I saw a meme that said that there are more cases of measles in Texas than there are trans athletes in the U.S.
Weldon, commenting on his disappointment at not being able to serve the cause of public health as CDC Director:
“I’m going to get on an airplane at 11 o’clock and I’m going to go home and I’m going to see patients on Monday…I’ll make much more money staying in my medical practice.”
Better hope his patient base doesn’t include a high percentage of Medicaid/Medicare patients, then…
Back in the day, some parents hosted “chicken pox parties” so their kids would catch the disease early, when it’s typically less severe, and then develop immunity for life. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that for measles, though—that’d be pretty stupid, given how much more dangerous measles can be.
A child who died of complications of measles in a West Texas outbreak of the virus was just 6 years old, according to her father, who spoke with The Atlantic.
The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Feb. 26 that an unvaccinated child had died due to complications of measles at a hospital in Lubbock after testing positive for the virus. It is the first death in the outbreak, which as of today’s update has spread to 223 cases in Texas and 30 just across the border in New Mexico.
…
A local hospital sent them home with cough medicine, Peter said: “They don’t want to help us. They say, ‘It’s just normal; go home.’” The hospital declined to comment, The Atlantic reported.
She continued to get worse and the family took her back to a hospital, where her heart rate and blood pressure dropped and she was placed on a ventilator. The girl died of pneumonia, which the CDC identifies as the most common cause of death for children who contract measles.
“C’mon, people, it’s just one kid, for Pete’s sake. More than one will die from the vaccine!” /s*
*Bitter sarcasm
I’m bitter too.
Those parents should be charged with child abuse. It’s pure and simple willful neglect of the poor kid.
She died because her parents were ignorant and trying to make a political point.
I do not believe that in and under-immunized Old Order Mennonites are trying to make political points, except by some expansive use of the phrase.
Measles kills around 1 in 1000 victims, but virulent outbreaks are more likely in Western countries and the CDC says this can be as high as 3 in 1000.
Pertussis kills almost 100,000 people each year, mostly babies. Vaccination was prominent in almost every country except for two. The Gates Foundation has been wonderful in this regard. I suspect USAID dysfunction will affect this considerably.
Up to 20% of measles infections are complicated. The worst complications are things like brain damage due to swelling. This can be prevented by vaccination. Steroids and vitamin A show a small benefit in some studies but are no substitute for prevention. There is no effective treatment for tetanus to my knowledge.
When something basic like strep throat has long been known to cause kidney dysfunction (glomerulonephritis), neurological dysfunction (PANDAS) and heart problems up to twenty years later, though kidney problems are usually transient. Most people know chicken pox virus can cause shingles, which leads to years of pain in 10% of patients.
Yet people still think getting a disease strengthens your immune system. You do not want your immune system to be so strong it causes complications in itself.
More good news!!! (Limited gift link.)
Like I keep saying, smallpox is next! Oh boy!
Or, something completely unknown.
Aaaaccckk. I just scared myself thinking about zombie apocalypse!!
Back while COVID was in full swing, I recall joking about “COVID-24: The Final Edition”.
Other than changing “24” to “27” to allow time for the complete dismantlement of US public health systems, I think I may have made a pretty good prediction. 
And of course, measles destroys immune system memory relating to other pathogens, making patients at risk of additional serious infections.
This happened to me. I caught measles rubeola when I was 32. According to my PCP, it’s more serious than rubella. When he saw me, he said, “I’d say you have rubeola, but you’re not nearly sick enough.” I obliged him the next day by getting sicker than I’ve ever been.
The worst headache I can ever remember having. Light sensitivity. Fever, chills, muscle aches, body aches. Bad congestion and coughing.
Doc called me at home every day to learn how I was doing. The case had to be reported to our local Department of Health for tracking.
I got a secondary infection in my lungs that had to be treated with antibiotics. In general, my immune system is almost too robust, but it couldn’t fight off the secondary infection. So another month of suffering.
My mother was a big believer in vaccines, so I can only think she believed I’d already caught it in childhood. Whoops!
I will never understand people who don’t believe in vaccines.
Vaccines are not forever protection.
You have to keep up with the boosters.
Your kindergarten immunizations wear out. Some, more than others.
I had rubeloa when I was 8 or 9 ( I had rubella, too, but it wasn’t nearly as bad). It left me with an issue with my ears that required surgery not too long after. But what I really remember was that I had to go to the local health department office to be examined before I could return to school. Made a deep impression on me. Gosh, I really was dangerously ill.
You were! I’m so sorry about the ear issue from it but glad surgery could fix what got broken.
Really, I was very fortunate to have gotten away with so few complications catching it as an adult. Apart from the secondary infection, I suffered no aftereffects. I did, however, come to understand how a very ill person may decide they’d rather die than continue to suffer. That was new.
And some not at all. Pertinent to this thread those who developed a protective response from childhood measles immunization are considered immune for life; it is considered forever protection.
Those born before 1957 highly probably are immune from childhood exposure to the disease.
I talked about this with my nurse practitioner during my annual checkup a few days ago. Given I was born before the MMR, she thought I was likely immune, but if I was worried I could have a blood titer done to be sure. Given various ways I protect myself (masking, e.g.) and being in Massachusetts, we decided against it, at least for now.
No offense, but hardly a solid medical authority.