Posted on 12/21/2006 2:12:31 PM PST by Kimmers
Atlanta - The biggest U.S. measles outbreak in a decade - 34 people stricken in Indiana and Illinois last year - was traced back to a 17-year-old Indiana girl who had traveled to Romania without first getting vaccinated, government health officials said Thursday.
The outbreak accounted for more than half of the 66 measles cases in the United States in 2005. Widespread use of the measles vaccine has dramatically reduced the incidence of the disease over the past four decades; in 2004, there were just 37 cases, the smallest number in nearly 90 years of record-keeping.
The Clinton County, Ind., girl unknowingly brought the viral disease back to her home state of Indiana, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Thirty-two other people in Indiana and one from Illinois became infected. Three people were hospitalized, but no one died.
Only two of the 34 people had been vaccinated against measles.
"The outbreak occurred because measles was imported into a population of children whose parents had chosen not to vaccinate their children because of safety concerns, despite evidence that measles-containing vaccine is safe and effective," the CDC said in its weekly journal.
The Indiana girl became infected after visiting a Romanian orphanage while on a church-mission trip, the CDC and state health officials said. The others became infected after they attended a church gathering with her the day after her return.
"Certainly orphanages are known to be higher risk" for measles, said Dr. Philip Gould of the CDC's division of viral diseases. "The main point is to ensure that people do get vaccinated, especially prior to leaving the country, ... going to a place that physicians suspect that measles is a risk."
The federal health agency said the girl should have been given two doses of a measles vaccine before leaving the country. The CDC said the outbreak could have been prevented if everyone involved had been properly vaccinated.
However, the agency noted that a "major epidemic" was averted because the community surrounding the outbreak area had high vaccination rates.
Nearly all of the 32 other U.S. cases in 2005 originated abroad, including 16 cases involving U.S. residents infected while traveling overseas and seven involving foreigners who were infected before visiting the United States.
In the decade before a measles vaccine became available in 1963, about 450,000 measles cases and about 450 measles deaths were recorded in the U.S. each year. The disease - often known by its characteristic rash that begins on the face and spreads - can cause ear infection, diarrhea, or pneumonia. It kills about one in 1,000 patients, according to the CDC.
The U.S. vaccination rate against measles is now more than 90 percent.
CDC measles info
Scarlet fever is a result of a strep infection which is bacterial. It's caused by a toxin the bacteria produce if the infection is left untreated. Kids still get it but not so much anymore with the use of anti-biotics to control the infection.
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/scarlet_fever.html
giggle good one....
Yeah people still get it. It's caused by a particular strain of Streptococcus. We are much better about diagnosing Strep and treating it with antiobiotics now. Also the particular strain of strep that causes the scarlet fever rash seems to be less common these days, same for the one that causes Rheumatic Fever. No one knows why.
Absolutely!
My adopted brother is autistic. When he got his MMR and DPT, he promptly threw several petite mal seizures EVERY DAY for over a week afterwards, with accompanying high fever, etc.
Now, goodness knows I have no idea what caused his autism. However, after those vaccines at 12 months, he started the typical autistic downslide-ie, communication/eye contact decreased, became hyposensitive to certain kinds of touch and hypersensitive to others, etc.
Surely spreading out these vaccinations couldn't hurt, and they might help those kids who react so poorly to the vaccines.
Most parents don't even bother reading the inserts. There are a number of reasons certain children shouldn't be vaccinated. Illness, previous severe reactions, and so on.
Doctors never seem to care about those whose lives are ruined by vaccines.
That is just not so. Of coarse we care. But the number saved from death and severe disability and illness far outweigh those who have severe disability or death from vaccines. That is just a fact. No medicine, vaccine, surgery is ever going to be totally risk free. None. But immunizations is the most important medical break through ever. Those who live in 3rd world countries would do almost anything to have their children vaccinated. We in this country as as usual just spoiled and forget history. Not even history that long ago. Within the past 70-80 years. You have probably never seen a 4 month old with whooping cough I have in this country. It is not a pretty sight. Takes one on one nursing just to keep the oral secreations suctioned and the cough is nothing like you have heard.
I have seen my 22 year old nephew's life ruined by a DPT shot.
He was perfectly normal and excessively bright, and now functions at about a three year old's level. He hasn't said a single intelligible word in 20 years and has constant seizures.
Perhaps medical "professionals" should do a little more screening and be more cautious, instead of trying to force all children into a mandated vaccine schedule. "Informed consent", my eye. Most parents aren't even given the vaccine inserts before the vaccinations. Doctors think nothing of vaccinating
ill children.
