a strawman. Every outbreak so far can be traced back directly to ignorant, selfish middle and upper middle class parents who refuse to vaccinate their children because they saw something on some wackjob website on the internet or heard something Jenny McCarthy said on TV. Since they aren't poor, they've deluded themselves into thinking they're smarter than they are so they ignore their children's doctors, pretending they know better when they don't. Unvaccinated children should never be allowed in school. The only exceptions should be children who cannot take them due to an allergy or pre-existing medical condition. Exemptions based on a child's parent being a selfish idiot who places their own opinions above their children's health should no longer be allowed. We don't let parents refuse to take sick children to the doctor and we shouldn't allow them to let their children and all the other children in their community get sick with easily preventable diseases.

I don't think the previous poster was blaming the immigrant. From what I understand, measles had been eradicated in the US. If that's true, then an immigrant from a place where measles is still active would have had to bring it in for someone here to catch the measles. The reason it is now spreading is because people are refusing to vaccinate their children and herd immunity is thinning and no longer protecting the vulnerable who cannot be vaccinated.

 

[Starwind]

I don't think the previous poster was blaming the immigrant. From what I understand, measles had been eradicated in the US. If that's true, then an immigrant from a place where measles is still active would have had to bring it in for someone here to catch the measles. The reason it is now spreading is because people are refusing to vaccinate their children and herd immunity is thinning and no longer protecting the vulnerable who cannot be vaccinated.

While brand new immigrants are a possible source of various communicable diseases, they are not the only source.

Here in Canada there have been multiple outbreaks that have been traced back to an unvaccinated child travelling abroad on a visit to a country where measles still occurs, presumably getting infected there during their trip, then coming back to Canada (while still incubating). Once back home in Canada the child became contagious and spreads the illness to multiple others.

For example, here is a case study of an outbreak in 2013 in Alberta that was started by an unvaccinated teenager who traveled to the Netherlands.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/14vol40/dr-rm40-12/dr-rm40-12-surv-3-eng.php

 

[robinb]

It's continuing to spread. There are now more than four dozen people infected over 4 states and Mexico. According to the public health office in Orange County the majority of people infected were not vaccinated.