WCVB reports a Northeastern student from Boston has been diagnosed with measles. The story provides a list of places where the student might have spread the virus to people not protected by vaccination.
Arrived just before 11pm Friday on Jet Blue from Orlando and surprisingly for some reason they brought us to a Terminal E gate instead of the usual Terminal C. The place was deserted - except of course for the 160 or so passengers including many kids coming back from Disney. Good times! Check those MMR vaccinations fellow travelers.
we have a very high measles vaccination rate in MA (well above the herd immunity level), so measles is *extremely* unlikely to spread in any meaningful way around here.
Someone visits a country where measles is endemic, they carry it back here, it fizzles out. If you're not vaccinated, or are frequently around vulnerable populations, it's worth checking that list of locations... but it's nothing to panic about.
I thought all colleges required students to be vaccinated for the measles nowadays? Since the student appears to have flown in from International destination, it would seem that there is at least a waiver for foreign students.
It's fairly obvious this student was traveling internationally while infected, either an international student or a domestic student traveling over the winter break, so they likely were infected elsewhere than from an American.
MA law, which the University complies with, requires measles vaccination of students before they start at NU. Yes, they could have claimed a religious exemption but they could have a legitimate medical exemption, or they could even have properly received the vaccination but did not develop a full immunity from it.
But yes, to your point, vaccines are safe and very effective, and there is no sound medical or scientific reason for the general population to not be vaccinated.
It's one thing if a person is way too young to be vaccinated, or is not able to get the vaccine(s) due to certain medical reasons, but this business of supposedly being exempted from getting the vaccine(s) for religious reasons is total BS--and extremely dangerous, to boot. The idea of being exempt for religious reasons is a dangerous, dangerous idea that should be scrapped for good--immediately!
I'l also add that measles and other communicable diseases are far more potent and deadly than they used to be. People who grew up in the 1950's and the 1960's (like I did) ended up getting the diseases of measles and mumps when we were quite young, and shortly before the vaccines came out. Today's generation of kids and adults who go unvaccinated are in greater danger.
Another thing that the anti-vaccine movement is based on is fear of autism. Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British-born doctor, who concocted the bogus and dangerous so-called vaccines-autism link, lost his accreditation and his license to practice medicine, because it was found that his so-called "link" between vaccines and autism was deliberately created out of falsified, flawed data.
Unfortunately, however, many people buy into that bogus, dangerous vaccines-autism "link", despite the fact that it was disproved, debunked, and tossed out by the wayside--years ago!
I read in an article that had an interview with the measles student's roommate, that the student returned from winter break in Vietnam (where she lives) with measles. She knew she had measles (as does her brother) but traveled back to the US anyway. If this is true, I would think they need to alert everybody on her flight also. This is truly irresponsible behavior and has nothing to do with vaccinations.
Comments
Kind of burying the lede
I mean, not to start a panic, but
* Friday, Jan. 3 - 8:50 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.: Logan International Airport Terminal E
... it's not like anyone was traveling that day, right?
JetBlues...
Arrived just before 11pm Friday on Jet Blue from Orlando and surprisingly for some reason they brought us to a Terminal E gate instead of the usual Terminal C. The place was deserted - except of course for the 160 or so passengers including many kids coming back from Disney. Good times! Check those MMR vaccinations fellow travelers.
Luckily
we have a very high measles vaccination rate in MA (well above the herd immunity level), so measles is *extremely* unlikely to spread in any meaningful way around here.
Someone visits a country where measles is endemic, they carry it back here, it fizzles out. If you're not vaccinated, or are frequently around vulnerable populations, it's worth checking that list of locations... but it's nothing to panic about.
A country...
...or Oregon.
I thought all colleges
I thought all colleges required students to be vaccinated for the measles nowadays? Since the student appears to have flown in from International destination, it would seem that there is at least a waiver for foreign students.
Thanks, anti-vaxxers!
The perfect storm of ignorance and selfishness. God bless America!
but!
what about my cousin's neighbor's ex wife's aunt who has a kid who became autistic 8 minutes after getting a MMR booster?
WHAT ABOUT THEM, SMARTY PANTS?
wake up, sheeple!
/s
You're making some
You're making some assumptions at this point.
It's fairly obvious this student was traveling internationally while infected, either an international student or a domestic student traveling over the winter break, so they likely were infected elsewhere than from an American.
MA law, which the University complies with, requires measles vaccination of students before they start at NU. Yes, they could have claimed a religious exemption but they could have a legitimate medical exemption, or they could even have properly received the vaccination but did not develop a full immunity from it.
But yes, to your point, vaccines are safe and very effective, and there is no sound medical or scientific reason for the general population to not be vaccinated.
Regarding vaccines and religious exemption:
It's one thing if a person is way too young to be vaccinated, or is not able to get the vaccine(s) due to certain medical reasons, but this business of supposedly being exempted from getting the vaccine(s) for religious reasons is total BS--and extremely dangerous, to boot. The idea of being exempt for religious reasons is a dangerous, dangerous idea that should be scrapped for good--immediately!
I'l also add that measles and other communicable diseases are far more potent and deadly than they used to be. People who grew up in the 1950's and the 1960's (like I did) ended up getting the diseases of measles and mumps when we were quite young, and shortly before the vaccines came out. Today's generation of kids and adults who go unvaccinated are in greater danger.
Another thing that the anti-vaccine movement is based on is fear of autism. Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British-born doctor, who concocted the bogus and dangerous so-called vaccines-autism link, lost his accreditation and his license to practice medicine, because it was found that his so-called "link" between vaccines and autism was deliberately created out of falsified, flawed data.
Unfortunately, however, many people buy into that bogus, dangerous vaccines-autism "link", despite the fact that it was disproved, debunked, and tossed out by the wayside--years ago!
Additional information
I read in an article that had an interview with the measles student's roommate, that the student returned from winter break in Vietnam (where she lives) with measles. She knew she had measles (as does her brother) but traveled back to the US anyway. If this is true, I would think they need to alert everybody on her flight also. This is truly irresponsible behavior and has nothing to do with vaccinations.