Massive Measles Outbreak in Wales

Health • Views: 3,130

The anti-vaccination insanity is starting to take a fatal toll across the pond as well: Measles outbreak ‘worst in years’.

Health chiefs in Wales are dealing with a “massive” measles outbreak, with numbers already four times the highest figure recorded over the past 13 years.

Four nursery school children were treated in hospital as part of 127 cases across mid and west Wales, while there are another 35 cases in Conwy. The National Public Health Service (NPHS) in Wales saw 39 cases last year. Its highest figure in 2003 was 44.

Officials appealed for parents to take up the MMR vaccine. Dr Mac Walapu, consultant in communicable disease control for the NPHS, said: “For as long as there are children who do not receive their MMR vaccinations, there is the potential for outbreaks of measles to happen and we would remind anyone in Wales, and not just in the affected area.”

A spokeswoman added: “We need to be up front with parents.”

She added: “We try not to be too scary when we talk to people about this, but children die of measles and children are impaired by measles. It puts children in hospital. The reality it is that this is happening now, in Wales. Measles is very contagious.”

Jump to bottom

303 comments
1 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:14:05am

Why can't it be the idiot parents who made the decision that pay, not the kids?

2 Sabnen  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:14:18am

Surprise! Someone tell Ophra.

3 dgax65  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:14:46am

Do they get Oprah in Wales?

4 Wyatt Earp  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:14:49am

Get thee to a vaccination!

5 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:15:03am

re: #2 Sabnen

Surprise! Someone tell Ophra.

I wonder if this will go under the Jenny McCarthy body count?

6 Charles Johnson  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:15:09am

In the previous thread about Oprah Winfrey and Jenny McCarthy, by the way, several anti-vaxers have shown up at the end to promote this craziness.

7 Nevergiveup  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:15:19am

So what's gonna get us first: the Nukes or the Germs?

8 Nevergiveup  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:15:38am

re: #3 dgax65

Do they get Oprah in Wales?

I got the runs on Wales once?

9 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:15:52am

re: #6 Charles

In the previous thread about Oprah Winfrey and Jenny McCarthy, by the way, several anti-vaxers have shown up at the end to promote this craziness.

I'm afraid of what I'm about to say, so I think I won't say it.

10 Kenneth  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:16:13am

Forward this to Oprah. Anti-vax nuts are going to kill children with their stupid neglect.

11 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:16:15am

re: #7 Nevergiveup

So what's gonna get us first: the Nukes or the Germs?

It's a race. Or they could gang up on us.

12 redshirt  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:16:56am

Wow, what with the swine flu hysteria and the anti vaccine hysteria I really think we are moving backwards.
Next up: a wave of illness caused by gypsy curses and how to kill a chicken to protect yourself.

13 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:16:57am

Does Jenny McCarthy already have a talk show in Wales?

14 ilzito guacamolito  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:17:04am

Measles outbreak 'worst in years'

Health chiefs in Wales are dealing with a "massive" measles outbreak, with numbers already four times the highest figure recorded over the past 13 years.

What's with the quotation marks?

15 redshirt  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:17:46am

re: #6 Charles

Well, send them to Wales. Put up or shut up time.

16 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:18:02am
17 Truck Monkey  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:18:05am

At Least the kids won't die as autistics.

/WTF is wrong with these people? Seriously.

18 gmsc  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:18:29am

Yeah, but notice there's no autism outbreak!

////Jenny mode off

19 SummerSong  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:18:47am

It is easy to envision parents up in arms demanding that something be done to save the children. Of course, it's been there in front of them all along.

It is so sad to see this kind of thing.

20 gmsc  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:19:19am

OT: Norman Hsu found guilty of campaign finance fraud

21 Gella  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:19:21am

are we going to back to dark ages?

22 Wyatt Earp  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:19:32am

re: #13 Erik The Red

Does Jenny McCarthy already have a talk show in Wales?

She was more relevant - and less dangerous - when she was showing the world her breasts.

23 brookly red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:19:42am

re: #7 Nevergiveup

So what's gonna get us first: the Nukes or the Germs?

nukes, no vaccine against them.

24 Creeping Eruption  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:19:43am

Just waiting for the first tort suit against an anti-vaxer.

25 Joan Not of Arc  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:19:46am

Correct me if I'm wrong but children get vaccinated for measles as infants. Why, then, all of this? If this is the result of anti-vaccination nonsense, I hope they are pleased with themselves. Nothing says "self-righteous indignation" than sick children.

26 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:19:57am

Children will die because of the anti-vaccine hysteria. Their blood is on the hands of anti-vaccine activists.

27 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:20:04am
28 Kragar  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:20:32am

"Show much much you love your child. Help them contract life threatening, debilitating diseases because you're an idiot."

/

29 Eowyn2  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:20:42am

24 hour wait and see policy.

MMR shots are very useful and I am for them. HOWEVER, what kind of measles are we talking of here? There are certain types of measles which are NOT affected by the MMR. Rosiola (which, even with the MMR shots, all of my children contracted as babies.)

30 acwgusa  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:20:42am

So much for Gitmo closing:

AP source: Democrats won't fund Guantanamo closing

Fund Government Health Care? Sure. Bail Out Carmakers? Why not? Close Gitmo? No way! We Demo's don't want those crazies in our backyards!

31 Wyatt Earp  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:20:51am

re: #25 Joan Not of Arc

Correct me if I'm wrong but children get vaccinated for measles as infants. Why, then, all of this? If this is the result of anti-vaccination nonsense, I hope they are pleased with themselves. Nothing says "self-righteous indignation" than sick children.

Where are the moonbats who always shout, "Think about the children!"?

32 Gella  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:20:58am

re: #27 buzzsawmonkey

We regress, the Muslims progress, and we meet somewhere around the 16th century. That's the plan.

history repeats itself more then once, but i don't want it to repeat itself
but honestly, id get another set of vaccines just in case..............

33 MrSilverDragon  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:21:10am

re: #27 buzzsawmonkey

We regress, the Muslims progress, and we meet somewhere around the 16th century. That's the plan.

Cool. I always wanted to meet Shakespeare.

34 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:21:10am

re: #22 Wyatt Earp

She was more relevant - and less dangerous - when she was showing the world her breasts.

Wyatt {Man huge/high five} How is the princess doing?

35 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:21:20am
36 Fenboy  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:21:23am

Yma o hyd's a Welsh lizard(ette). Hope she's not caught up in this. Come to think of it I'm just across the border in Bristol. Hope I'm not caught up in this...

37 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:21:53am

I hope yma is, and will be, okay.

38 Wyatt Earp  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:21:58am

re: #34 Erik The Red

Wyatt {Man huge/high five} How is the princess doing?

Very well, thank you! (Returned high five)

39 Mithrax  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:22:15am

Just as a thought, these anti-vaxers are getting an audience because of complacency.

The thinking is this: Since western society is so progressive and advanced, and we've "wiped out" all of these terrible, nasty diseases, we don't need to worry, so therefore the vaccines are just a scam! Moreover, children who have vaccines are now getting autism! Therefore Vaccines are unnecessary AND bad!

Of course, such thinking forgets that yes these diseases are still out there, and vaccines are still very necessary.....

40 Nevergiveup  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:22:24am

The US military says American soldiers still are finding large numbers of Iranian-made weapons in Iraq, despite Iran's denials.

[Link: www.ynetnews.com...]

Is this also part of Obama's--I'll give Iran till the end of the Year plan?

41 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:22:25am

re: #26 quickjustice

Children will die because of the anti-vaccine hysteria. Their blood is on the hands of anti-vaccine activists.

The blood is on their parents hands. For falling for this shit.

42 gmsc  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:22:30am

re: #7 Nevergiveup

So what's gonna get us first: the Nukes or the Germs?

Don't you watch 50s movies? The germs are going to grow huge due to nuclear radiation, and then get us!

///

43 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:22:32am

re: #36 Fenboy

Yma o hyd's a Welsh lizard(ette). Hope she's not caught up in this. Come to think of it I'm just across the border in Bristol. Hope I'm not caught up in this...

Then my #37 goes for you too.

44 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:22:33am

It's enough punishment for parents that their children fall ill and die. It's not enough punishment for those who misled them.

45 Bill Dalasio  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:22:46am

You know, the really screwy thing about all of this, is that it would make a great "free rider" problem (others vaccinations protect your kids. even if they forego vaccination), except that there's really no discernable benefit to free riding.

46 Cheesehead  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:22:58am

Does anyone else who grew up in the sixties and seventies, like myself, actually know of anyone who suffered serious repercussions from all the vaccines we had? I know I don't.

47 Wyatt Earp  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:23:08am

re: #42 gmsc

Don't you watch 50s movies? The germs are going to grow huge due to nuclear radiation, and then get us!

///

It's Godzilla! We must flee!

48 Truck Monkey  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:23:09am

re: #27 buzzsawmonkey

We regress, the Muslims progress, and we meet somewhere around the 16th century. That's the plan.


The Mohammedans are progressing faster than we are regressing?
To be equitable we sould meet somewhere in the 16th century.

/

49 Son of the Black Dog  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:23:20am

One would think that the NPHS would have made vaccinations mandatory.

/only partly sarc

50 Nevergiveup  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:23:31am

In the USA aren't there laws about vaccinations and kids going to school anymore?

51 ilzito guacamolito  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:23:36am

re: #29 Eowyn2

24 hour wait and see policy.

MMR shots are very useful and I am for them. HOWEVER, what kind of measles are we talking of here? There are certain types of measles which are NOT affected by the MMR. Rosiola (which, even with the MMR shots, all of my children contracted as babies.)


Roseola is measles?

52 Wyatt Earp  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:23:54am

re: #46 Cheesehead

Does anyone else who grew up in the sixties and seventies, like myself, actually know of anyone who suffered serious repercussions from all the vaccines we had? I know I don't.

Well, Obama was vaccinated and look how he turned out.

///

53 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:24:03am

re: #21 Gella

We're trying to, evidently.

54 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:24:29am

re: #46 Cheesehead

Does anyone else who grew up in the sixties and seventies, like myself, actually know of anyone who suffered serious repercussions from all the vaccines we had? I know I don't.

Nope.None.Nada.FUCK ALL.

55 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:24:39am
56 Spider Mensch  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:24:41am

Funny how Charles always puts these threads up on the days little Spider gets his shots lately. He just fiished up his 4 month shots today. The worse part is watching your kid get stuck. They wanted to give him 4 needles his last visit 2 weeks ago, but we said no 2 at time is good. I'll pay for the extra visit. So he went back today, he cried only maybe a minute this time, then just back to his normal state of baby cranky...lol.

57 mattm  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:25:02am

Another reason to hate Oprah.

58 Truck Monkey  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:25:18am

re: #47 Wyatt Earp

It's Godzilla! We must flee!

Don't you mean Godzirra?

59 Kragar  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:25:29am

re: #50 Nevergiveup

In the USA aren't there laws about vaccinations and kids going to school anymore?

Yes, and parents can sign a waiver saying the vaccinations go against their beliefs and have their children be exempted.

