Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@distilledscience/video/7476271614263332127
Transcript
We're told in the Mennonite community, there are two people who have died. Actually, only one he was later corrected by his department. A school-aged child who was not vaccinated. The first U.S. measles death since 2015. From a preventable disease. How do you get that number wrong if you care? There are about 20 people hospitalized mainly for quarantine. This is misleading. The chief medical officer at Lubbock Hospital in Texas stated, children have been treated with supplemental oxygen and high flow oxygen, high fever and IV fluids. They're hospitalized because they're sick, because roughly one in four people who come down with the measles need to be hospitalized. Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year in this country last year that we're 16. And only four outbreaks in 2023. So it's not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year. This is only February. We're at half the total number of cases of 2024, and the outbreak is still ongoing. Because the measles virus can survive in the air for up to two hours. Symptoms can begin 7 to 21 days after exposure. Initial symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eye, and a rash that can appear 2 to 4 days after the other symptoms. But contagiousness starts around 4 days before the rash appears, leading to asymptomatic carriers. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to man, with each person typically infecting 12 to 18 others. If someone has measles, 90% of those they encounter will catch it. If they're not vaccinated. This outbreak is a direct result of low vaccination rates. If we look at the vaccination rates from the three public schools in Gaines County where this outbreak occurred, we see 94%, 82%, and 46%. 95% is needed to stop the spread in a population. And you cannot be vindictive and say, who cares about the unvaccinated? First, this is not the kids' fault. Second, kids typically get their first vaccine dose at 12 to 15 months. The second at 4 to 6 years. One dose is roughly 93% effective, 2 doses is 97%. if everyone is vaccinated. But there's that time window before the first dose and in between the two doses, where a decent percentage of kids are still going to be susceptible. And if it does spread, you're still left with that 3% to 7% who might get it. In the current outbreak, there are 5 kids who were vaccinated who still caught it. Likely, they only had one dose, which will at least still lower the severity. Public service announcement for parents in Texas, yes, your kid below 4 years of age can get a second dose as long as it's been 28 days since the first one. Third, while some parents choose not to vaccinate their kids, other than, Others can't because those kids are immunocompromised. I ran the numbers from Texas, and it looks like 6,657 children were unable to get the MMR vaccine due to medical difficulties, which make them even more susceptible to the measles. It's all of our responsibilities to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Measles was declared eradicated as a circulating illness in the United States back in 2000. But there were 107,000 deaths from it worldwide in 2023. Let's not let it come back.
Additional notes
This isn't isolated - cases are now reported in 6 states (TX, NM, AK, NY, RI, GA) with a 20% global increase in cases from 2022 to 2023. Beyond the visible symptoms, measles causes "immune amnesia" - erasing your body's hard-earned protection against other diseases you've already fought off or been vaccinated against. This vulnerability can last for years. The most concerning complication? Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) - a fatal brain disorder occurring in up to 18 per 100,000 measles cases, striking children under 5 hardest. It's 100% fatal within 1-3 years, with no cure or treatment. Global vaccination rates have dropped to 83% (we need 95%), while the US reports its highest-ever kindergarten vaccine exemption rates - almost all for non-medical reasons. Measles vaccines have prevented an estimated 56 MILLION deaths worldwide between 2000-2021. If your child isn't fully vaccinated yet, they can receive their second dose early (as long as it's 28+ days after the first). Sources: CDC, Reuters, TX Dept of Health, #Measles #PublicHealth #VaccinesSaveLives #science
References
- Sources named in caption: CDC, Reuters, Texas Department of Health.
- Specific source URLs, DOI, and PMID not listed in workbook.