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Indiana girl tied to largest measles outbreak in decade
channel 13 news ^

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


TOPICS: US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: indiana; measles; romania; vaccines
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To: radiohead

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


61 posted on 12/21/2006 6:31:14 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: metmom
No argument from me.....I really think overloading those wee ones with huge amounts of vaccines could contribute to future problems....
62 posted on 12/21/2006 6:36:23 PM PST by Kimmers
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To: Hot Tabasco

giggle good one....


63 posted on 12/21/2006 6:37:39 PM PST by Kimmers
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To: radiohead

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.


64 posted on 12/21/2006 6:44:01 PM PST by Kozak (Anti Shahada: " There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")
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To: Kimmers

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.


65 posted on 12/21/2006 6:58:45 PM PST by PalestrinaGal0317 (I wasn't born in Texas; I just got here as fast as I could!)
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To: GovernmentShrinker
I had a friend in his late 20's that had never had chicken pox. He had a 4 year old daughter and a 6 week old daughter. He four year old gave him the chicken pox. This was before the vaccine. He is now living in a nursing home with severe brain damage secondary to enchepalitis. Sad story. The only reason we do not have more children dead like you see if you vist an old cemetery with the children lined up that died before 5 is because of immunizations. Immunizations have saved more lives than anything else ever done by medicine including antibiotics. Those who do not vaccinate their children only get by because the rest of the population does. Those that want to go without vaccinating their children are doing their children and society a disservice. They are like pacifists they only survive due to the safe society they live in. Talk to your older parents and grand parents and see how mothers were thrilled that there were vaccinations developed. Much human suffering was overcome. Talk to someone crippled by polio or that had a child in a iron lung. My mother lost a sister who was 7 years old to small pox. All the parents who hate immunizations do not understand how misguided they are in their outlook. I think of this every year during decoration when I look at my GGF and GGGM family graves and there are 6 children buried before the age of 5. I also think of it because I am a physician and do not have to tell parents their children have died of a totally preventable disease.
66 posted on 12/21/2006 7:10:28 PM PST by therut
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To: Amelia

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.


67 posted on 12/21/2006 9:04:10 PM PST by Politicalmom (Nearly 1% of illegals are in prison for felonies. Less than 1/10 of 1% of the legal population is.)
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To: therut

Doctors never seem to care about those whose lives are ruined by vaccines.


68 posted on 12/21/2006 9:09:29 PM PST by Politicalmom (Nearly 1% of illegals are in prison for felonies. Less than 1/10 of 1% of the legal population is.)
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To: Politicalmom

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.


69 posted on 12/21/2006 9:57:41 PM PST by therut
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To: therut

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.


70 posted on 12/21/2006 10:44:53 PM PST by Politicalmom (Nearly 1% of illegals are in prison for felonies. Less than 1/10 of 1% of the legal population is.)
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To: Kimmers

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.


71 posted on 12/22/2006 7:11:48 AM PST by blf1776 (Democratic Party - the "party of cut-and-run.")
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To: RKBA Democrat; 2Jedismom; FreedomHasACost; mtbrandon49; DarthDilbert; Peanut Gallery; Restorer

See post 71 for Home School link.


72 posted on 12/22/2006 7:25:58 AM PST by blf1776 (Democratic Party - the "party of cut-and-run.")
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To: metmom
oh for the days where childhood diseases were caught as children and inparted better immunity.

A lot of children used to die from polio, diptheria and whooping cough (pertussis). Are those the good old days you a yearning for?

73 posted on 12/22/2006 7:28:02 AM PST by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 1-9)
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To: Kay

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.


74 posted on 12/22/2006 3:34:10 PM PST by Missus (We're not trying to overpopulate the world, we're just trying to outnumber the idiots.)
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To: therut
This is an old article but I had to say something here. As a mother of two children with ASD’s I do not believe vaccines cause Autism but am not satisfied with the statements that say Vaccines are safe! That is just not true. DO the benefits to society outweigh the risks? Probably, but that all depends on if you believe that these vaccines do not cause any short or long term problems. I am not convinced either way. The primary problem parents have, myself included, is that most physicians are not completely honest about anything these days. SO we educated parents have just stopped trusting what they say. Can you blame us? They talk down to us on most occasions, only take 5 to 10 minutes to half listen to one or two of the things we have said. DO not provide us with adequate tools to make decisions and just flat out refuse to listen to what we say. The thing is parents know so much more about their children than Dr’s do!!
That brings us to where we are today. If physicians want parents to make good choices than be honest, listen better and work with the parents and not against us!
I have not worked as a nurse for over 10 years but I have no problem reading studies for myself and understanding them. A lot of the studies being cited as proof of vaccine safety are funded by pharmaceutical companies or other parties that have a vested interest in mass vaccine production and use. So how can we trust the results 100%?? I think we will see vaccine rates decline more and more until the medical community get’s it!
Also, Parents are tired of being lied to because your God complex and elitism prevent you from being honest and saying “I don’t know” when you really don’t know something.
BTW, both of my children are fully vaccinated, and I regret it all the time.
My oldest had a case of Shingles three months after getting his chicken pox Vaccine and I know it would not have happened if I had not been forced to give him an unneeded vaccine. I had chickenpox at age 15 and was fine and am fully immune to this day.... both my boys will need booster after booster to hopefully not contract it in adulthood! Give me a break on this one.
Now we are forcing young girls to get HPV viruses injected into them in hopes that one day they might not get cervical cancer?? Please how can you force this when it’s an STD not a communicable one?
75 posted on 12/01/2007 1:42:21 AM PST by byebyecow (The medical community needs to get with the program.... or things will only get worse)
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