Measles outbreak kills almost 1,000 children in Madagascar despite emergency vaccination scheme
The Indian Ocean island has Africa’s highest rate of children’s malnutrition, increasing health risk from measles infection
At least 922 children and young adults have died of measles in Madagascar since October, despite a huge emergency vaccination program, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
The number of deaths is based on ( Read more... )
It's gotten to the point, IMO, that I think we will have to make a decision in various countries.
I live in Canada, and in my province/Quebec (and very possibly elsewhere in the country) active tuberculosis is what is known as a MATO. (This is a French acronym which means 'maladie à traitement obligatoire' or 'disease with mandatory treatment').(1) Under the relevant laws, a patient with active tuberculosis must adhere to treatment and the laws can be used to enforce treatment, in order to protect the public.(4)
The U.S. also has seems to have something similar, again for tuberculosis.(2)
(Note that this refers to the ACTIVE and contagious form of tuberculosis(3) above, and not the latent form, where the individual is not contagious to others.)
I can't help but wonder if the anti-vaxxer movement will make us, as a society, revisit the laws we created for tuberculosis, and apply them to other infectious diseases... As I pointed out, and while I'm not a lawyer, it certainly would seem that a precedent exists.
It seems to me that this would be something to consider, especially when one ponders that:
-Some people CAN'T get vaccinated (e.g. immunosuppression, allergy to the vaccine or to certain vaccine components, too young to receive the vaccine) and therefore WILL BE affected when herd immunity is compromised (and those who choose not to vaccinate themselves and/or their children are effectively implying that they don't care about these people).
-Even among the vaccinated, the induced immunity is not 100% (in other words, no vaccine is 100% effective in inducing immunity, and the vaccinated yet not immune will can also be affected if vaccination rates fall).(5)
-Even among the vaccinated AND immune, immunity decreases over time. This is the reason why boosters exist for several vaccines (e.g. whooping cough or pertussis(6)). (7) What I'm saying here is that adhering to recommended vaccination schedules is really important for everyone.
References:
1. Tuberculose. Description. Santé et services sociaux, Québec. (In French) http://www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/professionnels/maladies-infectieuses/tuberculose/
2. Menu of Suggested Provisions For State Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Laws. F. Confinement in a Facility. 1. Administrative or Court Order for Confinement. (https://www.cdc.gov/tb/programs/laws/menu/confinement.htm)
3. What Is Tuberculosis? https://www.webmd.com/lung/understanding-tuberculosis-basics#1
4. Guide d'intervention. La tuberculose. Mise à jour août 2017. Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Québec. (In French) http://publications.msss.gouv.qc.ca/msss/fichiers/2017/17-271-05W.pdf
5. Global Vaccine Safety. Six common misconceptions about immunization. https://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/initiative/detection/immunization_misconceptions/en/index2.html
6. Pertussis Frequently Asked Questions. https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/faqs.html
7. Efficacy and effectiveness. Duration of immunity provided by vaccines. (http://www.immune.org.nz/vaccines/efficiency-effectiveness)
(Note: This website is described as follows by the WHO's website: "The website of the Immunisation Advisory Centre is a member of the WHO-led project Vaccine Safety Net (VSN). The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) website provides New Zealanders with evidence-based information on the National Immunisation Programme and the diseases that the programme helps protect against.(...)" (See here: https://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/initiative/communication/network/imac/en/))
(Edited for clarity)
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We need to. I truly believe that.
The thing that is the worst, in my opinion, is that a lot of anti-vaxxers -- the loud, outspoken ones -- are the ones who think they'd rather have a dead child, than a child with Autism (yes, I know there isn't a connection, but there seem to be so many who appear to remain unconvinced).
I lost a friend over the whole anti-vax thing. At some point she turned into one (*proud* of her daughter and grandchildren who had whooping cough, and went about their normal business, work, school, etc, "it was just a bad cold"). She tried to tell me about families she knew who had a child or children on the spectrum, and I couldn't possibly know how that felt because my son is "so high-functioning". I called bullshit and told her she didn't have a clue what his childhood had been like for us... and that was it.
Everyone who can be vaccinated...should be vaccinated.
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I agree. This is seriously f*cked up.
I mean, I can understand having to adjust to the diagnosis, but I DON'T understand that.
(Full disclosure: I am not a parent and I don't know anyone who is autistic. I do have a sister who is schizophrenic however. She will never be 'normal'. I know I'm going to be responsible for her when my parents are gone. And her life has value. As much as mine. /my 0.02$)
"She tried to tell me about families she knew who had a child or children on the spectrum, and I couldn't possibly know how that felt because my son is "so high-functioning". I called bullshit and told her she didn't have a clue what his childhood had been like for us... and that was it."
Oh my God. That's just... Wow.
Yeah, I can understand cancelling a friendship when someone comes up with something like this. That's just horrible.
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