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 conscien...
