Government research confirms measles outbreaks are transmitted by the...
- Thread starter Big Sleazy
- Start date
When you say “Madagascar,” most of us conjure up images of fuzzy and feathery animals made popular by the animated movie franchise named for the African island. We don’t necessary think of measles.
But the island of Madagascar is ground zero for a massive outbreak of measles that has killed almost 1,000 people, most of them children. The World Health Organization has reported that more than 66,000 people have contracted the virus since last September.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on Earth, and only half the population has been vaccinated. WHO and UNICEF are scrambling to contain the outbreak and build immunity in the population through vaccinations.
The Madagascar measles outbreak is yet more evidence of the critical importance of vaccinations to fight diseases that are deadly and preventable.
In Washington State, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency to address a measles outbreak that has now reached 60 cases, two-thirds of them affecting children.
In Vancouver, authorities are dealing with nine cases after an unvaccinated child contracted measles during a trip to Vietnam.
In Nova Scotia so far this year, only one case of measles has been reported. The last serious outbreak here occurred in 2017, when two separate clusters resulted in a total of 30 infections. Measles is a highly-contagious airborne disease that causes fever, coughing and a blotchy red rash.
Recent outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada are attributed to the toxic combination of apathy, exemptions based on religious beliefs, and the anti-vaxxing movement, which is suspicious of public health authorities and science.
Parents caught in the crossfire between anti-vaxxers and public health authorities should take note of what is happening in Madagascar right now. Vaccination skeptics are wrong and pseudo-science is not harmless.
On these pages, we have argued many times for public immunization and implored parents to vaccinate children. Failure to do so — as we see in Madagascar — can be fatal. We stand with Dr. Noni MacDonald, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the IWK in Halifax, who says vaccination is a child’s human right. When parents fail to vaccinate their children, they not only place them in danger, they also put at risk many others who are too young to be vaccinated.
Madagascar is not just a cute cartoon. It is now a lesson in life and death.
https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/o...rs-take-note-of-measles-in-madagascar-287189/
But the island of Madagascar is ground zero for a massive outbreak of measles that has killed almost 1,000 people, most of them children. The World Health Organization has reported that more than 66,000 people have contracted the virus since last September.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on Earth, and only half the population has been vaccinated. WHO and UNICEF are scrambling to contain the outbreak and build immunity in the population through vaccinations.
The Madagascar measles outbreak is yet more evidence of the critical importance of vaccinations to fight diseases that are deadly and preventable.
In Washington State, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency to address a measles outbreak that has now reached 60 cases, two-thirds of them affecting children.
In Vancouver, authorities are dealing with nine cases after an unvaccinated child contracted measles during a trip to Vietnam.
In Nova Scotia so far this year, only one case of measles has been reported. The last serious outbreak here occurred in 2017, when two separate clusters resulted in a total of 30 infections. Measles is a highly-contagious airborne disease that causes fever, coughing and a blotchy red rash.
Recent outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada are attributed to the toxic combination of apathy, exemptions based on religious beliefs, and the anti-vaxxing movement, which is suspicious of public health authorities and science.
Parents caught in the crossfire between anti-vaxxers and public health authorities should take note of what is happening in Madagascar right now. Vaccination skeptics are wrong and pseudo-science is not harmless.
On these pages, we have argued many times for public immunization and implored parents to vaccinate children. Failure to do so — as we see in Madagascar — can be fatal. We stand with Dr. Noni MacDonald, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the IWK in Halifax, who says vaccination is a child’s human right. When parents fail to vaccinate their children, they not only place them in danger, they also put at risk many others who are too young to be vaccinated.
Madagascar is not just a cute cartoon. It is now a lesson in life and death.
https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/o...rs-take-note-of-measles-in-madagascar-287189/
110,000 people who weren't vaccinated died of measles last year.
https://health.spectator.co.uk/measles-cases-are-up-by-a-third-thats-110000-unnecessary-deaths/
And how many died of the measles vaccination?
WRT Canadaman's point.
Perhaps people who leave the country unvaccinated should be put into quarantine for a period of time after they come back.
I mean we care enough about the health of animals to do this, do we not care equally for the well being of Soylent Green?
Simple really, if you don't want to spend time in quarantine then before you leave the country make sure you are immunized. I have 0 sympathy for pro death people who put the lives of others at risk.
Also just make it mandatory except for the very very few who have valid medical reasons not to get it... and keep track of doctors who provide those exemptions and if they give out an excessive number, investigate them for malpractice.
Perhaps people who leave the country unvaccinated should be put into quarantine for a period of time after they come back.
I mean we care enough about the health of animals to do this, do we not care equally for the well being of Soylent Green?
