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THE PROBLEM
As indicated by NLP in January, 3.6% of students throughout the state had been exempted from vaccination the previous academic year, an increase from 2 years ago. , 3% the year before. And 9.5% of Lancaster County students were exempted, an increase from the already alarming 8.6%. Heather Stauffer, of the LNP, reported that 1.7% of state students and 6.6% of Lancaster County were philosophical exemptions. As we noted in a TNL editorial on Sunday, March 14, "It seems like our county is an anti-vaccination focus. Which is deeply disturbing."
We cajoled. We thundered. We pleaded. And we will continue to do so, while advocating for the imperative of vaccinating children.
We vaccinated our children to protect them from diseases such as measles, mumps, whooping cough, rubella, chicken pox and meningitis. We do this to ensure the safety of those around them, because we feel it is our responsibility to protect not only our own children, but also the children of other people and the immunocompromised adults.
We do not understand why other people reject this social responsibility or ignore medical science.
But we have already said all this (and unfortunately, we will probably have to repeat it).
Today, however, we will simply note some recent developments, which we hope you will consider.
Outbreak at the temple
On Thursday, there were 18 confirmed cases and 107 probable cases of mumps at Temple University, according to its office of student health services.
The university called for self-isolation after the onset of symptoms, as it remains "one of the most critical steps that a symptomatic individual can take to recover." and limit the spread of mumps ".
Its health services website continues: "If you have had close contact with someone who is symptomatic of mumps and you have never received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, it is recommended to receive the complete series of two doses.
"If you have had close contact with someone who is symptomatic of mumps and you have already received the MMR vaccine, it is recommended that you receive a third booster dose of the vaccine. … If you are pregnant or immunocompromised, contact your doctor immediately. "
In an effort to fight the epidemic, the university provided free MMR vaccines to nearly 5,000 students, faculty and staff.
Consider that number: almost 5,000. Parents who are preparing to send their children to university should perhaps be less concerned about the dormitory setting and ensure that their children's vaccinations are complete and up-to-date.
N.Y. Epidemic state
In late March, in the state of New York, Ed Day, Rockland County Executive, said the countywide emergency state regarding an ongoing measles outbreak.
As of midnight on March 27, anyone under the age of 18 who was not vaccinated against measles was prohibited from entering public places.
Public schools were prohibited for unvaccinated children, as were daycares, local shops, restaurants, places of worship and buses.
It was an extreme measure, and a New York Supreme Court judge arrested him on Friday.
But we understood why the Rockland County officials felt it was necessary.
On Friday, 167 cases of measles were confirmed in this county. And local health officials were met with stubborn resistance from those who opposed – and wrongly – vaccination.
In his statement, Day declared the state of emergency: "As the epidemic continued, our inspectors began to meet the resistance of those whom they were trying to protect. They were hung up or told to stop calling. They were told "in the course of their investigations, we do not discuss this, do not go back" when they go to the homes of infected people. This type of response is unacceptable and irresponsible. This endangers the health and well-being of others and reflects a shocking lack of responsibility and concern for other members of our community. "
The outbreak in Rockland County has been largely confined to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Health officials have linked a measles epidemic in Israel, where more than 3,400 people were infected with the disease from March 2018 to January this year.
There is no vaccination ban in Judaism – nor in any major religion. The rabbis of Rockland County and elsewhere have implored parents to vaccinate their children.
And anti-vaccination sentiment is not limited to the ultra-orthodox Jewish community. He imposes himself on believers and nonbelievers.
Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University, told ABC News in January that research suggests that anti-vaxxers "tend to be more educated. They tend to be white and they tend to have a higher income. They tend to have larger families and use alternative and complementary medicines such as chiropractors and naturopaths. "
Alas, they are not better informed about this particular topic – they just think they know more than doctors and other legitimate experts.
From where the mumps outbreak to Temple. And the measles outbreak in Rockland County.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States has registered – from January 1 this year to March 28 – 387 confirmed cases of measles in 15 states. This is "the second highest number of cases reported in the United States since the elimination of measles in 2000," says the CDC.
It's madness.
And lawmakers in Pennsylvania risk fueling insanity by continuing to allow parents to exempt their schoolchildren from immunization for non-medical reasons.
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