60 gmsc  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:25:37am

re: #58 Truck Monkey

Don't you mean Godzirra?

Only if he means "free".
;)

61 Wyatt Earp  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:25:43am

re: #58 Truck Monkey

Don't you mean Godzirra?

Yes. We must fwee!

62 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:26:04am

re: #50 Nevergiveup

In the USA aren't there laws about vaccinations and kids going to school anymore?

I think you can object because you are stupid.
or some other reason

63 gmsc  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:26:10am

re: #60 gmsc

Only if he means "free".
;)

re: #61 Wyatt Earp

Yes. We must fwee!

I was so close.

64 Nevergiveup  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:26:15am

re: #46 Cheesehead

Does anyone else who grew up in the sixties and seventies, like myself, actually know of anyone who suffered serious repercussions from all the vaccines we had? I know I don't.

Well this one girl I knew had this little circular scar on her arm from a vaccine that I liked to lick while I.......ah I guess that isn't what you meant ha?

65 Kragar  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:26:28am

re: #46 Cheesehead

Does anyone else who grew up in the sixties and seventies, like myself, actually know of anyone who suffered serious repercussions from all the vaccines we had? I know I don't.

Well, look how many turned out to be leftist fucktards.

/

66 Nevergiveup  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:27:15am

re: #59 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Yes, and parents can sign a waiver saying the vaccinations go against their beliefs and have their children be exempted.

Religious beliefs or loon beliefs?

67 subsailor68  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:27:25am

I'm a child of the 50's, and was lucky enough to have been born into a world where the polio vaccine had been invented. When it comes to this topic, all I can say is God bless Salk, Sabin, and all the others who brought these (and other) vaccines to the world.

I also find it ironic that Jenny McCarthy had no problem being "vaccinated" against small breasts. She should than that great scientist Albert Saline. (Don't know who she should thank for inventing the downsize "vaccine".)

//

68 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:27:26am

re: #55 buzzsawmonkey

I thought "Roseola" was a jukebox.

*muttering* ... (there's GOTTA be a Seeberg pun in here SOMEWHERE!)

69 MrSilverDragon  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:27:32am

re: #66 Nevergiveup

Religious beliefs or loon beliefs?

Yes.

70 Teh Flowah  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:27:38am

This is so fucking stupid. I mean, even if we generously granted every "fact" under the sun to the anti-vaccination idiots, the percentage chances of your child developing autism through vaccination is still much much MUCH MUCH MUCH smaller than the chance of your kid developing measles or other diseases through an outbreak should no child be vaccinated.

Does the simple fucking mathematics not come into play here at all? Even they assumed every wrong thing they thought about vaccination and autism were true, they'd still be making the stupid choice!

71 Gella  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:27:45am

re: #46 Cheesehead

Does anyone else who grew up in the sixties and seventies, like myself, actually know of anyone who suffered serious repercussions from all the vaccines we had? I know I don't.

repercussions? say what? so far we all turned out just peachy:)

72 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:27:55am

re: #62 Erik The Red

I think you can object because you are stupid.
or some other reason

You can object for most any reason. Top of the list in the past has been religious objections.

73 ilzito guacamolito  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:28:08am

re: #50 Nevergiveup

In the USA aren't there laws about vaccinations and kids going to school anymore?

In New Jersey, at least, you may opt out with a documented medical or religious reason. I guess stupidity could be a medical reason...

74 Kragar  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:28:28am

re: #66 Nevergiveup

Religious beliefs or loon beliefs?

Form does not specify

75 Cheesehead  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:29:05am

re: #59 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Yes, and parents can sign a waiver saying the vaccinations go against their beliefs and have their children be exempted.

They must believe in their children's right to catch disease!

76 StillAMarine  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:29:17am

I have never been a proponent of very many "mandatory" and "do it or else" policies because I believe in the right of everyone to be stupid if they want to be -- and if their being stupid does not seriously impose on my and my family's freedom and well being. Therefore I believe in laws against dangerous driving, shouting "fire" in a theater, and refusing to vaccinate yourself and your children against communicable diseases such as polio and measles.
These idiots feel it is their right to impose their will on me, my wife, and my two sons (who are both on the autistic spectrum). These anti vaxers are like religious fanatics who will never change their minds even when the facts are dropped on them like a pile of rocks. Therefore vaccination should be placed in the "mandatory" and the "do it or else" category.

77 John Neverbend  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:29:55am

re: #16 buzzsawmonkey

Anti-vaxers on the spot.

Did the custom of sending children to "measles parties" ever exist in the US? I think it was common in Britain in the '60s and '70s when I was growing up. The children were sent in the hope that they would acquire the disease and then a natural immunity. My parents did not send me to such an event.

78 Sabnen  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:30:13am

re: #46 Cheesehead

Had a friend, 50ish, come down with Whopping Cough. The explanation given was that his vaccination against whopping cough had slowly worn off over the years. He was in the hospital for a week and did not have a easy time of it.

79 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:30:18am

re: #66 Nevergiveup

Religious beliefs or loon beliefs?

I would say religious beliefs. As valid, in the minds of the believer, and with the Constitution, as any protected religious belief. It's a standard freedom we have.

I don't agree with any parent that follows this course, but they are normally free to do that, and mostly with in their rights.

80 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:30:33am

re: #70 Teh Flowah

Society can get away with some children not being vaccinated, provided that enough children get vaccinated to create "herd immunity". Does anyone know whether the number of children being vaccinated has dropped below the threshold for herd immunity?

81 Bill Dalasio  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:30:43am

re: #67 subsailor68

Don't know who she should thank for inventing the downsize "vaccine".

Thank?

82 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:30:43am

re: #56 Spider Mensch

Those bilirubin tests were the ones that got to me, hard to watch them get pricked by that lance and listen to them wail out. Good luck with your newborn there Spider.

83 ilzito guacamolito  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:30:44am

re: #77 John Neverbend

Did the custom of sending children to "measles parties" ever exist in the US? I think it was common in Britain in the '60s and '70s when I was growing up. The children were sent in the hope that they would acquire the disease and then a natural immunity. My parents did not send me to such an event.


Ever since the resurgence of the anti-vaxers like Jenny McCarthy recently, yes they have.

84 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:31:39am

re: #80 quickjustice

Society can get away with some children not being vaccinated, provided that enough children get vaccinated to create "herd immunity". Does anyone know whether the number of children being vaccinated has dropped below the threshold for herd immunity?

Good question, Evidently it has falling below in the Welsh community mentioned in the above article.

85 Land Shark  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:31:51am

I'm not surprised. A predictable result of the anti-vaccine stupidity. Unfortunately, innocent children and others suffer the consequences as these diseases spread. Stupid assholes!

86 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:31:51am

re: #77 John Neverbend

Did the custom of sending children to "measles parties" ever exist in the US? I think it was common in Britain in the '60s and '70s when I was growing up. The children were sent in the hope that they would acquire the disease and then a natural immunity. My parents did not send me to such an event.

When I was growing up(and I did the same with my two girls) I was sent to every sick party on the block. We are all fit fine and healthy.

87 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:33:06am

re: #86 Erik The Red

When I was growing up(and I did the same with my two girls) I was sent to every sick party on the block. We are all fit fine and healthy.

Is that what was going on. I never heard of that before (and I really mean that). Now that explains a lot. And I thought I my family had been replaced by the Muensters.

88 Son of the Black Dog  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:33:54am

re: #80 quickjustice

Society can get away with some children not being vaccinated, provided that enough children get vaccinated to create "herd immunity". Does anyone know whether the number of children being vaccinated has dropped below the threshold for herd immunity?

Obviously they've dropped below the threshold in Wales.

89 subsailor68  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:33:55am

re: #81 Bill Dalasio

Thank?

LOL! Hmm, good point.

;-)

90 kansas  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:34:04am

I did not see in that article what the reason was for a lower percentage of immunization than necessary. I think we are implying this is the McCarthy effect when it may simply be an excellent example of the need for immunization and the failure is not motivated by anything other than neglect.

Ducks and covers.

91 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:34:09am
92 reloadingisnotahobby  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:34:48am

re: #87 Walter L. Newton

Is that what was going on. I never heard of that before (and I really mean that). Now that explains a lot. And I thought I my family had been replaced by the Muensters.


There was a Munsters episode where Eddy caught the Mumps...
That wasn't you ?///

93 ilzito guacamolito  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:34:53am

re: #86 Erik The Red

When I was growing up(and I did the same with my two girls) I was sent to every sick party on the block. We are all fit fine and healthy.

I really miss the sick parties we had when I was in college. Good times.

94 Vicious Babushka  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:35:33am

Are the anti-vaxxers trying to go for Rachel Carson's record in unnecessary destruction of human life?

95 callahan23  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:35:37am

And to top it all off the Prince of Wales is:
Prince Charles is Prince of counterknowledge

... What does belief in the evil of GM foods have in common with CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine )? They are both varieties of what I call counterknowledge – non-scientific beliefs dressed up with dodgy research to look like established fact. And Prince Charles, sadly, is a sucker for counterknowledge. ...
There is no evidence, either, that GM food is dangerous to humans, any more than there is any evidence that the MMR vaccine triggers autism, another classic piece of counterknowledge.
Every time the heir to the throne supports CAM or denounces GM crops, he is abusing his constitutional position. This time, he has done so with a vengeance.

read it all (it's worth it)

96 redstateredneck  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:36:05am

re: #82 turn

Those bilirubin tests were the ones that got to me, hard to watch them get pricked by that lance and listen to them wail out. Good luck with your newborn there Spider.

My daughter's little toes looked like pincushions. Poor baby!

97 ilzito guacamolito  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:36:14am

re: #91 buzzsawmonkey

Semi-OT-ic:

Eschewing vaccines is one more lunatic way of people inventing a fashion of being "in touch with Nature," or at least some bizarre version of "natural living."

Leaving the bank today, I noticed a new "green" store. This store was highly designed, with great artistry, to be as twee-ly "natural" as could be--earth tones, wooden shelves, funky "love-earth" icons on the oh-so-modern sign. But the merchandise! Wooden bowls of great price; scented soaps cunningly wrought to simulate chunks of semi-precious stone (no, I'm not kidding); strange sculptural figures collaged out of tidbits of junk, which apparently are supposed to simultaneously provide examples of "art" and proclaim one's commitment to recycling.

This is "green" as chic, upscale iconography. And it is creepy.


Environmentalism is the left's religion.

98 Kenneth  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:36:36am

re: #91 buzzsawmonkey

Like celebrating Earth Day by lighting paraffin candles, made from petroleum, during the hour one is supposed to turn off electricity. Symbolic stupidity.

99 Truck Monkey  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:36:39am

re: #77 John Neverbend

Did the custom of sending children to "measles parties" ever exist in the US? I think it was common in Britain in the '60s and '70s when I was growing up. The children were sent in the hope that they would acquire the disease and then a natural immunity. My parents did not send me to such an event.

I remember having the neighborhood kids come over to my house when I had the Mumps. Theory being, I guess, is that Mumps is relatively benign when contracted as a kid and could be deadly if contracted as an adult. I remember complaining to my Mom to tell the kids to leave because I felt like crap. Couldn't understand why they were all there.

