Posted on 05/24/2011 1:37:10 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa
A confirmed case of measles has occurred in a Dallas County resident. This situation is being treated as a public health emergency because measles spreads easily and can cause serious illness and death.
Local public health officials in Dallas and Polk counties are working with the Iowa Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) to determine who this individual may have exposed to measles and are at risk of becoming ill.
Any individuals who visited the following locations at the listed times should check to make sure they have received two MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccines. Those older than their mid-50s and know that they had measles as a child do not need to be vaccinated. If you have been at these places during these times and have not received two doses of MMR (or are not sure if you have received two MMRs), you should contact your county health department or health care provider to be vaccinated.
May 11
American Airlines Flight AA3965
Departed Chicago O’Hare: 11:55 a.m.
Arrived Des Moines International Airport: 1:05 p.m.
Des Moines International Airport - main terminal and baggage area
1:00 to 3:45 p.m.
May 14
Mercy Central Pediatric Clinic
330 Laurel St, Ste 2100, Des Moines Iowa
10:00 a.m. to close (offices closed at 2:00 p.m.)
Mercy Medical Center - Main Entrance, including waiting room, registration, outpatient testing and blood draw station areas
1111 6th Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa
Noon to 3:00 p.m.
The symptoms of measles include any or all of the following: fever, cough, red/pink eyes, runny nose and a rash. Anyone, regardless of age, who has not had measles or has not adequately responded to two doses of MMR (less than one percent), can get measles if exposed. Measles can cause serious illness, pneumonia, deafness, and brain inflammation. Two to three people out of 1,000 who get measles die from the disease. It is easily spread through the air and there is no treatment for the illness, so prevention is critical.
If you were at the places during the times listed above and have any symptoms consistent with measles, call your health care provider immediately and arrange to be seen safely. Do not go to the doctor’s office, ER, local public health agency, or a walk-in clinic until arrangements are made to be seen by your health care provider in a place and manner that will not potentially expose others to measles. Until arrangements are made, stay home; do not go into any public places.
“All Iowans should check their personal and family immunization records to make sure their measles vaccinations are up-to-date,” said IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk. “To be fully vaccinated, an individual should have had two doses of the measles vaccine, or have had measles in the past.”
Most children are robust enough to fully recover from it, but for adults, especially older people or those in poor health, it can be deadly.
Getting Chickenpox is hardly like lying down on a freeway.
You sound as if you are scared of living.
I had both versions of the measles in the ‘60s as a kid and it wasn’t serious. I got chicken pox when I was in my 40’s and was sick as a dog and felt like I was going to die. That was serious.
Remember the AVIAN FLU or some such scare? Or was it Swine Flu they scared the crap out of everyone with? No one is allowed in school without two MMR vacs so this is strange.
Illegal aliens that just got here maybe?
You don’t have a clue. I’ve done more adventurous things than most people but I also don’t expose myself to guaranteed misfortune. I don’t put my hand into running motors, I don’t hold loaded guns to my head, or any number of stupid things...and I avoid preventable illnesses any time I can. I don’t have time to be sick because I want to spend my life living it.
I think that it is totally irresponsible for people to neglect to vaccinate their children, especially now that we know the Autism connection was totally faked.
If all these diseases are just run of the normal diseases then let’s just bring back Smallpox and Polio.
I disagree with you. Making laws that require people to immunize children against innocuous diseases like Chicken Pox has led to adults who were never exposed, thus opening them up to a more devastating disease in adulthood.
These enforced inoculations were the beginning of the citizens of the US giving away our freedoms over our own bodies, and our own health and healthcare. Welcome to Obamaworld.
I didn’t even know that Measles was thinking of running in 2012. I expect Measles is against ObamaCare and any other health plan for that matter. Probably only has spotty support so far but still testing the waters in Iowa.
Feeble attempt at humor noted. FAIL.
Good post, and a GREAT tagline.
I don’t know how old you are but do you remember people who had polio and what happened to them? Do you remember the children who died of Diptheria? Do you remember the women who miscarried or had children with birth defects because of exposure to Measles?
I understand choice but if your choice is to expose me and mine to deadly diseases, I wouldn’t give you that choice. If I wasn’t already immune to Measles and you gave them to me, I would consider suing you because it is totally preventable. If I was pregnant and it caused me to have a child with birth defects, I would hold you responsible. There is no need for children to suffer and die. If these diseases weren’t communicable you could do your thing.
I don’t like government control either but there have to be some laws to protect people. There are laws against theft and murder and I bet you don’t object to them. I bet you wouldn’t like being deliberately exposed to AIDS either.
These childhood diseases are no different and when they kill you they do it much faster than AIDS would and when they maim and cripple you, you get to live with a lifetime with that disability.
I am a grandmother. I had five children and raised them to adulthood without government health intervention. My mother came from a family of 12 children. Surprise, surprise! They made it too.
So sue me. :D
Getting that vaccination is a good way to avoid that.
Most of the blindness occurs in the adult years.
The virus has NO civil rights so it's alright to use your immune system (which you kind of share with your species) to kill it.
Not at all the sort of guilt trip anyone needs, but there you have it.
I do have a right. There is no law that requires me to be disease free or immunized for your protection. ....yet.
By the way, be sure to wear your helmet and your seat belt. Don’t eat too much sugar or fat, keep your weight in check, and don’t smoke, exercise regularly and have a good life. ;)
Did your mom let you out to play? It must have been so dangerous!
How about THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
You infect someone due to your conscious negligence and they die that's murder. If they survive and develop blindness later in life you stole their eyesight.
There are probably some other commandments equally applicable.
On the other hand there are REAL LAWS ~ check out the word QUARANTINE. You can have your disease but you gotta' be isolated from the rest of us. The law does not allow you to go around and infect people with disease.
Why do I get the feeling you think you do not need to payy income taxes either.
And you call yourself a conservative? Amazing!
Conservatives, in general, do not concur in your proposition that it’s OK to murder the innocent ~ far from it in fact.
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