# US measles cases at an all time high **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 20, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366 "2012-04-20T03:52:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/21 "2012-04-20T16:44:25Z")
Highest in 15 years ≠ all time high. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/22 "2012-04-20T17:00:28Z")
I think it should be germane to discuss how many children are killed in automobile collisions every year when we talk about vaccinations and childhood illnesses, since everything is about the safety of children. We really need a vaccine for bad driving. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/23 "2012-04-20T17:04:44Z")
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could say that no kids died last year from measles, and no kids had to get a measles vaccine? We’re there, but with smallpox, not measles. Guess how we got there. Hint: it wasn’t by having smallpox parties. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/24 "2012-04-20T17:55:57Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Oh my fucking God - you think you’re immune to how stupid people can be, then you see a comment like this: > I did not know that the CDC admitted that vaccines are a cause of autism - bad CDC! Bad! The scariest part - her handle is “Mom-1124152” - she apparently has already bred. Around here, if you check out a child’s titters you get locked away for being a pedophile. Now, titers are another matter. A young infant would probably have some titers against measles if their mom either had it or was vaccinated. Not sure that would mean too much. One of the cases of measles I.D.ed lately was a kid who was in Indianapolis for the Superbowl and spent a day in the “Super Village” with hundreds if not thousands of other people. Good thing most of them were vaccinated. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/25 "2012-04-20T18:09:19Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](#): > > Around here, if you check out a child’s titters you get locked away for being a pedophile. You’re doing it wrong. You check their titters by telling them a joke that features poop or farts. That’ll make most kids titter. I’m not sure it would work on a newborn, though. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/26 "2012-04-20T18:15:48Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > This kind of thing is why I stay away from parenting boards. I wish I could find a parenting board that is sensible and evidence-based, but there don’t seem to be any such places. I guess I’ll have to ask my parenting questions here. It’s not actually a parenting board, but [this place](http://www.squintmom.com/infant-development/2011-u-s-measles-rates-highest-in-15-years/) seems to attract some smart moms. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/27 "2012-04-20T18:17:41Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > Please tell your last sentence is a whoosh. > > The MMR actually helps prevent autism. Congenital rubella syndrome (the R in the MMR shot) is a known cause of autism. What do you think? :dubious: Although with rubella, it would likely be the grandkids who get autism, not the kids. > [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I am totally okay with charging these parents with neglect. Or endangering the public health, or something. A new law similar to welfare fraud? Exploiting [herd immunity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_immunity), getting the benefits while lowering the threshold and endangering others? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/28 "2012-04-20T18:47:12Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > The MMR actually helps prevent autism. Congenital rubella syndrome (the R in the MMR shot) is a known cause of autism. I’m very grateful for the MMR vaccine. I never had to have rubella (which I imagine is not pleasant), and I don’t have to worry about getting it now and having it affect my baby. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/29 "2012-04-20T18:50:06Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Highest in 15 years ≠ all time high. What, no Kanye reference to go with that? Seriously, anti-vax is one of the saddest forms of modern ignorance out there. It’s one thing if people believe stupid conspiracy theories or reject accepted scientific theory or whatever, because it just makes them look like morons, but this ignorance specifically harms and kills other people, like the children they refuse to vaccinate or in some cases people who DID vaccinate but catch it as a result of these other unvaccinated people. As far as I’m concerned, all the deaths above the trend when this whole anti-vax thing gained momentum are the direct result of this. I really hope this spike is an anamoly. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/30 "2012-04-20T19:50:16Z")