100 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:37:15am

You would not believe the amount of vaccinations my two girls have had to have to get there visas. You name it they have had it.

I added the HPV Vax. Easier to slip in than try and explain why I want them to have it.

101 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:37:19am

re: #91 buzzsawmonkey

This is "green" as chic, upscale iconography. And it is creepy.

Earth Mother Gaia is gonna kick your ass.

102 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:37:31am

re: #93 ilzito guacamolito

I really miss the sick parties we had when I was in college. Good times.

I never went to a sikh party in college, and I had an Indian roommate.

103 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:37:38am
104 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:38:20am

Abrupt change in weather here in BA (global warming! I mean, cooling! And fogging!). So here I am, back at the keyboard.

105 StillAMarine  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:38:27am

re: #77 John Neverbend

I believe it was German Measles parties. Both German Measles and Roseola are both mild, German Measles being dangerous only to children still in the womb. Measles, however, is a very serious and dangerous disease that can even result in death.
Does anyone remember the movie "Hawaii?" It illustrates just how bad a measles epidemic can be.

106 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:38:36am
107 Steve  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:38:52am

re: #77 John Neverbend

Did the custom of sending children to "measles parties" ever exist in the US? I think it was common in Britain in the '60s and '70s when I was growing up. The children were sent in the hope that they would acquire the disease and then a natural immunity. My parents did not send me to such an event.

My wife and I sent all three of our kids to "measles parties" when we could find them but we also had the good sense to have the kids vaccinated.

My wife and I have friends that with in the last 5 -6 years got there the kids vaccinated. The wife had a sister that did have an adverse reaction to a vaccination and did die. But the wife has come to realize that that was a rarity and not a common effect.

108 Creeping Eruption  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:38:52am

re: #101 Occasional Reader

Earth Mother Gaia is gonna kick your ass.

Not before she charges an arm and a leg for her products

109 John Neverbend  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:38:58am

re: #86 Erik The Red

When I was growing up(and I did the same with my two girls) I was sent to every sick party on the block. We are all fit fine and healthy.

In Britain, I don't think they indulged in this because they thought that vaccinations were harmful in any way. I think they just felt that the acquisition of natural immunity was preferable.

As a child, I never caught chicken pox. When my first child was 2 years old, and we had moved to the US, I opted to have the vaccination, in case my child (and there was another in utero) became infected and then infected me. I understand that it can be much more serious if you get the disease in adulthood. I had to take two shots, spaced a few months apart. Both shots gave me a high fever and some spots.

110 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:39:27am

re: #102 pre-Boomer Marine brat

I never went to a sikh party in college, and I had an Indian roommate.

That's good. Those gas-powered turbans are bad for the environment.

111 Spider Mensch  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:39:27am

re: #82 turn

Those bilirubin tests were the ones that got to me, hard to watch them get pricked by that lance and listen to them wail out. Good luck with your newborn there Spider.


Thanks. yet it's tough watching him be a pin cushion, his first set at 2 months..I never thought a 2 month old could give me that " Daddy! what are you letting them do to me!" look, but he did. Stared straight in my eyes, little lower lip sticking up, and then the tears..it was heart breaking. felt bad for a couple of days, but as i say to his mother, I don't feel as bad as I would if, G-d forbid, he actually got one of these terrible diseases that can be prevented by a little shot and a minute of tears.

112 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:39:33am

re: #103 buzzsawmonkey

... vaccine for mumps ... making puppets ...

Was that where the idea for the Mumpets got started?

113 Sabnen  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:39:59am

re: #77 John Neverbend

Did the custom of sending children to "measles parties" ever exist in the US? I think it was common in Britain in the '60s and '70s when I was growing up. The children were sent in the hope that they would acquire the disease and then a natural immunity. My parents did not send me to such an event.

Might it have been a Chicken Pox Party? Measles vaccinations came available in the early 1960's, but a Chicken Pox vaccination has been available only in the last 12 years or so.

114 callahan23  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:40:09am

re: #104 Occasional Reader

Abrupt change in weather here in BA (global warming! I mean, cooling! And fogging!). So here I am, back at the keyboard.

Remember it is autumn in BA. ;-)
/ just a hint

115 Son of the Black Dog  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:40:16am

re: #95 callahan23

And to top it all off the Prince of Wales is:
Prince Charles is Prince of counterknowledge

Prince Charles is the best argument against the monarchy that I know of.
Maybe they can just skip over to William.

116 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:40:20am

re: #96 redstateredneck

My daughter's little toes looked like pincushions. Poor baby!

turnspawn2 was a preemie, had to go through that many times. btw, like many above I've never heard of anybody having complications for the immunization shots. I work with a guy who got struck by polio and it ain't pretty. I wish I could have every anti-vaxer out there sit down and have a little chat with Keith.

117 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:40:24am
We try not to be too scary when we talk to people about this, but children die of measles and children are impaired by measles. It puts children in hospital.

Sweet monkey-fritters! Be scary! Terrify them. Throttle them mentally!

118 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:40:43am
119 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:41:02am

re: #113 Sabnen

Might it have been a Chicken Pox Party? Measles vaccinations came available in the early 1960's, but a Chicken Pox vaccination has been available only in the last 12 years or so.

Pox parties. The things memories are made of :)

120 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:41:08am
121 Eowyn2  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:41:10am

re: #51 ilzito guacamolito

"Roseola is a generally mild infection that usually affects children by age 2. It occasionally affects adults. Roseola is extremely common — so common that most children have been infected with roseola by the time they enter kindergarten.

Two common strains of the herpes virus cause roseola. The condition typically causes several days of fever, followed by a rash."

I would always have my kids vaccinated but I dont think we can jump to the conclusion that the people of Whales have all decided to throw vaccines away because of this measles outbreak. I would like to know the immigrant population in the areas with the highest number of cases.

122 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:41:16am

re: #110 Occasional Reader

That's good. Those gas-powered turbans are bad for the environment.

Ranjan said he was from Goa.
I kept waiting, and, sure enough, he went.

123 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:41:24am

re: #114 callahan23

Remember it is autumn in BA. ;-)
/ just a hint

Che, me crees boludo?!

Actually I'm rather enjoying the autumn weather (which I always like).

124 Jimmah  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:41:29am
Last week, the NPHS said its research had shown the MMR uptake in one school in the Carmarthenshire area was as low as 14.8%.

The vaccine needs a 95% uptake to achieve the herd immunity needed to ensure the disease cannot take a hold in individuals who are not vaccinated.

Latest figures show that 86% of two-year-olds in Wales have been given the MMR vaccine, ranging in different areas from 78% to 92%.

This is short of the 95% target which has already been achieved in Scotland. The figure for England is around 85%.

Well, at least my corner of the world can hold it's head up on this issue. What is going on in this part of Wales - Carmarthenshire - with it's vaccination rate of 14.8%? There must be local media - ie newspaper - factors in play here.

125 SixDegrees  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:41:39am

This is one of the very rare times that it's necessary to set aside the normal Conservative principle of non-intrusive government. Quit screwing around, line these children and their moronic parents up and forcibly immunize them.

126 Eowyn2  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:42:16am

re: #54 Erik The Red

I grew up in the late 50s and 60s. I had Rubella as a child. I had no long lasting side affects either.

127 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:42:26am

re: #118 buzzsawmonkey

Would that it were; I would be infinitely more solvent today.

I just up-dinged your kermit for that one.

128 experiencedtraveller  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:42:46am

re: #104 Occasional Reader

Abrupt change in weather here in BA (global warming! I mean, cooling! And fogging!). So here I am, back at the keyboard.

Enough work, go tango...

129 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:43:05am

re: #120 buzzsawmonkey

Chicken Pox Pie was served.

Just don't go to those German Measles Parties.

"... and, Dr. Jones, zis is how ve transmit measles in CHURMANY! [POW]"

130 Truck Monkey  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:43:09am

re: #125 SixDegrees

I thought you were going to say "shoot them".

131 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:43:20am
132 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:43:57am

OT -

I was reading over the article on the "missing link" lemur monkey that has been revealed over the last few days.

In my opinion, the ID and creationist folks are going to jump all over the providence of this artifact. It was apparently dug up by a amateur fossil-hunter some 25 years, and has passed through a few hands before now. This will be the weakest link (excuse the pun) in this discovery.

I'm not saying it's not important, it certainly is, but that's one of the first places that this fossil will be attacked, on it's providence.

Even other scientist will be bothered by the fact that it was obtained from fossil hunters.

[Link: news.sky.com...]

133 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:44:11am

re: #111 Spider Mensch

That brings back memories. I don't kow if you read any of my posts about my 17 year old getting chicken pox, the pain of seeing them hurt never goes away at any age.

134 Fenboy  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:44:15am

re: #102 pre-Boomer Marine brat

Heh, win!

135 SixDegrees  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:44:18am

re: #117 MandyManners

Sweet monkey-fritters! Be scary! Terrify them. Throttle them mentally!

Agree. Get out the medical photographs of victims. Put those pictures of dead and maimed children and their lesions on every television screen, newspaper front page and magazine cover in the nation. There's good damn reason to be terrified - better they get that way looking at pictures than watching their children die a slow, horrible death, or winding up crippled for life.

136 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:44:31am

re: #128 experiencedtraveller

Enough work, go tango...

I have zero interest in any of the major themes peddled to tourists here, to wit (in declining order of interest/increasing order of irritation):

-Soccer
-Tango
-Eva Peron
-Che Guevara

Yet despite that, I like it here.

137 SummerSong  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:44:38am

re: #96 redstateredneck

My daughter's little toes looked like pincushions. Poor baby!

My youngest child aspirated fluid on his way out and subsequentlydeveloped
pneumonia. It was missed on the x-ray and they decided to do a spinal tap at 2 days old. I had to wait outside the room. The screams brought me to the floor. I would have given anything to trade places with him.

138 callahan23  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:44:48am

re: #115 Son of the Black Dog

Prince Charles is the best argument against the monarchy that I know of.
Maybe they can just skip over to William.

That friggin' 'dauphin' with the big ears oars should stick all of his opinions where the sun doesn't shine. IMAO
/ on second thought no sarc at all.
(Paraphrasing Christopher Hitchens here.)

139 Randall Gross  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:45:02am

This is just a drive by, but in case anyone is quibbling over the word "fatal" here's W.H.O. on Measles:

* Measles is a leading cause of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available to prevent the disease.
* In 2007, there were 197 000 measles deaths globally - nearly 540 deaths every day or 22 deaths every hour.
* More than 95% of measles deaths occur in low-income countries with weak health infrastructure.
* Measles vaccination efforts have reaped major public health gains, resulting in a 74% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2007 worldwide - a drop of about 90% in the eastern Mediterranean and Africa regions.
* In 2007, about 82% of the world's children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday through routine health services, up from 72% in 2000. (Two doses of the vaccine are recommended to ensure immunity, as about 15% of vaccinated children fail to develop immunity from the first dose.)


[Link: www.who.int...]

