# Anti-vaxxers are ignorant scumbags that kill children **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 1, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626 "2016-09-01T01:59:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 68
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1342 "2025-02-24T14:58:24Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Every other country on this continent and in South America have higher measles vaccination rates than we do. I don’t think that’s true. I was surprised, because some of those nations are in pretty tough shape. So I looked at MMR vax rates, and found Paraguay at 54%, Venezuela at 68%, etc. > **[Measles immunization rate in South America | TheGlobalEconomy.com](https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/measles_immunization_rate/South-America/)** > > The average for 2022 based on 12 countries was 79 percent. The highest value was in Uruguay: 96 percent and the lowest value was in Paraguay: 54 percent. The indicator is available from 1980 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data... ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1343 "2025-02-24T15:05:50Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Worth noting that the outbreak is primarily occurring in a county with a heavy Mennonite population which has low vaccination rates. I’m sure Trump’ll start deporting them . . . as soon as Trump figures out where Mennon is. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1344 "2025-02-24T15:19:44Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > I don’t think that’s true. I was surprised, because some of those nations are in pretty tough shape. I stand corrected. But for the country where most come from, Guatemala and Honduras are at 87% and 89%, respectively, compared with 91% for the US, and otherwise you have to get into South America to find countries with deplorably low rates. Mexico and the rest of Central America have higher rates of measles vaccination than we do. In Texas alone, preventable disease outbreaks have been more typically associated with megachurches in lily-white middle class suburbs than with immigrants. This is another variation on ‘immigrant criminal’ rhetoric, despite the fact that crime rates among immigrants tends to be lower than for US citizens. Facts don’t really matter to these folks. There’s no reason to think that will change when they switch from violent crime to preventable disease as justification for treating them like walking garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1345 "2025-02-24T15:28:24Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Mexico and the rest of Central America have higher rates of measles vaccination than we do. I don’t think that’s true for Mexico. A decade or more ago Mexico had high MMR vaccination rates, but [that had slipped](https://journal.paho.org/en/articles/socioeconomic-and-geographic-inequities-vaccination-among-children-12-59-months-mexico) by 2021. According to the W.H.O., stats for 2023 (the latest I could find) showed 76% of Mexican children had gotten two doses of MMR compared to 95% of American children. Percentages for both nations may well have dropped since then. It still doesn’t mean that migrants can be blamed for the Texas measles outbreak. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1346 "2025-02-24T15:37:10Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > 95% of American children. Percentages for both nations may well have dropped since then. The 95% hasn’t been true for a while. Certainly not in 2023. That’s still herd immunity level, and we’re clearly not there. This might be comparing apples with oranges. If you told me 95% of all US adults had 2 doses, I’d believe you, but we slipped closer to 90% years ago for kids and lower than that in many enclaves (it’s reportedly just over 80% for kindergartners in the West Texas region with the outbreak). The 76% stat for Mexico seems suspect as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2025, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1347 "2025-02-25T03:36:18Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > A few years ago my wife and I got flu, COVID, and pneumonia vaxes at the same time and we had no issues at all I tried to get a COVID booster and RSV at the same time and the pharmacist refused, which was annoying. It was nearly a year before I got around to dealing with the RSV shot. I suspect this was a personal opinion, not any accepted medical advice. Fortunately, I avoided catching RSV in the interim. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2025, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1348 "2025-02-25T21:02:19Z")
> **[Measles cases continue to rise in rural parts of West Texas, with 124 confirmed](https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549)** > > The measles outbreak in West Texas has grown to 58 cases as of Tuesday. Eight people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also have been diagnosed with the highly contagious disease. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1349 "2025-02-26T00:32:46Z")
I don’t know how the measles virus got to those adjoining counties in Texas and New Mexico, but I do know that the Texas community has a large number of a very conservative Mennonite sect who “live separately” and chose this region because of limited government oversight. The New Mexico cases may simply be due to spread. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1350 "2025-02-26T00:59:47Z")
Given how fast measles spreads, I’m surprised that, despite the overall vaccination rate, we haven’t seen 130 cases become 13,000 in the past two weeks’ time. I would guess Texas is not at 95% vaccinated. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1351 "2025-02-26T01:08:32Z")
For those of us who had measles when little, do we have to worry? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1352 "2025-02-26T01:24:16Z")
[“Current evidence suggests that immunity after the disease is life-long, whereas the response after two doses of measles-containing vaccine declines within 10–15 years.”](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8189124/) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1353 "2025-02-26T02:27:06Z")
A “declining response” in that study doesn’t mean that immunity is lost 10-15 years after measles vaccination. The general consensus is that MMR vaccination provides lifelong or near lifelong immunity to measles and rubella. [Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccination | CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html#:~:text=MMR%20vaccine%20is%20very%20effective,life%20against%20measles%20and%20rubella). If current administration policy leads to extensive, sustained resurgence of childhood measles, we may see recommendations for at least some older vaccinated individuals to get a booster. In the event of such resurgence I might even consider it, despite having had measles as a child. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1354 "2025-02-26T03:36:00Z")
Probably not. If you really are concerned, your doctor could order a titer, which measures your immunity. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1355 "2025-02-26T16:38:18Z")
Texas has now reported the first death from the current measles outbreak. > **[Child in West Texas reported as first measles death by Texas Tech hospital —...](https://apple.news/ATh_QBDSbQJ2zayijQGBJJg)** > > A child died from the measles after being hospitalized in Lubbock, the first death amid an outbreak that began last month in the South Plains region, health officials said. I cannot begin to say how angry this makes me. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1356 "2025-02-26T17:59:14Z")
Appears to be paywalled. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1357 "2025-02-26T18:14:42Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > [Child in West Texas reported as first death in state's measles outbreak](https://apple.news/ATh_QBDSbQJ2zayijQGBJJg) > [@rsat3acr](#): > > Appears to be paywalled. [Non-paywalled version.](https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/child-reported-as-first-measles-death-as-largest-texas-outbreak-in-30-years-continues-to-spread/ar-AA1zQcIj) ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1358 "2025-02-26T19:08:48Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > Texas has now reported the first death from the current measles outbreak. > [Child in West Texas reported as first death in state's measles outbreak](https://apple.news/ATh_QBDSbQJ2zayijQGBJJg) > I cannot begin to say how angry this makes me. This has me very angry as well. I can’t understand how far we are sliding into the seriously diseased past. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1359 "2025-02-26T19:46:01Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1360 "2025-02-26T20:45:46Z")
I have mentioned a great grandmother who lost three of six children to diseases that are now preventable. One was probably complications from scarlet fever. The infant was a twin, to all appearances healthy who simply passed a day after birth. My great grandmother had the fever while pregnant. Oddly enough his twin, who seemed sick, survived and became my great uncle George. Then one died of whooping cough and another of diptheria. A fourth child dies in her early thirties due to childbirth complications. So great uncle George and my grandmother Esther were the only two out of six kids to live long enough to see their grandchildren. The thread title is the most true thing about this all. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626/1361 "2025-02-26T20:54:37Z")
Thank you. I didn’t realize it was paywalled since it let me access it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626.md?page=67) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-vaxxers-are-ignorant-scumbags-that-kill-children/764626.md?page=69)