Measles Cases Up, Vaccinations Down
August 31, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
It is the last day of August: September signals the start of school (and Charlie must be looking forward to it—-he stands still and up straight when I mention the name of any of his teachers or therapist, and he has been making sure he knows exactly where his backpack and lunchbox are). Mary Ramsay, a consultant epidemiologist for the Health Protection Agency (HPA), advises parents to include vaccinations for their children along with other back-to-school preparations such as buying school uniforms: “‘parents should think about adding the MMR vaccine to their back to school ‘to do’ list,’ ” Ramsay is quoted as saying. “’It is never too late to get vaccinated,’” she adds. Indeed: measles cases are up in some parts of the UK, the August 31st Times Online reports:
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that the number of confirmed cases of measles in children had more than trebled over recent months and was far higher than would normally be expected for this time of year.
By June 10 only 136 cases of measles had been confirmed. But just over 11 weeks later this number has risen to 480, with new cases being detected every day, the HPA said. This compares with 756 cases recorded during the whole of 2006 – the highest year on record.
In Hackney, East London, there were 120 cases of measles in the past three months, almost all in children under five years old who had not been vaccinated.
As factors for the increase, HPA officials cite parents not vaccinating their children and, in particular, parents not having a child receive the MMR booster—due to claims of an alleged, and unfounded, link between the MMR and autism, in no small part.
(Perhaps in large part?)
Orac (who happens to be on vacation in the UK) has an old post up regarding if you think it’s just about mercury when it comes to vaccines, you’re wrong.
Arg. I’m SO TIRED of the misinformation about the boosters. I don’t do the boosters for my kids. Reason? They’ve had terrible reactions to the vaccines, including high fever, allergic reactions, and an actual case of measles from the vaccine (allegedly non-contagious).
The mentality of vaccinating is a “protect the herd” mentality. The first vaccine usually gets about 80% of the kids vaccinated, but in about 20% of the kids vaccinated, immunity doesn’t “take” for one reason or another. The booster gets about half of those remaining kids. So we are actually vaccinating EVERYONE to make sure 10% more kids gain immunity.
I vaccinate. I believe in vaccinating. But I also believe in educating yourself about exactly what and why. There are many of us who have experienced vaccine reactions outside of an alleged link to ASD who choose not to do the booster because of those reactions, and titres prove the immunity took on the first shot, leaving the booster unnecessary.
But blaming an increase in measles cases on a refusal of the booster is just bad science. Yes, those refusing to vaccinate at all are probably having their kids get sick, and are infecting the 10% of kids in whom the vaccine will probably NEVER take. There will always be kids who never gain immunity from the vaccine, no matter how many boosters you try.
Those children are lucky to have caught measles – now they have natural immunity. They don\’t have to worry about the side effects from an MMR vaccine.
Both my lads have been vaccinated.
Then there are the side effects of measles—- my son has also received all of his vaccines.
Interestingly, when I went back to college to get my Masters, I was required to have my titers checked to see if I needed vaccination (I’m at that age where I fall within the exposure/vaccine gap). I’m not immune–but, I’m also allergic to eggs.
No vaccine for me. Which means I get nervous around measles.
It continues to be apparent why vaccines have been controversial since they were first used.