140 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:45:15am

re: #132 Walter L. Newton

You mean "provenance", Walter? Are you saying it's missing the "missing link"? ;-)

141 John Neverbend  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:45:27am

re: #113 Sabnen

Might it have been a Chicken Pox Party? Measles vaccinations came available in the early 1960's, but a Chicken Pox vaccination has been available only in the last 12 years or so.

No, they were definitely aimed at measles, although there were probably also chicken pox and mumps parties. I wonder if in Dickens' time, they had scurvy and syphilis parties. The latter probably did exist but were called orgies.

142 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:46:27am

re: #132 Walter L. Newton

They won't be able to explain away the shadows in the x-rays, you can't fake that.

143 subsailor68  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:46:28am

OT, but interesting,

GPS system 'close to breakdown'

From the article:

US government officials are concerned that the quality of the Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to deteriorate as early as next year, resulting in regular blackouts and failures – or even dishing out inaccurate directions to millions of people worldwide.

The technical term for the phenomenon in bold is "Men drivers".

In other news, "Mapmakers Rejoice"

In all seriousness, it might be a good idea to take a look at how the Air Force is running the program:

The (GAO)) report says that Air Force officials have failed to execute the necessary steps to keep the system running smoothly.

144 gmsc  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:46:28am

re: #126 Eowyn2

I grew up in the late 50s and 60s. I had Rubella as a child. I had no long lasting side affects either.

AFFECT/EFFECT

145 SixDegrees  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:46:39am

re: #130 Truck Monkey

I thought you were going to say "shoot them".

No need. They're doing a fine job killing themselves and their offspring all by themselves.

146 Creeping Eruption  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:46:41am

re: #137 SummerSong

My youngest child aspirated fluid on his way out and subsequentlydeveloped
pneumonia. It was missed on the x-ray and they decided to do a spinal tap at 2 days old. I had to wait outside the room. The screams brought me to the floor. I would have given anything to trade places with him.

A friend of my 3 year old son has a form of Leukemia. She has spinal taps every week or two. I cannot imagine.

147 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:46:46am

For the sake of his dear mother, HRH, I will overlook the missteps of the Prince of Wales until I discern that he's doing actual harm, as opposed to merely making an ass of himself.

148 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:47:03am
149 ilzito guacamolito  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:47:05am

re: #121 Eowyn2

"Roseola is a generally mild infection that usually affects children by age 2. It occasionally affects adults. Roseola is extremely common — so common that most children have been infected with roseola by the time they enter kindergarten.

Two common strains of the herpes virus cause roseola. The condition typically causes several days of fever, followed by a rash."

I know what roseola is. Two of my children had it. Your post implied that MMR was supposed to have prevented roseola.

150 callahan23  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:47:14am

re: #123 Occasional Reader

Che, me crees boludo?!

Actually I'm rather enjoying the autumn weather (which I always like).

Calmate che, no te creo boludo, at all.
Buenos Aires in autumn is something to behold. I envy you.
;-)

151 Truck Monkey  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:47:22am

re: #133 turn

That brings back memories. I don't kow if you read any of my posts about my 17 year old getting chicken pox, the pain of seeing them hurt never goes away at any age.


It breaks my heart to see my kids hurt too. You would do just about anything to alleviate their pain.

152 funky chicken  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:47:31am

re: #6 Charles

In the previous thread about Oprah Winfrey and Jenny McCarthy, by the way, several anti-vaxers have shown up at the end to promote this craziness.

Hey, the "ONCOLOGISTS POISON PEOPLE" crowd still shows up over at Orac's place too...it means you're on their radar screens, which is a compliment.

153 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:47:38am

re: #140 quickjustice

You mean "provenance", Walter? Are you saying it's missing the "missing link"? ;-)

I'm sorry on the word. I'm only passing on what is in the article. Yes, some scientist is saying it's A MISSING LINK, not the only one.

But, as a collector of ancient artifacts myself, I know how this find will be treated by some lay folk and scientist.

Yes, provenance will matter.

(And thanks for the spelling correction)

154 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:47:59am
155 Son of the Black Dog  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:48:13am

re: #116 turn

... I work with a guy who got struck by polio and it ain't pretty. I wish I could have every anti-vaxer out there sit down and have a little chat with Keith.

I went through school with kids who had been crippled by polio.
I can remember my parents talking about how scared they were that I would contract polio.
I can remember how relieved everyone when the Salk and then the Sabine vaccines became available, and how the whole community lined up at the schools for the Salk vaccine shots.
The anti-vaxers can K.M.A.

156 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:48:52am

re: #137 SummerSong

Oh man, that must have hurt. turnspawn2 had pneumonia when he was about 6, had to hospitalize him.

157 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:49:19am

re: #153 Walter L. Newton

So you're ascribing fossils to "Providence", Walter?

CREATIONIST!

158 funky chicken  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:49:38am

re: #141 John Neverbend

No, they were definitely aimed at measles, although there were probably also chicken pox and mumps parties. I wonder if in Dickens' time, they had scurvy and syphilis parties. The latter probably did exist but were called orgies.

scurvy's not contagious. perhaps leprosy parties? those would be a real laugh.

/

159 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:49:38am

re: #142 turn

They won't be able to explain away the shadows in the x-rays, you can't fake that.

Some of the most amazing artifacts in the middle east, with names of biblical characters on them, are not even TOUCHED because they came to being from the hands of a collector.

It doesn't matter, some scientist will not deal with any object that wasn't found "in situ" by scientist themselves.

Strange but true.

160 redstateredneck  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:49:43am

re: #116 turn

turnspawn2 was a preemie, had to go through that many times. btw, like many above I've never heard of anybody having complications for the immunization shots. I work with a guy who got struck by polio and it ain't pretty. I wish I could have every anti-vaxer out there sit down and have a little chat with Keith.

redstateredchild developed jaundice so they stuck the crap out of her.

161 lawhawk  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:49:51am

Charles,

I don't see whether there were any fatalities in the current year outbreak, but there were fatalities in the past, in 2006 there was a fatality due to measles, which was the first in Wales in 14 years.

Vaccinations in the areas hardest hit by this current outbreak are extremely low, and that's a reason that the easily preventable disease keeps reoccurring.

Also, this is not a failing of money either - the UK has government health care, and the vaccinations are included. If anything it shows the limitations of government health care to sufficiently get the public to go for the vaccines.

162 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:49:57am
163 NY Nana  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:02am

re: #95 callahan23

He is but one of the best reasons to end the monarchy that I can think of, and in addition he is almost physically attached to the sodding Saudi rulers.

I would love to see Buckingham Palace turned into council housing, and I say that as the granddaughter of an English Jew, who has spent a lot of time in London.

164 Son of the Black Dog  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:03am

re: #155 Son of the Black Dog

...The anti-vaxers can K.M.A.

And so can the Islamic fundamentalists who have let polio escape back into the general society, instead of finally being wiped out.

165 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:09am

re: #157 Occasional Reader

So you're ascribing fossils to "Providence", Walter?

CREATIONIST!

See my re: #159 Walter L. Newton, I used the wrong word. Sorry.

166 Eowyn2  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:21am

re: #131 buzzsawmonkey

There was an epidemic of Steve Rubella in New York in the late '70s.

You can't blame me. I was nowhere near NY in the late 70s.

167 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:27am

re: #150 callahan23

Calmate che, no te creo boludo, at all.
Buenos Aires in autumn is something to behold. I envy you.
;-)

However, Cristina K. has declared that the temperature here is not actually falling, and that it's not really foggy or raining.

Oh, and inflation is under control, too!

168 SummerSong  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:43am

re: #146 Creeping Eruption

A friend of my 3 year old son has a form of Leukemia. She has spinal taps every week or two. I cannot imagine.

Ugh, that is horrible. I can only hope that the procedure has improved, somehow.

I've been signed up to be a bone marrow donor for 25 years, in hopes of helping someone like that little girl. I haven't matched anyone, yet. Someday, I hope!

169 StillAMarine  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:46am

I remember when my kid brother did something productive for the first time in his life. It was in May of my grade five year when my older sister came down with measles, and my younger sister, my kid brother, and I were quarantined for two weeks. Toward the end of the quarantine period, my younger sister came down with it. So my younger brother and I were quarantined for another two weeks. Now it was into June, and I started counting days. Just as the quarantine was to be lifted for me and the little wart, he performed his act of being supremely productive. He became sicker than a dog with measles, and I had another two weeks. Well, perhaps it was my past bad deeds or whatever, but I never got the measles. I returned to school in the middle of June, for the one day remaining before Summer holidays.
Wonderful!

170 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:50am

re: #148 buzzsawmonkey

There needs to be a political action committee in favor of vaccination. I nominate PoxPAC as a working name.

It will be difficult to come up with a unique mission statement ...
... since "Stick it to 'em" is undoubtedly already taken

171 redstateredneck  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:51am

re: #126 Eowyn2

I grew up in the late 50s and 60s. I had Rubella as a child. I had no long lasting side affects either.

Same here.

172 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:54am

re: #158 funky chicken

scurvy's not contagious. perhaps leprosy parties? those would be a real laugh.

/

They could be leprosy poker parties, at which you throw in your hand...

(etc.)

173 Cato the Elder  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:50:58am

A friend of mine took umbrage when I recently dissed Oprah and Jenny McCarthy. A friend of hers, it turns out, has five little unvaccinated time bombs running around. And that friend is informed, you see. So I have to respect her choice.

Someone should do a study of unvaccinated kids who get autism anyway. That might put a stop to this idiocy.

174 SixDegrees  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:51:15am

re: #5 Dianna

I wonder if this will go under the Jenny McCarthy body count?

What a great concept; someone really needs to start a website under that name, with a running tally based on solid medical stats of deaths caused by failure to vaccinate.

175 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:51:16am

re: #165 Walter L. Newton

See my re: #159 Walter L. Newton, I used the wrong word. Sorry.

I know, I was funnin' ya.

176 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:51:59am

re: #168 SummerSong

Did you hurt as badly from the punch as I did? It didn't stop aching for weeks!

177 NY Nana  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:52:02am

re: #143 subsailor68

I am afraid to show that to NY Grampa, as he is emotionally attached to his, even though it has sometimes given directions
that even I wouldn't use...and I don't drive! ;)

178 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:52:23am

re: #174 SixDegrees

What a great concept; someone really needs to start a website under that name, with a running tally based on solid medical stats of deaths caused by failure to vaccinate.

It's done. Try googling it!

179 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:52:30am

re: #148 buzzsawmonkey

There needs to be a political action committee in favor of vaccination. I nominate PoxPAC as a working name.

I'll go with PolioPAC, just because it's on my mind right now.

180 Buck  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:52:54am

re: #173 Cato the Elder

A friend of mine took umbrage when I recently dissed Oprah and Jenny McCarthy. A friend of hers, it turns out, has five little unvaccinated time bombs running around. And that friend is informed, you see. So I have to respect her choice.

Someone should do a study of unvaccinated kids who get autism anyway. That might put a stop to this idiocy.

I posted the link to that article in my FACEBOOK page... alerting all my friends and relatives to what side of this debate I will take.

Fair warning I figure.