Simple really, if you don't want to spend time in quarantine then before you leave the country make sure you are immunized. I have 0 sympathy for pro death people who put the lives of others at risk.
Also just make it mandatory except for the very very few who have valid medical reasons not to get it... and keep track of doctors who provide those exemptions and if they give out an excessive number, investigate them for malpractice.
With California gripped by a measles outbreak, Dr. Charles Goodman posted a clear notice in his waiting room and on Facebook: His practice will no longer see children whose parents won’t get them vaccinated.
“Parents who choose not to give measles shots, they’re not just putting their kids at risk, but they’re also putting other kids at risk — especially kids in my waiting room,” the Los Angeles pediatrician said.
It’s a sentiment echoed by a small number of doctors who in recent years have “fired” patients who continue to believe debunked research linking vaccines to autism. They hope the strategy will lead parents to change their minds; if that fails, they hope it will at least reduce the risk to other children in the office.
https://nypost.com/2015/01/30/doctor-fires-patients-who-refuse-to-vaccinate-their-kids/
“Parents who choose not to give measles shots, they’re not just putting their kids at risk, but they’re also putting other kids at risk — especially kids in my waiting room,” the Los Angeles pediatrician said.
It’s a sentiment echoed by a small number of doctors who in recent years have “fired” patients who continue to believe debunked research linking vaccines to autism. They hope the strategy will lead parents to change their minds; if that fails, they hope it will at least reduce the risk to other children in the office.
https://nypost.com/2015/01/30/doctor-fires-patients-who-refuse-to-vaccinate-their-kids/
The lies come from the pro-diseasers/anti-vaxxers. And they are dangerous lies. Anti-vax posts should be banned.
Tragically, we are seeing more and more deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases every day in countries that once had these diseases under good control:
over 100 measles deaths across Europe and a measles death in the United States a few years ago
diphtheria deaths in Australia, Belgium, South Africa, and Venezuela
life-threatening tetanus cases in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ukraine
a rabies death in the United States in a child who’s parents skipped the post-exposure rabies vaccine
pertussis deaths in the United States
influenza – a record number of deaths in the United States, with most kids unvaccinated
rotavirus – yes, unvaccinated kids still die of rotavirus in the United States in the 21st Century! In a recent outbreak in California, in which a child died, almost all of the kids were unvaccinated.
And not surprisingly, these deaths are almost always in unvaccinated children.
Deaths from Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in the Pre-Vaccine Era
While tragic, we are still fortunate that these deaths are no where close to the levels we once saw before we had vaccines to protect our kids.
In the pre-vaccine era, we used to see:
up to 15,000 deaths and 200,000 diphtheria cases each year until the 1940s
an average of 175,000 cases of pertussis each year in the early 1940s, with about 1,118 deaths from pertussis in 1950 and 467 deaths from pertussis in 1955
up to 20,000 cases of paralytic polio each year until the early 1950s
an average of about 186,000 cases of mumps each year before 1967, with an average of 40 deaths a year
up to 500 deaths and 500,000 measles cases each year until the early 1960s
a rubella epidemic in 1964-65 that caused 12.5 million rubella virus infections and “resulted in 11,250 therapeutic or spontaneous abortions, 2,100 neonatal deaths, and 20,000 infants born with congenital rubella syndrome”
up to 20,000 cases of invasive H. influenzae (Hib) disease each year, with more than half of them having meningitis, and about 300 to 600 deaths, mostly children under age 2 years. In 1980, 45 children died with epiglottitis and there were an additional 222 deaths from Hib meningitis.
up to 11,000 hospitalizations and 100 chicken pox deaths each year until 1995
up to 17,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in children younger than 5 years each year (before 2000), including 13,000 cases of bacteremia (blood infection) and 700 cases of pneumococcal meningitis, with 200 deaths.
just over 400,000 visits to the doctor and up to 272,000 visits to the emergency room, 70,000 hospitalizations and 20 to 60 deaths each year in children under age 5 years because of rotavirus infections until 2006
But that deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases aren’t common is hardly a reason to skip or delay your child’s vaccines, as some might suggest. It is just testament to the fact that vaccines work.
That these deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases quickly rise as rates of vaccinations drop is a tragic reminder that vaccines are necessary.
And what makes it even more tragic is that this was all predicted and could have been prevented if folks didn’t listen to anti-vaccine propaganda that scares them away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.
Worldwide Deaths from Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Of course, talk of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases shouldn’t stop with the developed or industrial world.
Even as a lot of progress is being made, as more and more people get vaccinated, worldwide, there were:
about 89,780 measles deaths, mostly young children
about 215,000 deaths from rotavirus infections
at least 1 million deaths from hepatitis B
almost 200,000 deaths from Hib
over 4,200 deaths from chicken pox
about 50,000 deaths from meningococcal infections
about 160,000 deaths from pertussis
about 826,000 deaths from pneumococcal infections
almost 60,000 deaths from rabies
just over 70,000 deaths from tetanus
about 222,000 deaths from typhoid
between 30,000 to 60,000 deaths from yellow fever
As you can see, most of these diseases are still big killers around the world.
