CBS News: Growing measles outbreak in Washington spreading fear among parents

I have lots to say about people who think it’s okay to skip vaccinations out of fear of something that an asshole FAKED. People who are more afraid of dealing with hidden, likely genetic, disabilities rejecting the concept of herd immunity should keep their unvaccinated children out of the public.

They are declaring that they are somehow more important than the people they live with, who may not be vaccinated because they are too young, have compromised immune systems, or are allergic.

It is by far the most selfish act.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is poorly understood because of the nature of the research that identified it in the first place. You can’t necessarily test for issues that center around the brain, and too many years went by without admitting that the disorder also affects women, and in very different ways.

People generally don’t want to hear that their children might not be perfect. They despise invisible disability.

There isn’t an epidemic of Autism. People are having children later, age is a factor, people with similar personalities marry, and we’re a lot better at identifying people (including women) on the spectrum.

Anti-vaxxers believe in the Boogeyman.

If you side with the anti-vaxx movement, you deserve every single snide remark you get, and you should suffer isolation until you get your kids vaccinated.

These outbreaks were preventable. People chose to ignore the warnings. And chances are, there will be deaths and actual damage from choosing not to vaccinate.

What the fuck, people?

Let’s be clear about this. Wakefield’s fraudulent paper, which The Lancet walked back two decades ago, has left a generation of kids exposed and vulnerable to some of the deadliest, most virulent diseases known to man, and all of it over a bunch of bullshit based on fear and anxiety that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the real causes of a condition that’s most likely genetic, poorly researched, and until very recently thought to occur almost exclusively in boys. In fact, those in the autism community (yes, there is such a thing) are quick to tell you that vaccination is necessary.

It’s an entire freaking generation of kids at risk because of this massive disinformation campaign. And you know the best part? Putin is laughing his ass off right now, because stupid Americans will believe anything if it sounds plausible enough.

At least some kids are aware of the situation and are trying to do something about it.

And in some communities, there are bastions of sanity who are fighting the toxic paranoia as well. So are some hospitals, and other resources have good answers to many medical questions.

Nope. Sorry.

Concerns might be valid. Rare complications do happen. Willful ignorance and failure to comply with basic societal protections, however, is criminal. If you can’t get vaccinated because of something in your personal or family history, then you have no choice but to depend on the kindness of strangers.

I have a friend who wound up with Guillain-Barre Syndrome after a flu shot. She’s a vegetarian, and it’s possible that this had something to do with her reaction. She was hospitalized for weeks afterward. She can’t get vaccinated anymore because of this.

I have friends who have permanently compromised immune systems from a host of autoimmune disorders. I have friends with babies who are too young to be vaccinated. Herd immunity (yes, it’s real, and yes, it works) fails when the herd opts to believe tripe and chooses not to vaccinate because of this bullshit.

Bring up Mercola or any of those other woo science pages and I will chase you down and ridicule you for being a fool, and a dangerous one at that.

I have asthma. I get the flu shot every year. The secondary infections are the ones that kill people. Including children. Including a couple of my family members. My grandmother eventually became an only child because of the Spanish Flu.

I had chicken pox when I was a kid. I also had mumps. You do NOT want to know what you missed because you got vaccinated.

Chicken pox is dangerous and sometimes deadly for adults. Shingles is worse.

Measles is deadlier and more infectious and these outbreaks were entirely preventable.

My sister got Shingles at age 18. I have at least two dozen friends who have suffered from the virus in the last couple of years. I got the Shingrix vaccine (two shots, long wait list because baby boomers) so I don’t have to worry about getting a serious case of Shingles.

Puncture wound? Bring on the tetanus booster. It’s a hell of a lot better than the alternative.

This is, for me, a no-brainer. My kids are up to date on everything including the HPV vaccine. Until they opted to live elsewhere, I made sure they got their shots every year.

I guess it all depends on how much it matters to you that you are protecting other people who can’t be vaccinated.

MMR: Measles, Mumps, Rubella.

I will die on that hill.

Don’t test me.

You’ll lose.