181 lawhawk  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:52:57am

re: #99 Truck Monkey

South Park has a take on this...

[Link: www.southparkstudios.com...]

182 callahan23  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:52:58am

re: #163 NY Nana

He is but one of the best reasons to end the monarchy that I can think of, and in addition he is almost physically attached to the sodding Saudi rulers.

I would love to see Buckingham Palace turned into council housing, and I say that as the granddaughter of an English Jew, who has spent a lot of time in London.

Hooray {NY Nana} right on target that.

Need food, bbiab.

183 funky chicken  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:53:21am

re: #126 Eowyn2

I grew up in the late 50s and 60s. I had Rubella as a child. I had no long lasting side affects either.

Rubella is the German measles, and is very mild for those who get it. The problem with Rubella is that it can cause devastating birth defects and miscarriages if a pregnant woman catches it.

The deadly measles for those who aren't in utero is Rubeola.

Measles (Rubeola), Mumps, and Rubella

184 Sabnen  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:53:57am

re: #141 John Neverbend

I'm surprised . . . having an active case of measles is dangerous.

See . . .re: #139 Thanos

185 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:54:00am

Here in NYC, we have to worry about kids contracting STDs and other nasty stuff. I pray that your kids are fully vaccinated, and at risk of nothing more than measles and chicken pox.

186 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:54:50am
187 FurryOldGuyJeans  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:55:02am

re: #115 Son of the Black Dog

Prince Charles is the best argument against the monarchy that I know of.
Maybe they can just skip over to William.

Charles is a chunk off the ol' blockhead that is his old man, Prince Philip.

188 SummerSong  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:55:21am

re: #176 Dianna

Did you hurt as badly from the punch as I did? It didn't stop aching for weeks!

Dianna, they just took blood when I registered. Did you mean you have given bone marrow or you needed to give some bone marrow to be in the program?

189 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:55:23am

re: #155 Son of the Black Dog

That was such a big deal that to this day I can remember going to the Sierra School auditorium and getting that sugar cube, I must have been about 4 I think.

190 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:55:39am

re: #186 Iron Fist

I don't know that the greenies really care much about the environment. It's like when they go in and release captive minks, knowing all the while that these minks will nearly all die without humans to care for them. But, Hey, now, at least they are doing something! Power to the PeePull!

Drives me crazy.

Instead, they should take back their minks, to from whence they came.

/Guys & Dolls

191 John Neverbend  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:55:44am

re: #163 NY Nana

He is but one of the best reasons to end the monarchy that I can think of, and in addition he is almost physically attached to the sodding Saudi rulers.

I would love to see Buckingham Palace turned into council housing, and I say that as the granddaughter of an English Jew, who has spent a lot of time in London.

Hence, your use of the word "sodding". The alliteration with "Saudi" makes it all the more powerful.

192 Eowyn2  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:56:00am

re: #144 gmsc

thats effective

193 Buck  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:56:57am

re: #143 subsailor68

OT, but interesting,

GPS system 'close to breakdown'

From the article:

US government officials are concerned that the quality of the Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to deteriorate as early as next year, resulting in regular blackouts and failures – or even dishing out inaccurate directions to millions of people worldwide.

The technical term for the phenomenon in bold is "Men drivers".

In other news, "Mapmakers Rejoice"

In all seriousness, it might be a good idea to take a look at how the Air Force is running the program:

The (GAO)) report says that Air Force officials have failed to execute the necessary steps to keep the system running smoothly.

Time for the commercial GPS companies to pony up. TomTom, Garmin, Hummingbird, Magellan etc....

Yes, it would increase the cost to the consumer, but that would certainly be the right thing to do...

194 Son of the Black Dog  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:56:58am

I also remember seeing Vietnamese who had survived childhood smallpox. Not a pretty sight, and we should be mindful that smallpox could get loose again on our un-vaccinated world population. I'd be willing for society to tolerate the side effects of the vaccine as insurance against the possibility that smallpox could return.

195 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:00am

re: #189 turn

That was such a big deal that to this day I can remember going to the Sierra School auditorium and getting that sugar cube, I must have been about 4 I think.

George Harrison: [high on LSD with Dewey as a cartoon] Just keep thinking happy thoughts, Dewey. I'd hate for this to turn into a bad trip.
Dewey Cox: [scary music plays] Uh-oh!
John Lennon, Paul McCartney: 'Uh-oh'?
George Harrison: What's that scary music?
Dewey Cox: I had an unhappy thought!
George Harrison: It's a bad trip.
Paul McCartney: Bad trip, bad trip!
Dewey Cox: [a machete walks up to him] Help! Trippy machete!
[the machete cuts him in half]
Dewey Cox: Aw, fuck me! I can see my large colon!
Dewey Cox: [wakes up] Ahh! I guess I do got some demons!
George Harrison: You alright Cox?
Dewey Cox: [frightened] I don't know!
Ringo Starr: Do you want some more LSD?
Dewey Cox: [excited] Yeah! I think I do!

196 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:14am

re: #188 SummerSong

Dianna, they just took blood when I registered. Did you mean you have given bone marrow or you needed to give some bone marrow to be in the program?

I gave some marrow for the program - because a blood test wasn't sufficient at the time. I've never forgotten it. Extraordinarily painful.

197 NY Nana  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:15am

re: #182 callahan23

Need food, bbiab.

Enjoy! And thanks for reminding me that it is time to eat..I am a Type 2 diabetic, and was so busy typing that I forgot to test my blood glucose, as I now can feel...no, I am not drunk, honest, just woozy! ;)

BBIAB

198 DistantThunder  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:20am

"If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough," - and kids aren't tough when it comes to deadly childhood diseases - so better not be stupid, or have stupid parents. Therefore, this is when the state should really intervene unless the parent can show that the child has an impaired immune system.

199 Cato the Elder  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:26am

An idiot with bouncy boobs and an unscrupulous, greedy teevee diva outweigh the CDC, NIH and Surgeon General.

The Discovery Institute could learn a lesson here.

200 Jimmah  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:33am

[Link: news.bbc.co.uk...]

Why the NHS is facing measles fight

Public health experts in Wales refer to it as the newspaper effect.

During the height of the scare over the link between the MMR vaccine and autism local papers ran vociferous campaigns warning parents about the supposed dangers of the jab.

The research, by Dr Andrew Wakefield, has now been discredited, but the problem is the damage has been done.

With vaccination levels down to 15% in some schools, the region is seeing record numbers of measles cases.

201 ilzito guacamolito  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:39am

re: #186 Iron Fist

I don't know that the greenies really care much about the environment. It's like when they go in and release captive minks, knowing all the while that these minks will nearly all die without humans to care for them. But, Hey, now, at least they are doing something! Power to the PeePull!

Drives me crazy.

I'm not sure they do. Years ago before Hannity went national his producer(?) was an animal rights wacko nicknamed Flipper. He gave her a lobster-gram one year as a gift and she released the lobster in fresh water to set it free.

202 Eowyn2  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:39am

re: #158 funky chicken

scurvy's not contagious. perhaps leprosy parties? those would be a real laugh.

/

have a finger sandwich.

203 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:57:57am

re: #172 Occasional Reader

Ugh. Leprosy's become rare, thank G-d, but it's not yet extinct. The sooner it disappears from the face of the planet, the better.

204 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:58:01am

re: #159 Walter L. Newton

I can believe that. btw I thought it was fascinating how that fossil went 25 years before surfacing and might have gone unnoticed forever. Just imagine if the library of Alexandria had never burnt down.

205 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:58:03am

re: #173 Cato the Elder

A friend of mine took umbrage when I recently dissed Oprah and Jenny McCarthy. A friend of hers, it turns out, has five little unvaccinated time bombs running around. And that friend is informed, you see. So I have to respect her choice.

Someone should do a study of unvaccinated kids who get autism anyway. That might put a stop to this idiocy.

If she is a true friend please drown her with the facts.

206 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:58:28am

re: #148 buzzsawmonkey

There needs to be a political action committee in favor of vaccination. I nominate PoxPAC as a working name.

My pro-microbrew committee, SixPAC, never got off the ground, so I wish you the best of luck.

207 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:58:37am
208 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:58:55am

re: #190 Occasional Reader

Instead, they should take back their minks, to from whence they came.

/Guys & Dolls

Furs must be an Argentine urban tradition -- otherwise, why name the city Buenos Hairies?

209 Eowyn2  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:59:40am

sure, I have to leave now that the puns are starting to fly.

210 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:59:49am

re: #125 SixDegrees

This is one of the very rare times that it's necessary to set aside the normal Conservative principle of non-intrusive government. Quit screwing around, line these children and their moronic parents up and forcibly immunize them.

I don't know if I'd go that far but, perhaps enormous pressure should be brought to bear on the parents. No school. No day care. No trips to children's museums. No trips to carnivals. No trips to Chuck E. Cheese-type places.

211 formercorpsman  Tue, May 19, 2009 10:59:52am

Unbelievable.

The side of disease has enlisted the help of morons.

212 Randall Gross  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:00:09am

Measles death in the UK, less than a year ago.

[Link: actionforautism.co.uk...]

213 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:00:26am

re: #199 Cato the Elder

You have a point. We need more hot, media-savvy chicks in favor of vaccination!

214 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:00:30am

re: #160 redstateredneck

So did turnspawn2. When we got him home after a night in intensive care I had to take the poor little (and I mean little) guy out naked and hold him in the sun, and it was October!

215 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:01:11am

re: #209 Eowyn2

sure, I have to leave now that the puns are starting to fly.

*grin* ... stick around, I'm waiting to sandbag OR with a particular one.

216 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:01:16am

re: #207 Iron Fist

Go walk in some of the no-go Mohammedan areas of London and, if you make it out, wonder if the Clown Prince hasn't made Britain a more dangerous place with his pro-Mohammedan fetish.

I've no fan of Prince Chuckie, but I don't think that phenomenon can be laid at his feet. It's not like he's actually running the government, or introducing legislation.

217 DistantThunder  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:01:36am

re: #185 quickjustice

Here in NYC, we have to worry about kids contracting STDs and other nasty stuff. I pray that your kids are fully vaccinated, and at risk of nothing more than measles and chicken pox.

Just saw a TV show with 20-somethings asking dr. Drew if condoms protect against sexual viruses like HPV and Herpes......his answer....NO! Condom MAY reduce transmition from nearly 100% to 60% - he said. He said the contamination and infection is nearly instantaneous, so rinsing will not reduce the likelihood of contamination.
Two cousins and 1 friend daughter have HPV - two with cervical inflammation - pre-cancerous, and one with full blown cervical cancer - all in their early 20's.

218 SummerSong  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:01:36am

re: #196 Dianna

I gave some marrow for the program - because a blood test wasn't sufficient at the time. I've never forgotten it. Extraordinarily painful.

I'll bet it was. Thank you for going through that. They always underplay the pain involved in these things, don't they?

I am wondering why I was only asked for blood and not a sample of my bone marrow.

219 lawhawk  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:02:35am

re: #213 quickjustice

You have a point. We need more hot, media-savvy chicks in favor of vaccination!

Does J.Lo count?

