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The United States has just taken a big step, but not the kind we should be proud of. With more than 700 measles cases confirmed so far in 2019, the country has just surpbaded its highest level in 25 years, and there is little sign that the epidemic is slowing down.
The spread of the disease – which has hitherto hit hardest children under five years old unvaccinated – would have been absolutely unimaginable just two decades ago. As late as 2000, the United States had effectively eliminated the disease nationwide thanks to a high percentage of vaccinations, but decades of intense work by health officials to rid us of the disease. disease were completely destroyed in a jiffy.
The latest CDC report estimates that 704 people are infected. It's just confirmed cases, notice, the actual number is probably a lot higher. Individual epidemics have emerged in several states, including New York, Michigan, New Jersey, California, Oregon, Georgia and Maryland, but this does not even begin to reveal the true magnitude of the problem.
Unvaccinated children – who do not have the power to require vaccinations if their anti-vaxxer parents consider it unnecessary – endure the worst. More than one-third of confirmed measles infections are in children under five. In total, unvaccinated individuals account for more than 70% of the cases recorded in 2019.
None of this is particularly surprising if you follow the overwhelming growth of the anti-vaccination movement across the country. Stray parents who opted for junk food and Facebook groups motivated by the conspiracy have convinced themselves that vaccination has been bad for years.
One of the most popular theories in these groups is that vaccines have been badociated with autism cases – an badertion based on a retracted study since that has turned out to be a complete farce.
Meanwhile, schools across the country have had to ban unvaccinated students in order to prevent their student body from becoming the next hot spot of the epidemic. Public health officials are proposing tougher measures to ensure immunization and urging government officials to remove vaccine exemptions before the crisis worsens further.
Image Source: Shutterstock
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