Disneyland measles: Rapid spread concerns health officials

L.A.Times ^ | January 17, 2015, 1:43 PM | Rong-Gong Lin II

[Mom MD]

If you had the disease probably not. I hope we dont have an epidemic where we have to find out though.....

[Mom MD]

I’m not sure how long the booster lasts. I hope we don’t have to find out just how much of the population is vulnerable. I know it is fashionable not to vaccinate kids now, but people forget what the diseases the vaccines protect against do. 100 years ago a fair percentage of kids did not survive to adulthood. I hope we are not going to see a return to those days. Or find out what happens when a disease such as measles spreads through an older adult population whose immunity from being vaccinated years ago is now gone.....

[Gaffer]

I was going to ask about when Disney held their most recent “Free Illegals Day”....

[Morpheus2009]

The vaccine does not guarantee you won’t get sick. People need to get that fact through their thick skulls. Second, chances are that the vast majority of all these children were vaccinated, but got sick with measles anyway. People need to get over the idea that the measles vaccine = perfect immunity, because it is simply not true. That isn’t to say that this information discourages me from getting my kid to have his shots, I perfectly will. However, that is because the likelihood of fatal measles is miniscule for a child that has the shots.

[freeangel]

Surely, parents of non vaccinated families are not complaining or draining medical resources because of their decision?/s

[Pearls Before Swine]

I thought we had a vaccine for that. But, I guess it’s become faddish not to use it.

[justlurking]

Problem is flu shots can remain effective for a long time, how is a chemical industry supposed to make money like that? The solution, as they see it, is to strongly suggest constant ‘tweeking’ and updates of your present vaccines.

Flu shots are a bad example. The influenza virus mutates constantly, and there are actually multiple strains at any given time. A flu shot has 3-4 strains each year, which are chosen around February. Then, those strains are grown, so the shots are available in the fall.

The choice of strains are a gamble -- you can't be sure which ones will be widespread in the fall. This year, they didn't choose all the right ones, and I think the shot only immunized against one strain that is widespread.

[justlurking]

I had measles, mumps, and chicken pox as a child. Do I need a booster now in my old age?

You should consider the shingles vaccine. Since you had chicken pox, you already have the virus in you. It's just a question whether it will erupt into shingles.

If you have already had shingles (like I have), I don't know if the vaccine is worthwhile. I've asked my doctor, but there doesn't seem to be a consensus.

[Bigg Red]

Ditto

[Bigg Red]

Thanks for your answer.

[Bigg Red]

Thanks.