220 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:02:38am

re: #186 Iron Fist

I don't know that the greenies really care much about the environment. It's like when they go in and release captive minks, knowing all the while that these minks will nearly all die without humans to care for them. But, Hey, now, at least they are doing something! Power to the PeePull!

Drives me crazy.

All those little coats running around....

221 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:03:06am

re: #213 quickjustice

You have a point. We need more hot, media-savvy chicks in favor of vaccination!

What's Adriana Lima up to nowadays?

222 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:03:12am

re: #208 pre-Boomer Marine brat

Furs must be an Argentine urban tradition -- otherwise, why name the city Buenos Hairies?

What give you the right to Borge in here with Argentina puns?

223 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:03:56am

re: #217 DistantThunder

Just saw a TV show with 20-somethings asking dr. Drew if condoms protect against sexual viruses like HPV and Herpes......his answer....NO! Condom MAY reduce transmition from nearly 100% to 60% - he said. He said the contamination and infection is nearly instantaneous, so rinsing will not reduce the likelihood of contamination.
Two cousins and 1 friend daughter have HPV - two with cervical inflammation - pre-cancerous, and one with full blown cervical cancer - all in their early 20's.

That is why we have decided to have my two girls vaxed at ages 9 and 11. They have had so many for their visas that we just slipped this one in.

224 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:04:01am

re: #210 MandyManners

I don't know if I'd go that far but, perhaps enormous pressure should be brought to bear on the parents. No school. No day care. No trips to children's museums. No trips to carnivals. No trips to Chuck E. Cheese-type places.

Don't even let the ice-cream man go down the streets with non-vaccinated kids living on it.

225 jorline  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:04:04am

Send anti-vax Jenny....better yet, they will be able to get her new show on "O" soon via satellite.

226 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:04:05am

re: #221 MandyManners

What's Adriana Lima up to nowadays?

I'll nudge her awake, and ask.

227 DistantThunder  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:04:09am

Llama gonna get you for that!

228 FurryOldGuyJeans  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:04:15am

re: #210 MandyManners

I don't know if I'd go that far but, perhaps enormous pressure should be brought to bear on the parents. No school. No day care. No trips to children's museums. No trips to carnivals. No trips to Chuck E. Cheese-type places.

There seems to be a fair amount of convergence with the anti-vaxxers and the more rabid anti-public schoolers, so keeping one's kids away from the rest of the heathen world might be seen as a benefit.

229 iLikeCandy  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:04:26am

Is this death-cultism? This whole way of thinking, this grim purism, is something that seems to infest human nature. It's evident on the left and the right. Catholic hospitals used to tell a woman in a dangerous labor that if it came to a choice between her infant's life and hers, she'd be the one to die -- even if she had a dozen other kids at home. Lefties who say they'd rather incinerate an American city than waterboard a single terror detainee are the same, now the anti-vaxers who want to sacrifice kids to a lazy-minded, superstitious, anti-science agenda. Those are just a few current examples. I think it's the same mindset of Communists who killed tens of millions in the 20th century.

230 LGoPs  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:04:36am

re: #186 Iron Fist

I don't know that the greenies really care much about the environment. It's like when they go in and release captive minks, knowing all the while that these minks will nearly all die without humans to care for them. But, Hey, now, at least they are doing something! Power to the PeePull!

Drives me crazy.

I think the hard core nucleus behind the Green Movement use animals and the environment to advance their agenda. They are tools for them to use to advance an anti-capitalist agenda. They surround themselves with many well-meaning people who give them cover and make anyone in opposition look mean spirited. But many of those well-meaning people are also tools and are being used as useful idiots.
I recall reading years ago a piece leaked from the Sierra Club that pretty much substantiated the hidden agenda.

231 Occasional Reader  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:05:42am

Later.

232 Gella  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:05:59am

re: #229 iLikeCandy

hey at least back in USSR during communism vaccination was mandatory, we have scars to prove it

233 Kragar  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:06:04am

re: #213 quickjustice

You have a point. We need more hot, media-savvy chicks in favor of vaccination!

We've got Amanda Peet

234 Miss Molly  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:06:09am

How stupid are we going to get? Not giving vaccines to kids for these diseases is beyond stupid. People like Oprah should shoulder some responsibility for having "guests" that promote not vaccanating kids on their shows. I still wonder who watches her show anyway because it is so boring!

235 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:06:18am

re: #222 Occasional Reader

What give you the right to Borge in here with Argentina puns?

I gather you're down there. Would do me a favor and hop over to Montevideo -- see if part of the Graf Spee's superstructure is still visible?

/putting something else on your Platte

236 pat  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:06:42am
In the early 2000s the MMR vaccine controversy in the United Kingdom regarding a potential link between the combined MMR vaccine (vaccinating children from mumps, measles and rubella) and autism prompted a reemergence of the "measles party", where parents deliberately expose their child to measles in the hope of building up the child's immunity without an injection. This practice poses many health risks to the child, and has been discouraged by the public health authorities.[9] Scientific evidence provides no support for the hypothesis that MMR plays a role in causing autism.[10] However, the MMR scare in Britain caused uptake of the vaccine to plunge, and measles cases came back: 2007 saw 971 cases in England and Wales, the biggest rise in occurrence in measles cases since records began in 1995.[11]

Wikipedia

237 smokefire  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:07:07am

Anybody have any idea of the demographics in this measles outbreak?
With the increase in Islamics in England now, it may be a safe bet there may be a lot of those who are stricken with the measles. The lack of medical care in those 3rd world areas may be a factor in this.

238 KANSASMOM  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:07:29am

re: #210 MandyManners

I don't know if I'd go that far but, perhaps enormous pressure should be brought to bear on the parents. No school. No day care. No trips to children's museums. No trips to carnivals. No trips to Chuck E. Cheese-type places.

I've never understood why unvaccinated children are allowed to enter public schools. In addition to not allowing them in the schools, I'd say any children who are not vaccinated should be refused public services (such as early intervention) and not allowed to attend licensed daycares.
Take away their public-funded speech/physical therapy, their Parents-as-Teachers education and then maybe they'll decide their child's health and welfare is more at risk without the vaccine.

239 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:07:38am

re: #207 Iron Fist

Fair point. I don't follow Charles's stumbling around, so I'm ignorant of many of his faux pas. I just remember him telling Camilla that he wished he were her lingerie. He also ogled my sister in church while sitting next to Diana.

Unlike his mother, he's not exactly a class act.

240 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:07:49am

re: #221 MandyManners

What's Adriana Lima up to nowadays?

Huh? Have you heard a rumor about implants?

241 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:08:24am

re: #228 FurryOldGuyJeans

There seems to be a fair amount of convergence with the anti-vaxxers and the more rabid anti-public schoolers, so keeping one's kids away from the rest of the heathen world might be seen as a benefit.

Ban them from the private schools, too.

I bet Le Rosey in Gstaad doesn't allow un-vaccinated kids.

242 quickjustice  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:08:40am

re: #217 DistantThunder

There's a new vaccine protecting against HPV, isn't there?

243 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:08:57am

re: #226 Occasional Reader

I'll nudge her awake, and ask.

Wake up, OR. You're posting in your sleep again.

*slap slap*

244 wiffersnapper  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:09:08am

Thanks Jenny McCarthy!

245 KANSASMOM  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:09:19am

re: #228 FurryOldGuyJeans

There seems to be a fair amount of convergence with the anti-vaxxers and the more rabid anti-public schoolers, so keeping one's kids away from the rest of the heathen world might be seen as a benefit.

Don't allow them in private schools either! Homeschooling, well, I don't have an answer for that one.

246 Randall Gross  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:09:20am

re: #237 smokefire

Anybody have any idea of the demographics in this measles outbreak?
With the increase in Islamics in England now, it may be a safe bet there may be a lot of those who are stricken with the measles. The lack of medical care in those 3rd world areas may be a factor in this.

If you look at EU as a whole Romania and Switzerland seem to be the hotspots the past couple of years.

247 Walter L. Newton  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:09:27am

OT - (again)

Rush is now making fun of the monkey fossil, he called it bullshit and says no one has ever proven it, and you can't disprove creationism with evolution.

So, the head of the GOP has spoken, it is done.

248 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:09:50am

re: #195 Walter L. Newton

oh the sugar cube, I see. Well I guess the fact that turn made the connection speaks volumes. Hey it was the 70's, what can I say.

249 turn  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:10:39am

re: #196 Dianna

Ouch! You're a good person Dianna.

250 KANSASMOM  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:10:49am

re: #234 Miss Molly

I wonder if Oprah requires the girls who attend her school in Africa to be vaccinated?

251 Dianna  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:11:53am

re: #218 SummerSong

I'll bet it was. Thank you for going through that. They always underplay the pain involved in these things, don't they?

I am wondering why I was only asked for blood and not a sample of my bone marrow.

I got to the second stage, once. Long ago.

These days, they can discriminate without doing a punch, I believe.

Not to sound cowardly, but there's a level at which I'm very relieved that I've never shown up as a match. I'd love to help. I just dread the pain.

252 Creeping Eruption  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:12:06am

re: #168 SummerSong

Ugh, that is horrible. I can only hope that the procedure has improved, somehow.

I've been signed up to be a bone marrow donor for 25 years, in hopes of helping someone like that little girl. I haven't matched anyone, yet. Someday, I hope!

I'm signed up as well, hoping I can help one day. No I don't think it is any less painful to get a spinal. I get e-mail updates from her parents through a service called Caringbridge Journal and although she is progressing well and just entered her maintenance phase, I cannot read about it without shedding tears for her and all the other kids suffering these horrible diseases.

253 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:12:31am

re: #238 KANSASMOM

I've never understood why unvaccinated children are allowed to enter public schools. In addition to not allowing them in the schools, I'd say any children who are not vaccinated should be refused public services (such as early intervention) and not allowed to attend licensed daycares.
Take away their public-funded speech/physical therapy, their Parents-as-Teachers education and then maybe they'll decide their child's health and welfare is more at risk without the vaccine.

There is a religion that forbids it so maybe those who refuse to protect their kids should be forece to prove their members of that religion.

As far as school and day care and the rest, that would force one parent to stay at home. I don't think that many will be able to afford it.

For early intervention and speech and physical therapy, refusing that would hurt the kids and I'm not comfortable with that.

254 MandyManners  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:12:55am

bbiab

255 Erik The Red  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:13:06am

re: #250 KANSASMOM

I wonder if Oprah requires the girls who attend her school in Africa to be vaccinated?

I bet $?.00 That the government in SA does.
In fact I know it does

The question is does she know or even care/

256 DaddyG  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:13:24am

This disproves evolution. Anyone descended from a primate would be intelligent enough to vaccinate their children. /

257 Creeping Eruption  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:13:29am

We need a vaccine against Jenny McCarthy and her ilk.

258 Miss Molly  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:14:59am

Son ofthe Black Dog -- Good point to worry about small pox. The small pox virus is supposed to be safely locked up in a few countries. However with most of humanity now without ever having the small pox vaccination, having the small pox virus loose would be a big problem. I've read somewhere that people who have had the small pox vaccination in the past "might" have a better chance against small pox as opposed to those who have never had the vaccination. Still, having the virus "locked up" just doesn't make me feel all that safe anymore.

