Data shows 85% of those infected in the state have been not vaccinated against measles as dozens are hospitalized

Utah has emerged as a major center of measles infections in the US, as an outbreak that has been building for some time continues to expand.

State officials reported a total of 602 measles cases on Wednesday tied to an outbreak that started last year and is still ongoing, including 19 newly identified infections, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (Cidrap). Recent exposures have been reported at several preschools and elementary schools.

About one-third of those infected have experienced symptoms severe enough to require visits to emergency rooms, reported the New York Times, largely due to intense dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea.

Out of the 602 total cases, 405 have occurred since the beginning of this year, with 75 reported in just the last three weeks. So far, 49 individuals have needed hospitalization. A significant majority of those infected – 513 people, or 85% – were not vaccinated against measles.

  • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
    15·
    22 hours ago

    The data also therefore shows that 15% of those infected were vaccinated. That means that these anti-vaxxer twats are causing responsible people to catch dangerous diseases that they would have otherwise been shielded from by herd immunity. People who refuse to be vaccinated should be banned from public spaces like planes, trains, busses, etc.

    Thank you! This is what most people don’t get. They think “Well I’m vaxxed, and my kids are vaxxed, so let those idiots all die.” And frankly, I’m with you.

    But in reality, vaccines aren’t perfect, and the efficacy rate can be highly variable. Things like Chicken Pox vaccines wear off, and re-emerge as shingles in later life. And sometimes it just didn’t take, but you haven’t been around anyone with measles because EVERYBODY has a measles vaccine.

    When we get on the other side of this, and can start acting sane again, we need to pass laws against this sort of anti-science defamation. It has serious real-world consequences that can’t be just dismissed as Free Speech, especially when the motivation is malicious, political or profit.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
      3·
      14 hours ago

      Things like Chicken Pox vaccines wear off, and re-emerge as shingles in later life.

      Only if you got chickenpox at some point. If you were vaccinated against it and then never got ill you won’t get shingles. The vaccine wearing off does not cause shingles, what happens is the vaccine wears off and then you get chickenpox then you get shingles later in life.