Penn and Teller did a great visual demonstration on **Bullshit!**. The point was that even if the anti-vaxers were 100 % right about autism and other stuff, vaccinations would _still_ be more than worth it. I wonder if anyone has a youtube link to that? (I do not have access to youtube at the moment) ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/31 "2012-04-20T20:17:10Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Penn and Teller did a great visual demonstration on **Bullshit!**. The point was that even if the anti-vaxers were 100 % right about autism and other stuff, vaccinations would _still_ be more than worth it. > > I wonder if anyone has a youtube link to that? > > (I do not have access to youtube at the moment) [Here you go.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0IvM8c-Pew) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/32 "2012-04-21T01:27:48Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > [http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/\_news/2012/04/19/11288194-us-measles-cases-highest-in-15-years](http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/19/11288194-us-measles-cases-highest-in-15-years) > > I’m so grateful I can get my youngest her MMR shot next week. The anti-vax brigade can go fuck off. Do they really us to be like Europe with over 30,000 cases of measles last year? Wait, what? What’s with that European statistic? What are you implying by it? It’s certainly not in line with any stats from the UK. We do have the measles vaccine too, you know. And I still got mumps last year - while on holiday in the US. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/33 "2012-04-21T03:06:28Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Highest in 15 years ≠ all time high. :smack: > [@SciFiSam](#): > > Wait, what? What’s with that European statistic? What are you implying by it? > > It’s certainly not in line with any stats from the UK. We do have the measles vaccine too, you know. > > And I still got mumps last year - while on holiday in the US. I’m sorry to hear that. Mumps sucks. The Brits have been stupid with the MMR on occasion unfortunately. Wakefield is a Brit. Widespread publicity of his idiocy helped pushed down MMR rates in Britain in recent years: > [@](#): > > [Doctor at centre of MMR row Andrew Wakefield faces being struck off after GMC ruling | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246775/Doctor-centre-MMR-row-Andrew-Wakefield-faces-struck-GMC-ruling.html) > > Take-up of the MMR jab plunged by 12 per cent after Dr Wakefield linked the triple vaccine to autism in 1998. > > Until then the rate was 91 per cent - close to the 95 per cent needed for ‘herd immunity’, where so many are vaccinated that it becomes very hard for the bug to spread. > > By 2003, it had fallen to 80 per cent nationwide and to below 50 per cent in some parts of London. Wakefield’s stupidity is still having force today. There were over three hundred cases of measles in the first quarter of 2011 alone: > [@](#): > > [Measles cases rise tenfold | MMR | The Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/may/27/measles-cases-rise-tenfold) > > More than 330 cases of measles have been reported in the first three months of 2011 – nearly as many as the whole of last year. I would like to know why the French seem to be at the epicenter of the epidemic. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/34 "2012-04-21T04:05:04Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > Doctor Offit gives a [free online course](https://www.coursera.org/#course/vaccines) on vaccines. > > Does anyone want to post this link at Mothering? > > 😃 I try to avoid Mothering, but I picked up that course information from a Facebook page called Proud Parents of Unvaccinated Children. I’m sure they’ll be very pleased. I’m taking the course, and so are a couple friends, who also got the info from antivaccine pages. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/35 "2012-04-21T04:24:43Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > Wouldn’t it be nice if we could say that no kids died last year from measles, and no kids had to get a measles vaccine? > > We’re there, but with smallpox, not measles. Guess how we got there. Hint: it wasn’t by having smallpox parties. Actually, they did have smallpox parties. They were called “army camps”. Didn’t work out well though, immunization-wise 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/36 "2012-04-21T05:51:20Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Wait, what? What’s with that European statistic? What are you implying by it? > > It’s certainly not in line with any stats from the UK. We do have the measles vaccine too, you know. > > And I still got mumps last year - while on holiday in the US. Well, it’s true, but it’s largely not an anti-vaccination problem in the EU itself. (Though Romania and Italy were, IIRC, rebuked by the WHO for publishing inflated vaccination coverage numbers.) There was an article on it in the Lancet, I think, which showed that in the 90s the EU received a significant amount of immigrants from India and south- and west-coast africa, where the MMR immunization coverage is worst. (50-79%) And, for some reason, parts of New Zealand. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366/37 "2012-04-21T06:07:44Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > There was an article on it in the Lancet, I think If so, how ironic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-measles-cases-at-an-all-time-high/619366.md?page=1)