MN measles outbreak started in area targeted by anti-vaccine activists now 14 cases, 8 hospitalized

[Ian David]

Hat-tip to: http://twitter.com/#!/sethmnookin/status/53095957432250370




Measles (Rubeola)

Measles is a rash illness caused by a virus. The measles vaccine is the best protection against the disease.Subscribe to measles information.Subscribe to Measles outbreak updates
Situation Update (3/30/11)
There have been 14 confirmed cases of measles reported in Minnesota. Thirteen of the cases have been linked to a case that acquired infection in Kenya and one case acquired infection in Florida. Cases have ranged in age from 4 months to 51 years old. Five of the cases were too young to receive vaccine, six were of age but were not vaccinated, and three have unknown vaccine status. There have been eight hospitalizations and no deaths.

Vaccination Recommendation Update (3/22/11)
For all Hennepin County residents and Somalis living in the greater metropolitan area MDH recommends that providers follow the minimum age and minimum interval for MMR as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Give MMR dose one on or as soon as possible after the first birthday and the second MMR 4 weeks following the first dose.

For all Minnesota health care providers

Assess MMR vaccination status on every patient at every visit – this includes adults.
Recall and vaccinate children that have not received the first dose of MMR


More:
http://ht.ly/4pvKK

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[shraby]

2. Measles is a killer. I've put too many childhood deaths caused

by measles on my website for my county genealogy site to be able to say anything else. Vaccinations are a must!

[LynneSin]

3. But Jenny says I shouldn't vaccinate my kids and I always take medical advice...

from a former Playboy Centerfold!

:crazy:

[MineralMan]

4. The infamous Dr. Wakefield was actually here in

Minneapolis, recently, and again some time ago, and spoke to a gathering of Somali immigrants, advising that they not accept vaccination, since it was dangerous for their children. Seriously. The Somali community in the Twin Cities is fairly isolated, and discrimination against them on racial and religious grounds is rampant in the area. This has led the community to be suspicious of local officials. Someone like Wakefield, and others in the anti-vaxxer movement can easily spark fear that spreads through the entire community almost overnight.

Personally, I consider such activity on the part of the anti-vaxxers to be deplorable, at minimum, and morally bankrupt, at worst.

I am disgusted!

Here's a link about Wakefield's March, 2011 visit to the Minneapolis Somali community:

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/03/andrew_wakefield_anti-vaccine_somali_measles_outbreak.php

Another link, about his visit in January, 2011:

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/01/andrew_wakefield_minneapolis_somalis_autismautism_m.php

[rbixby]

8. I think it goes both ways as far as isolation goes

I live right in the midst of a pretty big center of Somali population in south Minneapolis (roughly Lake and Nicollet to anyone who's counting), its a pretty diverse neighborhood, with people of all kinds of ethnic background, and I don't think there is too much of a problem with racial or religious discrimination, at least in my immediate neighborhood. I think a lot of the isolation comes from the culture shock, since us americans tend to be loud, boorish, and overtly sexual, and these are all things which aren't acceptable behavior in their culture. There is also no drinking in their culture for the most part, so a lot of the social places around here tend to be bars and things like that, so from what I've seen, since this is all way out of their element, they tend to stick close to their own communities, and to that section of Lake St between approximately Nicollet and Grand Ave.
I'm sure there's a certain amount of racism that people from other places run into once they leave the neighborhood, but its not something I see nearly to the extent as when I lived in St Cloud.

[kestrel91316]

5. Lots of my cat-owning clients are horrible these days about keeping kitties

current on vaccines. And then when their cats get really sick with preventable illness they get mad at me for how much that costs them.

People are idiots.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HuckleB]

7. Kick.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

9. This is the logical conclusion of anti-vax hysteria

I'm just shaking my head.

[trotsky]

10. And ultimately, as horrific as it will be...

This kind of thing, on a much larger scale, might be the only thing that rids us of the anti-vax loons for another generation or two.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

11. And how many will die needlessly?

How many children? How many babies?

[Ian David]

13. I don't think they care about that. If they did, facts would persuade them.

For some reason, I think they actually PREFER that children die, because they get off on whatever it is they're doing.

[trotsky]

15. I've seen more than one anti-vaxer on here admit such.

It would seem that at least some of them have a very Mengele-like attitude toward the "weaker" among us.

[Ian David]

12. We should just send them to The Island of Unvaccinated Toys. n/t

[varkam]

14. I've heard it postulated that one of the reasons there's so much fear re vaccines...

is that people have forgotten how much fear there was deadly, vaccine-preventable illness. We might be headed back in that direction, certainly if the events in the OP are any indication...