Search This Blog

Monday, September 23, 2019

Still 1,241

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing disease to spread

From CDC: "From January 1 to September 19, 2019, 1,241** individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 31 states. Two new cases were reported September 13 – 19, 2019. However, two cases previously reported were determined to not have been measles cases. Therefore, the national case count remains at 1,241."

To prevent future outbreaks, we have to figure out what caused the last one. The problem is that we are misdirecting our attention. Much of it is focused on the global anti-vaccine movement.
But there is a much larger group: the “vaccine hesitant.” These people intentionally delay or deviate from the routine schedule, staggering vaccine administration according to their own timeline. This leaves children without adequate protection from preventable diseases and puts their community at risk for outbreaks. And it’s unscientific.
Of course, vaccine hestitancy itself stems from the antivax movement.