259 SummerSong  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:15:12am

re: #251 Dianna

I got to the second stage, once. Long ago.

These days, they can discriminate without doing a punch, I believe.

Not to sound cowardly, but there's a level at which I'm very relieved that I've never shown up as a match. I'd love to help. I just dread the pain.

The last word I'd use to describe you is cowardly!

I do understand, I try to avoid pain at every opportunity.

260 John Neverbend  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:16:19am

re: #239 quickjustice

Fair point. I don't follow Charles's stumbling around, so I'm ignorant of many of his faux pas. I just remember him telling Camilla that he wished he were her lingerie. He also ogled my sister in church while sitting next to Diana.

Unlike his mother, he's not exactly a class act.

Was it her lingerie? I thought it was something else. Anyway, he's certainly not responsible for major government inspired cock-ups. For all I know, he might actually like listening to Michael Savage.

261 lostlakehiker  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:16:25am

re: #1 Dianna

Why can't it be the idiot parents who made the decision that pay, not the kids?

Well, if the child ends up impaired, the parents pay forever. If the child is sick, the parents are at any rate inconvenienced. Nature herself is handing out Darwin awards, and these parents are to some extent "winners".

Measles is indeed contagious. But ideas spread at least as fast. Dumb ideas seem to spread even faster.

Why do dumb ideas spread so fast? A wrong and stupid-sounding idea won't go anywhere. A right but subtle idea is too much effort to cope with unless its importance is flat inescapable. A right and obvious idea becomes so universally accepted that nobody even thinks of it...of course water runs downhill.

A stupid but attractive idea spreads like measles...it's not so stupid as to get you killed, most of the time, and it spreads easily---it is so infectious that just being in the same conversation with an infected person can sicken an individual.

The idea that vaccinations are more dangerous than the diseases they help prevent is a stupid but superficially attractive idea, especially when vaccinations are so common that measles, etc. are rarities.

262 pat  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:17:26am

re: #253 MandyManners

Mandy, other than Christian Scientists (which are rare and rarer) and the Amish, as well as the assorted Muslims, are there any other recognized religions that don't believe in vaccines? I am curious, because when I was in school, and this is still true in Hawaii, you had to jump through hoops to get a vaccine waiver. We have had our share of disease disaster here. One study concluded that not a single child born in the year 1909 in my county survived to adulthood.

263 gmsc  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:17:29am

re: #242 quickjustice

There's a new vaccine protecting against HPV, isn't there?

Yeah, but I hear it causes autism . . .

/////

264 SummerSong  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:17:35am

re: #252 Creeping Eruption

I'm signed up as well, hoping I can help one day. No I don't think it is any less painful to get a spinal. I get e-mail updates from her parents through a service called Caringbridge Journal and although she is progressing well and just entered her maintenance phase, I cannot read about it without shedding tears for her and all the other kids suffering these horrible diseases.

It's hard to turn away when you realize that bone marrow might just CURE them. I hope she's one of the lucky ones. God bless her and her family.

265 jill e  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:17:50am

Found this on Oprah's web site. Confusing given her promotion of Jenny McCarthy.

266 Miss Molly  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:18:22am

KANSANMOM --I hope the SA gov't has laws to have all kids vaccinated. Oprah may be way to busy flying around in her private jet to really worry about those kids now that all the publicity of opening the school is over. But then I'm not an Oprah fan.

267 experiencedtraveller  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:18:23am

re: #231 Occasional Reader

Later.

I guess that confirms what Adriana Lima is up to. ;)

268 SummerSong  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:19:32am

re: #264 SummerSong

It's hard to turn away when you realize that bone marrow might just CURE them. I hope she's one of the lucky ones. God bless her and her family.

And YOU for your willingness to help!

269 KANSASMOM  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:20:16am

re: #253 MandyManners

There is a religion that forbids it so maybe those who refuse to protect their kids should be forece to prove their members of that religion.

As far as school and day care and the rest, that would force one parent to stay at home. I don't think that many will be able to afford it.

For early intervention and speech and physical therapy, refusing that would hurt the kids and I'm not comfortable with that.

The therapists have to work very close and physically with the kids, often in the child's home. Then when they have finished that appointment they go to the next child's home to work with him or her. I don't want to hurt the kids either, but the possibility of an outbreak exists with public services much like it does for public school just on a smaller scale.

270 LibraryGryffon  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:21:24am

I don't know how much connection there is, but the article which started the whole "MMR gives your kids autism" scare was published in Lancet in 1998, and the authors were at the London Royal Free Hospital. Here is a nice write-up of the mess:
[Link: briandeer.com...] by Brian Deer, a reporter for the Sunday Times.

271 DaddyG  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:23:59am

re: #262 pat 8-9 years old during the influenza pandemic. This is still one of my biggest fears as a father of several children. These anti-vacc fools scare me.

272 Eowyn2  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:24:55am

re: #133 turn

That brings back memories. I don't kow if you read any of my posts about my 17 year old getting chicken pox, the pain of seeing them hurt never goes away at any age.

Ouch. My kids got it young. Daycare called "one of the kids has chicken pox, do you want to keep your kids home but we think everyone has been exposed"
me "lets get it over with"

273 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:27:25am
274 jill e  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:31:59am

Measles Chart for England and Wales. And article about how researcher fixed data to show vaccine link to autism.

275 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:32:09am
276 LibraryGryffon  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:35:06am

A couple of weeks back Law & Order had an episode involving a child dying because some other mother didn't vaccinate her child, and the child who died was too young to have been vaccinated. I thought the show handled the issue pretty well.

277 Kenneth  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:38:46am

re: #262 pat

Generally speaking, Muslims are not opposed to vaccination. Only a few extremist groups such as the Taliban have been against it. And even that was selective.

278 [deleted]  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:44:39am
279 doppelganglander  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:47:46am

The anti-science, anti-medicine insanity covers a whole lot more than vaccines. Just today, we've got a woman in Wisconsin who is on trial for allowing her daughter to die of untreated diabetes because she thinks sickness is a sign of sin.

Meanwhile, despite a court order requiring him to receive treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (which has a 90% cure rate if properly treated), a 13-year-old boy has been so brainwashed by his crackpot parents that he vows to bite, kick, and scream if anyone tries to touch him. His mom says he's "an elder and medicine man" in their "church," in spite of the fact that he's completely illiterate. Really.

Not only could Daniel neither read nor understand the affidavit he signed saying he preferred "native" treatments over chemotherapy for his Hodgkin's lymphoma, but he also could not read. Period. When tested by his teacher for entrance into a charter school, according to court documents, Daniel, who had been home-schooled, could not identify the following word:

"The."

280 Cato the Elder  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:52:07am

re: #237 smokefire

Anybody have any idea of the demographics in this measles outbreak?
With the increase in Islamics in England now, it may be a safe bet there may be a lot of those who are stricken with the measles. The lack of medical care in those 3rd world areas may be a factor in this.

I have no data to back this up, but I'd bet that immigrants to the UK and other "first world" countries are more likely to avail themselves of public vaccines than the natives. People from countries where such diseases are still prevalent would know the benefits firsthand.

My sense is that anti-vaxing is a species of luxury phobia that the idle rich and hippie contrarians indulge in in great numbers. They can afford it, they think, because of herd immunity and relatively low infection rates thanks to nearly everyone else being vaccinated. It's like organic food nuts: you have to be rich or own your own farm to do it consistently. People from countries where eating regularly is not a given tend to appreciate, you know, just plain old, um, food.

281 zuckerlilly  Tue, May 19, 2009 12:10:01pm

Measle outbreaks are not unique in Europe

Since November 2006, Switzerland has been experiencing the largest measles outbreak registered in the country since the introduction of mandatory notification for this disease in 1999. The first eight months of this outbreak have already been described in this journal [1]. From November 2006 to 13 February 2008, 1,405 measles cases were reported by physicians or laboratories in Switzerland (1,106 of them in 2007). Of these, 976 cases (69%) occurred in the cantons of Lucerne (29% of the total), Basel-Land (16%), Zurich (11%) Bern (7%), and Aargau (7%). The incidence for the whole country and all ages, calculated for this 15-month period, was 19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (15 cases per 100,000 for the year 2007). For children under the age of 16 years living in the canton of Lucerne, it was 500 per 100,000.

(...)

Such a long outbreak or successive outbreaks of short duration are not unusual in settings where unvaccinated individuals accumulate over time due to poor uptake of vaccine. In 1999–2000, the Netherlands experienced an almost year-long measles outbreak with about 3,300 cases, which started among unvaccinated individuals in areas with low vaccination coverage; however, there was only sporadic spread to communities with high vaccination coverage] [2]. A very large outbreak raged in Italy in 2002 and again in 2003, after a few quiet months [3]. Bolker and Grenfell have hypothesised that an intermediate vaccination coverage could decorrelate the timing of regional outbreaks in the same country [4], with a consecutive extension of the total duration of the outbreak. Measles elimination (interruption of endemic disease transmission) has been achieved in countries that have a sustained high coverage with two doses of measles vaccine [5,6].

Vaccination skepticism in Europe appeared first in the late 1960's out of esoteric groups, cults and alternative medicine. A minority of physicians are telling parents to let the children become ill this would strengthen their immune system (!). So parents are anxious what do do.

282 NY Nana  Tue, May 19, 2009 12:25:24pm

I think most of you know just how pro-vaccine I am, as a mother, grandmother and a retired RN...and yet again, the shibboleth re vaccines and autism has been ruled against in the courts in Feb. No proof vaccine led to autism, court rules

A special U. S. court has ruled against three families who claimed vaccines caused their children's autism.The Vaccine Court Omnibus Autism Proceeding ruled against the parents of Michelle Cedillo, Colten Snyder and William Yates Hazlehurst, who had claimed that a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine had combined with other vaccine ingredients to damage the three children."Unfortunately, the Cedillos have been misled by physicians who are guilty, in my view, of gross medical misjudgment," Special Master George Hastings, a former tax claims expert at the Department of Justice, wrote in the 183-page ruling.The families sought payment under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a no-fault system that has a $2.5-billion fund built up from a 75-¢-per-dose tax on vaccines.Instead of judges, three "special masters" heard the three test cases representing thousands of other petitioners.They asked whether a combination vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, plus a mercury-containing preservative called thimerosal, caused the children's symptoms."The evidence does not support the general proposition that thimerosal-containing vaccines can damage infants' immune systems," Mr. Hastings wrote, after reviewing tens of thousands of documents and hours of oral arguments."I further conclude that while Michelle Cedillo has tragically suffered from autism and other severe conditions, the petitioners have also failed to demonstrate that her vaccinations played any role at all in causing those problems."Michelle's parents argued that she was a normal baby until she received the vaccine.Experts say parents often link vaccines with their children's symptoms because they are vaccinated at an age when autism and related disorders are often first diagnosed."We need ongoing research into the causes of autism, but cannot let unfounded myths keep us from giving our children the proven protection they need against infectious diseases," the American Medical Association said in response to the ruling.The Institute of Medicine reviewed the evidence in 2001 and 2004, and determined there was no link between vaccines and autism.Many other studies have shown no link, but a small and vocal group of parents continues to press the case.The advocacy group Autism Speaks said the ruling did not necessarily clear vaccines, or any other potential cause."We will continue to support authoritative research that addresses unanswered questions about whether certain subgroups of individuals with particular underlying medical or genetic conditions may be more vulnerable to adverse effects of vaccines," the group said in a statement.

