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Posted
19 hours ago, Parliament said:

I think the >90% efficacy holds for life.  But if you’re one of those 10%…

I’ve been wondering if those of us who aren’t stupid would benefit with a booster?

 

19 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Most students of university age are vaccinated with both doses of the MMR inoculation. The state collects data for kindergarten and seventh grade students and most of the older children have the requisite 95% coverage for herd immunity. Likely because it wasn't until COVID and other political issues (no CR) broke people's brains and exemption rates shot up. There are multiple areas where coverage is <95% of the younger population. So it's going to be a bit of luck that could go either way whether the virus gains a foothold or not.

@Wiler77 if you had two doses of the live vaccine then you're probably good. A certain percentage of people that got the vaccine in the 1960s were advised to get boosters due to a killed virus vaccine that was commonly administered then, or if their immune system is weakened--you can ask your pcp for a titer test if you wish to know for certain your immunity. That's per the CDC and it's a common recommendation that has been around every time there is an outbreak.

Not going to wait for a test. I scheduled a booster. It's been 50+ years since I got the MMR and I would rather have another one err on the side of caution. 

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Posted

Well-written, informative article from the Lubbock public radio station:

 

More hidden measles cases likely amid slow testing in rural West Texas outbreak

Local health officials are watching the sharp rise in measles cases among rural West Texas communities, with more cases expected to be confirmed over the next few weeks. Still, they are confident in overall protection from the virus after more than 50 years of immunizations.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines were developed in the 1960s and by 2000, many health professionals – including the World Health Organization – considered measles to be eliminated in the United States.

In recent years, there have been concerning spikes in confirmed cases, including the recent outbreak in a spread-out corner of West Texas.

On Feb. 21, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported at least 90 confirmed cases related to this outbreak, including at least 16 hospitalizations.

Health officials confirmed the outbreak started in rural Gaines County in late January. It is about an hour and a half away from Lubbock, where many people from rural West Texas communities go for more extensive medical treatment.

Dr. Ron Cook is the medical authority for the City of Lubbock, where at least one case of measles has been identified. Cook said the case was traced to a local waiting room, where an infected individual had come to Lubbock for medical help.

“They shared the same waiting room, and this individual had not been vaccinated yet and subsequently came down with the infection,” Cook said. “And that's our fear.”

Measles is highly contagious. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. According to the CDC, measles can be picked up just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even up to 2 hours after that person has left.

But don’t expect calls for masks or booster shots just yet. Cook advised the City of Lubbock during the COVID-19 pandemic and he said this disease is not the same.

“It's not like the flu,” Cook said. “We'll let people know when we should do that, but we're not at the numbers yet. And most people, most people, have immunity to this virus.”

Though most people with vaccinations are considered protected, health officials have said those vaccinated between 1968 and 1989 likely only received one dose of the vaccine and suggest people in that window check their status and get a second dose. [THIS INCLUDES A LOT OF US.]

Those who are unsure of their vaccination status can call their primary care providers to request that information. Cook has also encouraged people to call clinics or providers before traveling, particularly to the doctor’s office.

“What we don't want people to do if they were exposed, we don't want you going into the waiting room,” Cook said.

 

cont'd:

Spoiler

The CDC reports that symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, high fever, and red, watery eyes can show up 7 to 14 days after infection, with the most notable being a large rash on the skin. However, infected individuals can pass on the virus even before symptoms show.

This creates another concern for health officials in the area, who expect the case number to grow as more people realize they’ve been carrying the virus and are contacted about exposure.

Testing and vaccination can become slower when individuals might have to drive a long distance, like those in rural communities such as Seminole in Gaines County, where the childhood vaccination rate is almost 10% lower than in Lubbock and the rest of the state.

Once the cases have been identified, health officials begin contact tracing to identify who may be at risk of infection.

“That takes a lot of manpower. Down in Seminole, they're really working hard trying to get that done,” Cook said. “We took the AMBUS – which is Lubbock EMS’ 15-passenger van – down there, and we're doing vaccine clinics trying to get vaccine and testing done.”

The most effective tool for protection against measles over the last 50 years has been two doses of the MMR vaccine, often administered with the first dose at 12 to 15 months old and the second dose between 4 and 6 years old. People who receive the MMR vaccine as scheduled by their doctor are usually considered protected for life.

Five cases so far related to the outbreak have been reported among vaccinated individuals. Health officials said when you consider the number of untested cases likely in the area, these breakout cases conform with the 97% effectiveness rate for the vaccine.

In many parts of the world, measles is still considered common and can be brought into the country by unvaccinated travelers who catch the virus elsewhere.

The vaccine is a requirement in many states, like Texas, for entering childcare or public education, but private schools and families who homeschool don’t necessarily carry the same rules. Some Texans can also apply for a non-medical exemption to the rule.

Percentage of Students in Kindergarten Through 12th Grade With a Conscientious Exemption on File for at Least One Vaccine, School Year 2023-2024

Health officials are mindful of where the disease would be most likely to spread among the unvaccinated, such as those who are pregnant, immunocompromised, or children under 1-year-old.

