non-vaccination collateral damage
Mon Jul 6 12:21:18 EDT 2015
Following up on people not getting vaccinated:First U.S. Measles Death in 12 Years
Jul 3 2015
A woman living in rural northwestern Washington has died from measles, state health officials said Thursday. No one suspected the woman had measles. Tests taken at her autopsy showed she had the virus, which can be deadly. The woman, who was not identified, died of pneumonia, a common consequence of measles, sometime this spring, authorities said.
"The woman was most likely exposed to measles at a local medical facility during a recent outbreak in Clallam County," the state health department said in a statement. "She was there at the same time as a person who later developed a rash and was contagious for measles," it said. "The woman had several other health conditions and was on medications that contributed to a suppressed immune system. She didn't have some of the common symptoms of measles such as a rash, so the infection wasn't discovered until after her death." .... "This tragic situation illustrates the importance of immunizing as many people as possible to provide a high level of community protection against measles."
"We know that measles can be deadly," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, who directs the respiratory diseases branch at the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We think that one in 2,000 ... will die from it even with great medical care. We are very sad about this because we think in general of measles as a preventable disease." And measles can make people very sick. Schuchat said one in four U.S. cases end up in the hospital, and one in 1,000 develop a serious and life-threatening brain inflammation known as encephalitis.
"People with compromised immune systems often cannot be vaccinated against measles," Washington's health department said. "Even when vaccinated, they may not have a good immune response when exposed to disease; they may be especially vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Public health officials recommend that everyone who is eligible for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine get vaccinated so they can help protect themselves, their families, and the vulnerable people in their community."
Measles is rare in the U.S. The last bad epidemic was in 1989-1991, when 55,000 cases were reported and 123 children died. Vaccination efforts have been stepped up since then.
"Until about 2010 we were seeing 30 to 50 cases a year," Schuchat said. But numbers have been much higher since then, with 644 cases last year.
"When we look over the last five years, a pattern emerges. We see many cases in people who have not been vaccinated not because the system didn't reach them but because they or their parents did not want to be vaccinated," Schuchat said.
People have died and are dieing now because their community is not sufficiently vaccinated.Man Mowing Lawn Hit by Suspected Drunk Driver
Friday, Jul 3, 2015
A man mowing his lawn in Chula Vista Thursday night was hit by a driver who may have been intoxicated, police said.
The Southern California man and the driver, both not yet identified, were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Police said the motorist was driving a black Ford Focus when he lost control of the car, hit an electrical box, plowed through a fence and then hit the man. Firefighters had to extricate the driver from the car using the Jaws of Life.
Thursday evening, a crumpled lawn mower was seen near the damaged car. The victim's flip-flops were thrown across the lawn.
I don't think the driver was the only problem here. The victim was wearing flip-flops while operating a lawnmower. I thought everybody knew that's stupid. (Yes, I know there's nothing that everybody knows.)Former FBI Agent Matthew Lawry Details Path to Addiction and Arrest
Jul 3 2015
Lowry said his descent from working with the nation's preeminent investigative agency to drug addict began like many other cases: Prescribed the opioid painkiller hydrocodone after he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a painful inflammatory bowel disease, he started taking the drugs more and more frequently and became addicted. When his doctor disappeared and the pills ran out he turned to heroin - a drug that he had easy access as a member of the FBI Cross-Border Task Force, investigating drug sales and logging evidence.
Health officials have warned that abusers of opioids like the Vicodin Lowry was prescribed often move on to heroin. Prescription opioid painkillers have the same effect on the brain and body that heroin does, but heroin is cheaper.
That's got to say something about our screwed-up health-care system.The year-long scheme came to an end on Sept. 29, when felt groggy out behind the wheel of his FBI vehicle in Washington, D.C., pulled over and came to hours later as worried colleagues tried to call him. Lowry went through three months of outpatient rehabilitation after he passed out on Sept. 29, and says he has been clean ever since. He faces between 7 and 9 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 9.
Tuesday 00:21
This one's just funny:Man Dressed as Armored Truck Driver Walks Out of Walmart With $75,000
Jul 6 2015
BRISTOW, Okla. - Investigators were working Monday to identify a man who took more than $75,000 from an Oklahoma Walmart after disguising himself as an armored truck driver. Bristow Police Chief Wayne Williams said authorities in northeast Oklahoma have received some anonymous tips about the identity of the man whose image was captured by a video surveillance camera. "We've got some calls out on it, but nothing yet," Williams said. He said officials do not believe the suspect lives in the area.
Authorities say the suspect entered the Walmart store in Bristow about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, walked to the cash office, signed for the deposit and walked out of the store. He drove away in a dark four-door Chevrolet.
"He came to the Walmart kind of dressed like a Loomis armored car driver," Williams said. Wal-Mart employees called police after the real Loomis employee arrived about 45 minutes later. Bristow is about 35 miles southwest of Tulsa.
