Measles Parties - Or Not
I remember my chicken pox party.
It didn't seem fair.
I would have enjoyed a party but I was miserable.
Soon afterwards so were many of the children who came over that day.
This wasn't surprising.
It was the desired result.
When I was a child there was no vaccine for chicken pox and getting it as an adult can be much worse than as a child.
Unfortunately, the idea is still around.
Why is it bad? We have two generations of parents who have not seen the ravages measles can wreak on children who catch it.
There are three generations of people who may not be protected at all from it.
The outbreak that started in the Southern California Disney parks shows that quite clearly.
Patient Zero is a 20 year old who didn't even know she was sick when she visited the parks.
1/3 of all cases of measles will cause complications.
If the child (or adult) is lucky it might be an ear infection.
Most will develop pneumonia.
Some will become blind, deaf or both.
A few develop encephalitis and permanent brain damage.
One in one thousand will die.
That's why measles is bad.
Measles Parties: Look at those numbers.
Understand that your child has a one in three chance to have at least one of those complications.
There's no rule that says they can't have more.
Do you want your child to have this disease? Do you want to risk other people, people who may not be able to be vaccinated catching it? Vaccinate: Those who can be vaccinated should.
The number of deaths from the vaccination is often paired with the most recent number of deaths in the U.
S.
from the disease.
As we still have a lot of vaccinated people that's like comparing apples to oranges.
Wait another two generations and you can compare them equally...
if people continue the no vaccination trend.
Boosters: Anyone born after 1957 should receive a booster.
If you don't know whether or not you had measles as a child you should have a booster.
There is little risk, although some may develop a rash five to twelve days after the shot.
The rash is not measles; just a reaction.
There are children who *can't* be vaccinated.
Some have cancer.
Some have severe allergies.
Some have other medical conditions that prevent these shots.
If one of these children catches the disease the chances of a fatality are higher.
Measles parties should not be our response to this.
Instead we need to educate and vaccinate.
It didn't seem fair.
I would have enjoyed a party but I was miserable.
Soon afterwards so were many of the children who came over that day.
This wasn't surprising.
It was the desired result.
When I was a child there was no vaccine for chicken pox and getting it as an adult can be much worse than as a child.
Unfortunately, the idea is still around.
Why is it bad? We have two generations of parents who have not seen the ravages measles can wreak on children who catch it.
There are three generations of people who may not be protected at all from it.
The outbreak that started in the Southern California Disney parks shows that quite clearly.
Patient Zero is a 20 year old who didn't even know she was sick when she visited the parks.
1/3 of all cases of measles will cause complications.
If the child (or adult) is lucky it might be an ear infection.
Most will develop pneumonia.
Some will become blind, deaf or both.
A few develop encephalitis and permanent brain damage.
One in one thousand will die.
That's why measles is bad.
Measles Parties: Look at those numbers.
Understand that your child has a one in three chance to have at least one of those complications.
There's no rule that says they can't have more.
Do you want your child to have this disease? Do you want to risk other people, people who may not be able to be vaccinated catching it? Vaccinate: Those who can be vaccinated should.
The number of deaths from the vaccination is often paired with the most recent number of deaths in the U.
S.
from the disease.
As we still have a lot of vaccinated people that's like comparing apples to oranges.
Wait another two generations and you can compare them equally...
if people continue the no vaccination trend.
Boosters: Anyone born after 1957 should receive a booster.
If you don't know whether or not you had measles as a child you should have a booster.
There is little risk, although some may develop a rash five to twelve days after the shot.
The rash is not measles; just a reaction.
There are children who *can't* be vaccinated.
Some have cancer.
Some have severe allergies.
Some have other medical conditions that prevent these shots.
If one of these children catches the disease the chances of a fatality are higher.
Measles parties should not be our response to this.
Instead we need to educate and vaccinate.