To me, not vaccinating your child(ren) is akin to child abuse of the worst kind, and can, and has been fatal.

We need a Federal law re immunizations to protect children, IMHO

283 John Neverbend  Tue, May 19, 2009 12:34:16pm

re: #103 buzzsawmonkey

As I recall, we spent most of the time making puppets and putting on shows.

Not sockpuppets, eh?

284 calcajun  Tue, May 19, 2009 12:35:27pm

I have never really chimed in on this subject, but it does touch me personally. I have an Asperberger's child. He started showing the traits before he was ever vaccinated so I have no real axe to grind. He has responded well to the neuro-developmental therapy we started three years ago--he's an early adolescent.

His therapist knows more about this issue than I do. It is her observation, based on her patients, that there is a correlation between autism and vaccinations. She is no kook who wants all vaccines banned, but she has seen too many cases where the parents reported the onset of the symptoms after the child received the vaccines. She also adds that she has patients like my son who showed signs of the condition before the vaccines were administered.

Her theory (not mine as I do not know enough to form an opinion let alone a theory) is that there is too strong a causal link between the preservatives (the mercury-based ones) in the vaccines and the development of autistic behavior patterns. She's not disputing the scientific data which failed to establish a definitive link between the two, but in her mind, it's more than a coincidence. Keep in mind that this would have to be based on the parents' reporting of the symptoms. However, she told me she had one patient "loose ground" after getting a booster immunization shot.

Her concern is that the pharmaceutical companies stated some years ago that they would be moving away from the mercury-based preservatives, but that this has not been done and those batches are still being administered. She does not and will not admonish her patients' parents to eschew all vaccinations. She agrees that anyone who suggests avoiding all vaccinations is foolish for throwing the baby out with the bathwater. She does recommend, though, that her patients' parents ask for some documentation as to what batch the shot came from and what preservatives are in it.

The point I am grappling to make is that vaccination programs are invaluable in stemming outbreaks such as measles, mumps, rubella, etc.--all of which can be fatal in some instances. There's no argument there. My question concerns the preservatives--which are equally necessary to maintain the effectiveness and shelf-life of the vaccine batches. However, is there a move to "exchange" --out of an abundance of caution--the present method of preserving vaccines with one that does not have mercury? Isn't this the crux of the issue--not the vaccinations per se, but the preservatives?

285 Code Red 21  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:05:42pm

re: #284 calcajun

Your's is probably one of the most coherent takes on the subject I have yet to read here or anywhere else. I hope the best for you and your son.

286 NY Nana  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:08:40pm

re: #284 calcajun

May G-d bless your son.

Here are the threads on the subject that Charles has put up on the subjest. I have a feeling that you have seen nearly all...

As you saw in my post, I am on the side of giving vaccines, BTW, and admire Charles' courage in presenting these threads which have brought him some really loathsome attacks .

Have you seen this site?

Take care.

287 ladycatnip  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:28:16pm

#284 calcajun

Blessings to you and your son, and thank you for the thoughtful post. The link NY Nana posted in #286 is an excellent site. My son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first baby and our first grandchild, and she's very concerned about vaccines. I try not to be pushy for vaccines, but have mentioned the information received here. I can understand the fear first-time parents are face with - vaccines = autism - doesn't leave much of a choice for young parents.

Preservatives in vaccines are also regional, state-by-state. Here in CA thimerosol has been outlawed as of July 2006, and prior to that there was a request not to use it in vaccines, but there was no oversight, so getting stats would be difficult.

288 KansasMom  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:30:15pm

re: #284 calcajun

My question concerns the preservatives--which are equally necessary to maintain the effectiveness and shelf-life of the vaccine batches. However, is there a move to "exchange" --out of an abundance of caution--the present method of preserving vaccines with one that does not have mercury? Isn't this the crux of the issue--not the vaccinations per se, but the preservatives?

According to our pediatrician, very few vaccines produced now contain mercury.

289 Salamantis  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:39:08pm

re: #213 quickjustice

You have a point. We need more hot, media-savvy chicks in favor of vaccination!

Amanda Peet is outspokenly pro-vaccination. And she's waay hawt.

290 calcajun  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:41:16pm

re: #286 NY Nana

Thanks, Nana.

291 funky chicken  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:42:53pm

re: #199 Cato the Elder

An idiot with bouncy boobs and an unscrupulous, greedy teevee diva outweigh the CDC, NIH and Surgeon General.

The Discovery Institute could learn a lesson here.

Trust me, they're carefully studying every bit of it, just like they apparently studied the success of the post-modernist BS artists who have taken over the liberal arts.

292 Salamantis  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:44:35pm

re: #288 KansasMom

According to our pediatrician, very few vaccines produced now contain mercury.

Thiomerisol was also found to make no statistical diffference as far as adverse affects (including autism) were concerned. But sometimes popular perception can override reality. So they removed it anyway, even though it was the most effective additive they had to prevent organic vaccine contamination.

293 NY Nana  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:48:01pm

re: #287 ladycatnip

Thanks. I believe that thimerosal has been removed nation-wide from childrens' vaccines for a number of years now, but sadly, it is still being blamed.

re: #288 KansasMom

According to our pediatrician, very few vaccines produced now contain mercury.

The pediatrician is right. IIRC, possibly some adult vaccines still have it.

There is more and more evidence that autism is genetic, especially in boys.

What especially angers me is the likes of Oprah, who has never had a child, and certainly is about as bright as Jenny McCarthy, is looked upon as a fountain of knowledge re autism, or even which brand of cake mix is best.

Sad that the cult of celebrity overrules common sense.

294 NY Nana  Tue, May 19, 2009 1:50:40pm

re: #290 calcajun

{Calcajun}

Please kiss your son for us...he really is a very special boy, and is blessed with caring parents..

295 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, May 19, 2009 2:12:50pm

re: #27 buzzsawmonkey

We regress, the Muslims progress, and we meet somewhere around the 16th century. That's the plan.

The sixteenth century--second only to the seventeenth in really ugly religious wars. Can't we meet up someplace else?

296 Laroon  Tue, May 19, 2009 2:17:00pm

I just don't buy it... for the simple reason that people in their mid-30s today were also on very aggressive vaccine schedules, we got all the thimerisol and yet, we pre-date the autism epidemic. I have little doubt that there is an environmental factor(s) here contributing to all these poor kids developing these conditions... I just don't see why they picked out vaccines. If we look at the first generation of the autism explosion, there are lots of things that changed in childrens' environments (hours and hours of kids programming on tv, the microwave oven became a fixture in virtually every home, diet soda became a staple in our diets, etc. etc.) If you ask me, a lot of possibilities are being ignored because of this ridiculous obsession with vaccines.

297 NY Nana  Tue, May 19, 2009 2:43:59pm

re: #296 Laroon

Have you ever heard of the word 'rachmonet' (compassion)? Can you walk in the other man's shoes?

/Just curious.

298 jantjepietje  Tue, May 19, 2009 4:12:12pm

The Jenny McCarthy Song

Youtube Video


Hello my name is measles
I'm what you got
I've entered your system
by a droplet of snot
I used to be endangered
But now I have a friend
Her name is Jenny McCarthy
She brought me back from the dead

*sings along*

299 LTC8K6  Tue, May 19, 2009 8:33:41pm

Paging Jenny McCarthy.

Paging Jenny McCarthy.

Please pick up a white courtesy phone.

300 D.C.  Tue, May 19, 2009 11:25:44pm

Re: all the comments above about harvesting bone-marrow: it does appear that the procedure has improved. According to the following, rather than having to drill into bone to get marrow, as they used to do, marrow now can be harvested from the blood after a certain drug is administered, in a series of injections over a few days, to get bone-marrow stem cells to migrate into the bloodstream. This filtration is called apheresis.

Details on the process are here, on this Mayo Clinic webpage (which appears to have been written in 2007), "Bone marrow donation: What to expect when you donate": Page 1, Page 2

From the Page 2 link above:

What can you expect during bone marrow stem cell donation?

Removing blood stem cells from your blood during apheresis doesn't hurt. However, the medication you're given to coax the blood stem cells out of your marrow may cause bone pain — similar to the aches you might feel if you have the flu. On rare occasions the pain may be so severe that you might discontinue the injections. The bone pain goes away once you stop receiving the injections. Other common side effects are fatigue, headache, muscle pain, and tingling around the lips, mouth and fingers.

301 eaglewingz08  Wed, May 20, 2009 10:27:55am

What's the hubbub about Charles? This is merely evolution at work, no reason for concern as we have survival of the fittest which will scientifically rid the species of those without sufficient immunity to measles, it will strengthen the gene pool of those who have greater immunity to measles and/or may even create mutants in the human population with complete immunity to the disease thus being a win win for homo sapiens. As Charles Darwin said, 'you can't improve a species without breaking a few eggs'.

302 Salamantis  Wed, May 20, 2009 11:24:29am

re: #301 eaglewingz08

What's the hubbub about Charles? This is merely evolution at work, no reason for concern as we have survival of the fittest which will scientifically rid the species of those without sufficient immunity to measles, it will strengthen the gene pool of those who have greater immunity to measles and/or may even create mutants in the human population with complete immunity to the disease thus being a win win for homo sapiens. As Charles Darwin said, 'you can't improve a species without breaking a few eggs'.

Umm...we are working on viruses that can insert such immunities into the human genome, thus immunizing not only oneself, but all of one's descendents. Supposedly, you would also be against domestic herds and planted crops and built shelters and sewn clothing, because they aren't natural and prevent the environment from selecting out less hardy humans. (btw; vaccination works by provoking a natural anti-body-producing immune response in the body).

I was also unable to find your alleged Darwin quotation; I strongly suspct you made it up from a Josef Stalin quote - just another ham-handed attempt at an ad hominem smear job.

303 BartB  Wed, May 20, 2009 2:17:41pm

"The anti-vaccination insanity is starting to take a fatal toll across the pond"
I read the article, I watched the video, I somehow missed the part where a child has died.


This article has been archived.
Comments are closed.

Jump to top

Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

Help support Little Green Footballs!

Subscribe now for ad-free access!Register and sign in to a free LGF account before subscribing, and your ad-free access will be automatically enabled.

Donate with
PayPal Cash.app
Recent PagesClick to refresh
Texas County at Center of Border Fight Is Overwhelmed by Migrant Deaths EAGLE PASS, Tex. - The undertaker lighted a cigarette and held it between his latex-gloved fingers as he stood over the bloated body bag lying in the bed of his battered pickup truck. The woman had been fished out ...
Cheechako
Yesterday
Views: 86 • Comments: 0 • Rating: 0