“You hear about people who don’t like to vaccinate their kids in the Western world, which I suppose is a personal choice, but when you’re out there, the result of your children not being vaccinated is that they’ll likely die, or be horribly maimed. So yes, I saw a real desire to have their children protected, and also a real understanding of it – I didn’t seem to come across anybody who went ‘What is it?’ Or ‘What does it do?’ They all seemed to know about it.”
Ewan McGregor on Cold Chain Mission
In most of these countries, the problem is access to vaccines though, not parents refusing to get their kids vaccinated.
over 100 measles deaths across Europe and a measles death in the United States a few years ago
diphtheria deaths in Australia, Belgium, South Africa, and Venezuela
life-threatening tetanus cases in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ukraine
a rabies death in the United States in a child who’s parents skipped the post-exposure rabies vaccine
pertussis deaths in the United States
influenza – a record number of deaths in the United States, with most kids unvaccinated
rotavirus – yes, unvaccinated kids still die of rotavirus in the United States in the 21st Century! In a recent outbreak in California, in which a child died, almost all of the kids were unvaccinated.
And not surprisingly, these deaths are almost always in unvaccinated children.
Deaths from Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in the Pre-Vaccine Era
While tragic, we are still fortunate that these deaths are no where close to the levels we once saw before we had vaccines to protect our kids.
In the pre-vaccine era, we used to see:
up to 15,000 deaths and 200,000 diphtheria cases each year until the 1940s
an average of 175,000 cases of pertussis each year in the early 1940s, with about 1,118 deaths from pertussis in 1950 and 467 deaths from pertussis in 1955
up to 20,000 cases of paralytic polio each year until the early 1950s
an average of about 186,000 cases of mumps each year before 1967, with an average of 40 deaths a year
up to 500 deaths and 500,000 measles cases each year until the early 1960s
a rubella epidemic in 1964-65 that caused 12.5 million rubella virus infections and “resulted in 11,250 therapeutic or spontaneous abortions, 2,100 neonatal deaths, and 20,000 infants born with congenital rubella syndrome”
up to 20,000 cases of invasive H. influenzae (Hib) disease each year, with more than half of them having meningitis, and about 300 to 600 deaths, mostly children under age 2 years. In 1980, 45 children died with epiglottitis and there were an additional 222 deaths from Hib meningitis.
up to 11,000 hospitalizations and 100 chicken pox deaths each year until 1995
up to 17,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in children younger than 5 years each year (before 2000), including 13,000 cases of bacteremia (blood infection) and 700 cases of pneumococcal meningitis, with 200 deaths.
just over 400,000 visits to the doctor and up to 272,000 visits to the emergency room, 70,000 hospitalizations and 20 to 60 deaths each year in children under age 5 years because of rotavirus infections until 2006
But that deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases aren’t common is hardly a reason to skip or delay your child’s vaccines, as some might suggest. It is just testament to the fact that vaccines work.
That these deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases quickly rise as rates of vaccinations drop is a tragic reminder that vaccines are necessary.
And what makes it even more tragic is that this was all predicted and could have been prevented if folks didn’t listen to anti-vaccine propaganda that scares them away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.
Worldwide Deaths from Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Of course, talk of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases shouldn’t stop with the developed or industrial world.
Even as a lot of progress is being made, as more and more people get vaccinated, worldwide, there were:
about 89,780 measles deaths, mostly young children
about 215,000 deaths from rotavirus infections
at least 1 million deaths from hepatitis B
almost 200,000 deaths from Hib
over 4,200 deaths from chicken pox
about 50,000 deaths from meningococcal infections
about 160,000 deaths from pertussis
about 826,000 deaths from pneumococcal infections
almost 60,000 deaths from rabies
just over 70,000 deaths from tetanus
about 222,000 deaths from typhoid
between 30,000 to 60,000 deaths from yellow fever
As you can see, most of these diseases are still big killers around the world.
“You hear about people who don’t like to vaccinate their kids in the Western world, which I suppose is a personal choice, but when you’re out there, the result of your children not being vaccinated is that they’ll likely die, or be horribly maimed. So yes, I saw a real desire to have their children protected, and also a real understanding of it – I didn’t seem to come across anybody who went ‘What is it?’ Or ‘What does it do?’ They all seemed to know about it.”
Ewan McGregor on Cold Chain Mission
In most of these countries, the problem is access to vaccines though, not parents refusing to get their kids vaccinated.