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/752286.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]
Following up on people not getting vaccinated:First U.S. Measles Death in 12 Years
Jul 3 2015
A woman living in rural northwestern Washington has died from measles, state health officials said Thursday. No one suspected the woman had measles. Tests taken at her autopsy showed she had the virus, which can be deadly. The woman, who was not identified, died of pneumonia, a common consequence of measles, sometime this spring, authorities said.
"The woman was most likely exposed to measles at a local medical facility during a recent outbreak in Clallam County," the state health department said in a statement. "She was there at the same time as a person who later developed a rash and was contagious for measles," it said. "The woman had several other health conditions and was on medications that contributed to a suppressed immune system. She didn't have some of the common symptoms of measles such as a rash, so the infection wasn't discovered until after her death." .... "This tragic situation illustrates the importance of immunizing as many people as possible to provide a high level of community protection against measles."
"We know that measles can be deadly," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, who directs the respiratory diseases branch at the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We think that one in 2,000 ... will die from it even with great medical care. We are very sad about this because we think in general of measles as a preventable disease." And measles can make people very sick. Schuchat said one in four U.S. cases end up in the hospital, and one in 1,000 develop a serious and life-threatening brain inflammation known as encephalitis.
"People with compromised immune systems often cannot be vaccinated against measles," Washington's health department said. "Even when vaccinated, they may not have a good immune response when exposed to disease; they may be especially vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Public health officials recommend that everyone who is eligible for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine get vaccinated so they can help protect themselves, their families, and the vulnerable people in their community."
Measles is rare in the U.S. The last bad epidemic was in 1989-1991, when 55,000 cases were reported and 123 children died. Vaccination efforts have been stepped up since then.
"Until about 2010 we were seeing 30 to 50 cases a year," Schuchat said. But numbers have been much higher since then, with 644 cases last year.
"When we look over the last five years, a pattern emerges. We see many cases in people who have not been vaccinated not because the system didn't reach them but because they or their parents did not want to be vaccinated," Schuchat said.
People have died and are dieing now because their community is not sufficiently vaccinated.Man Mowing Lawn Hit by Suspected Drunk Driver
Friday, Jul 3, 2015
A man mowing his lawn in Chula Vista Thursday night was hit by a driver who may have been intoxicated, police said.
The Southern California man and the driver, both not yet identified, were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Police said the motorist was driving a black Ford Focus when he lost control of the car, hit an electrical box, plowed through a fence and then hit the man. Firefighters had to extricate the driver from the car using the Jaws of Life.
Thursday evening, a crumpled lawn mower was seen near the damaged car. The victim's flip-flops were thrown across the lawn.
I don't think the driver was the only problem here. The victim was wearing flip-flops while operating a lawnmower. I thought everybody knew that's stupid. (Yes, I know there's nothing that everybody knows.)Former FBI Agent Matthew Lawry Details Path to Addiction and Arrest
Jul 3 2015
Lowry said his descent from working with the nation's preeminent investigative agency to drug addict began like many other cases: Prescribed the opioid painkiller hydrocodone after he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a painful inflammatory bowel disease, he started taking the drugs more and more frequently and became addicted. When his doctor disappeared and the pills ran out he turned to heroin - a drug that he had easy access as a member of the FBI Cross-Border Task Force, investigating drug sales and logging evidence.
Health officials have warned that abusers of opioids like the Vicodin Lowry was prescribed often move on to heroin. Prescription opioid painkillers have the same effect on the brain and body that heroin does, but heroin is cheaper.
That's got to say something about our screwed-up health-care system.The year-long scheme came to an end on Sept. 29, when felt groggy out behind the wheel of his FBI vehicle in Washington, D.C., pulled over and came to hours later as worried colleagues tried to call him. Lowry went through three months of outpatient rehabilitation after he passed out on Sept. 29, and says he has been clean ever since. He faces between 7 and 9 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 9.
Tuesday 00:21
This one's just funny:Man Dressed as Armored Truck Driver Walks Out of Walmart With $75,000
Jul 6 2015
BRISTOW, Okla. - Investigators were working Monday to identify a man who took more than $75,000 from an Oklahoma Walmart after disguising himself as an armored truck driver. Bristow Police Chief Wayne Williams said authorities in northeast Oklahoma have received some anonymous tips about the identity of the man whose image was captured by a video surveillance camera. "We've got some calls out on it, but nothing yet," Williams said. He said officials do not believe the suspect lives in the area.
Authorities say the suspect entered the Walmart store in Bristow about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, walked to the cash office, signed for the deposit and walked out of the store. He drove away in a dark four-door Chevrolet.
"He came to the Walmart kind of dressed like a Loomis armored car driver," Williams said. Wal-Mart employees called police after the real Loomis employee arrived about 45 minutes later. Bristow is about 35 miles southwest of Tulsa.
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/752286.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]