Science and Measles

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Measles cases in the United States passed 1,000 in early June. I don't know what the number is now, two months later, but passing that 1K threshold is a rare event, doing so less than half way through the year is even more remarkable.

Unfortunately, one all-too-common response to this is "there's too damned much freedom!"

Every state in the United States requires that children receive certain immunizations before they may be enrolled in public schools. Most states allow a religion-based exemption, and several states allow exemption on the basis of conscientious objections that may not be religious in character. The whole subject is in flux. The 2019 measles outbreak has seen a press for narrowing the range of exemptions.

The issue of childhood vaccinations reached the bully pulpit of the presidential campaign when Democratic primary candidate Marianne Williamson described mandatory vaccination as "Orwellian." She compared a push to close the conscientious exemption windows to the efforts to narrow the range of lawful abortions, saying "The US government doesn't tell any citizen, in my book, what they have to do with their body or their child."

As criticism of this statement rolled in, Williamson then sought to clarify: "I am sorry that I made comments which sounded as though I question the validity of life-saving vaccines. That is not my feeling and I realize that I misspoke."

The extent of public skepticism about vaccines, or at least about the mandatory character of vaccinations, and sentiment for expanding rather than shrinking the range of exemptions, is difficult to measure. It could ally itself with a much broader skepticism about the political pull of "Big Pharma," and this issue may become increasingly explosive in years to come.

Personally, I wish Williamson had stuck to her guns. It is important to let people know that there is no downward trend in the number or percentage of vaccinations. The limited exemptions aren't being misused simply to defy statism, spread conspiracy theories, or whatever. The idea that the anti-vaxxers are to blame has no empirical support.

Here is a link to a further discussion of the evidence behind that statement:

https://slate.com/technology/2019/06/measles-outbreak-anti-vaxxers-not-a-growing-crisis.html

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