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061222/LIFE03/612220327/1152
CDC ties measles outbreak to Clinton County teenager
ATLANTA -- The biggest U.S. measles outbreak in a decade -- 34 people stricken in Indiana and Illinois last year -- was traced back to a Clinton County teenager who had traveled to Romania without first getting vaccinated, government health officials said Thursday.
The outbreak accounted for more than half of the 66 measles cases in the United States in 2005.
Widespread use of the measles vaccine has dramatically reduced the incidence of the disease over the past four decades; in 2004, there were just 37 cases, the smallest number in nearly 90 years of record-keeping.
The girl, who was not named to protect her privacy, unknowingly brought the viral disease back to her home state of Indiana, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Thirty-two other people in Indiana and one from Illinois became infected.
Three people were hospitalized, but no one died.
Only two of the 34 people had been vaccinated against measles.
According to Journal & Courier archives, on May 15, 2005, a 17-year-old, unvaccinated girl from Clinton County returned from a church mission trip to an orphanage in Romania.
She unknowingly carried a measles strain common in that country.
On May 16, 2005, about 500 people were with her at a gathering at West Lafayette's Upper Room Christian Fellowship.
About 50 of them lacked proof of measles immunity. Sixteen contracted measles at the gathering.
Over six weeks, a total of 34 cases were confirmed.
Ninety-seven percent were members of the church that held the gathering; 94 percent were unvaccinated; 88 percent were less than 20 years old, and 9 percent were hospitalized. All survived.
Of the 28 patients aged 5 to 19, 71 percent were home-schooled.
Indiana does not require home schooled children to be vaccinated against measles.
"The outbreak occurred because measles was imported into a population of children whose parents had chosen not to vaccinate their children because of safety concerns, despite evidence that measles-containing vaccine is safe and effective," the CDC said in its weekly journal.
"Certainly orphanages are known to be higher risk" for measles, said Dr. Philip Gould of the CDC's division of viral diseases.
"The main point is to ensure that people do get vaccinated, especially prior to leaving the country, ... going to a place that physicians suspect that measles is a risk."
The federal health agency said the girl should have been given two doses of a measles vaccine before leaving the country.
The CDC said the outbreak could have been prevented if everyone involved had been properly vaccinated.
However, the agency noted that a "major epidemic" was averted because the community surrounding the outbreak area had high vaccination rates.
Nearly all of the 32 other U.S. cases in 2005 originated abroad, including 16 cases involving U.S. residents infected while traveling overseas and seven involving foreigners who were infected before visiting the United States.
In the decade before a measles vaccine became available in 1963, about 450,000 measles cases and about 450 measles deaths were recorded in the U.S. each year.
The disease -- often known by its characteristic rash that begins on the face and spreads -- can cause ear infection, diarrhea, or pneumonia. It kills about one in 1,000 patients, according to the CDC.
The U.S. vaccination rate against measles is now more than 90 percent.
See post 71 for Home School link.
A lot of children used to die from polio, diptheria and whooping cough (pertussis). Are those the good old days you a yearning for?
Kay wrote:
"Have you ever wondered if diet soda causes obesity? I notice that overweight folks prefer diet drinks therefore there must be a link."
*******
Actually, there may be a link. Artificial sweeteners are generally a lot more "intense" than regular sugar. The body gets used to seeking that intensity, and so if you go from the artificial sweet in sodas, to the "normal" sweet of foods, those who drink a lot of soda tend to not have a good "that's sweet enough" shut-off point anymore. They'll over-sweeten with regular sugars, to the point of consuming even larger quantities of calories, seeking that same intensity. It messes with their body/brain "satisfaction" link.
But then, I'm anti-margerine, too. :)
Back to vaccines: I really do think there are better ways to get parents educated. Scare tactics either direction aren't useful. We've been blessed with some good health care professionals willing to help us find sensible solutions for OUR family (with the huge issues of vaccine sensitivity and all).
No, our kids don't follow "the schedule" put out by the pediatrician's office. But when a farm dog nipped my toddler's hand just before Thanksgiving, we made sure she was given a tetanus dose... tetanus alone, without diptheria or pertussis. The ER pharmacy didn't even stock it, but they were able to call around and get some in quickly. By isolating the one vaccination, we were pretty confident she'd be able to tolerate it without negative side effects, and that seems to have been the case.
We anticipate that by the time they're adults, they'll have had most of the major vaccinations, one at a time, spaced by months and years, and given after 2 weeks or so of increased immune system supportive nutrition. We also plan to test their titer levels of things like chickenpox--and if a good natural immunity exists, we won't inject them with that particular bug.
Informed consent takes WORK on the parent's part, and on the health care provider's part. For us, it's work well worth it. For my dear Sis-in-law, the blanket practices are fine and dandy. It's a very personal choice, and should be made thoughtfully, considering all the options, and what compromises are out there.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.