Executive Director Katherine Wells has been with Lubbock Public Health for 10 years, including as a leader in the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her concern goes to the most at-risk children.

“An exposure in a daycare makes me very nervous because they have infants, and they have lots of children under one,” Wells said. “ So how are we going to protect those babies if we had a measles case in a daycare center?”

Statistically, Wells said deaths are possible in measles cases, but that tends to be in very rare cases where infected individuals develop encephalitis, a swelling of the brain, or pneumonia, which is difficult to treat.

“We're lucky here in Lubbock that we have children's hospitals that can take really great care of those very sick kids,” Wells said. “Modern medicine also helps them from not dying from the disease, that doesn't mean there isn't risk there.”

Even with close cooperation between Lubbock Public Health and the South Plains Public Health District, which covers the most exposed areas like Gaines County and neighboring Terry County, Wells said the distance can still make testing slower for rural communities.

“When you're in Seminole, you actually have to drive that specimen up to Lubbock for processing to then get on an airplane to then go to Austin,” Wells said. “So it can add an extra day in the process of getting testing done.”

The confirmed case in Lubbock was the first case for the area in more than 20 years.

“That means that a lot of our physicians that are practicing – even those that have been in practice for 10, 20 years – have never seen a measles case,” Wells said.

According to Wells, immunization campaigns have shown more people coming from surrounding areas to Lubbock for the vaccine since the outbreak was first reported. That means Lubbock’s vaccine clinics and public health workers within the affected areas are going to be ramping up efforts to bring vaccines to the community.

“From the health department perspective, it's difficult because they're residents of another county, but they're coming into Lubbock County,” Wells said. “There has to be a lot of communication between us and the other health department because it's their case, and they're doing the investigation and identifying where that person's been.”

MMR vaccines can be administered up to 72 hours after exposure to measles, which Wells said can help curb potential symptoms.

“The message around vaccinations and what to do is really for that 5-7% of the population that's not vaccinated,” Wells said. “Those people that have been vaccinated or vaccinated as children really have nothing to worry about.”

According to the CDC and WHO, estimates are that in the past 50 years, the MMR vaccine has saved an estimated 94 million lives.

According to the CDC, achieving measles elimination status in the United States was a historic public health achievement.

Since the outbreak began in late January, Wells said she referred to it as the “tip of the iceberg” when speaking with state health officials. Now, she’s working with the state to make MMR vaccinations more freely available to the public.

“Then looking at, if we start getting more cases, how can we facilitate quicker testing,” Wells said.

People have also been reaching out and asking questions about the vaccine. Wells said this shows the need for more extensive rural vaccination efforts.

 

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Posted
20 hours ago, InkaUtexas said:

Measles not going to be contained

SAN MARCOS, Texas — Health officials in Hays County are warning residents about a possible measles exposure after a person who tested positive for the illness visited San Marcos on Feb. 14.

According to the Hays County Health Department, a Gaines County resident who tested positive for measles was in San Marcos from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. that Friday.

People who were at Texas State University from approximately 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Twin Peaks Restaurant from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. may be at risk of developing measles.

Individuals who may have been exposed will be notified by their local health authority, health officials said. The Hays County Health Department, the Texas Department of State Health Services and other local health agencies are working together to investigate potential contacts.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/hays-county/hays-county-san-marcos-measles-exposure/269-42a46302-f24d-46af-af3e-98f0ee7f2f6b

Twin Peaks on Valentine's Day and you get measles. What a world we're living in right now. 

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Posted (edited)
18 hours ago, South Austin said:

They should consider themselves lucky they only got measles.

Lucky they didn't get the Lubbock strain.  That Raider Rubella hts differently.

Edited by dcbc
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Posted
On 2/21/2025 at 3:59 PM, Gatorubet said:

i’m having trouble with my internal dialogue, telling me it would be fantastic if the bat virus crosses the bat-human barrier and requires vaccination to survive it.

That could solve multiple problems.

You think if there's another pandemic that the united states will even try to develop a vaccine under Kennedy?

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Posted
1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

You think if there's another pandemic that the united states will even try to develop a vaccine under Kennedy?

This.  We'll mail everyone Ivermectin (sold to the government at a 500% markup through a subsidiary of Elon's), bleach, and some crystals, and say "problem solved."

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Posted
3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

You think if there's another pandemic that the united states will even try to develop a vaccine under Kennedy?

Did Big Pharma get rid of all their lobbyists and quit donating to politicians?

Posted
1 minute ago, Gatorubet said:

Did Big Pharma get rid of all their lobbyists and quit donating to politicians?

Dude.  Big Pharma is irrelevant.  E.g., Pfizer's market cap is 150 billion.

Elon is worth 440 billion.

Bezos is worth 230 billion.

Putin is worth over 200 billion.

Oligarchs run the show.  Big Pharma, and everyone else, will sit on the sidelines and do what they're told, or else face extinction-level action from the wholly-owned government of the United States.

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Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

Did Big Pharma get rid of all their lobbyists and quit donating to politicians?

You think Congress is going to stick it's neck out and risk getting primaried? Illegal things are happening now and Congress isn't muttering a peep. 

Edited by SydneyCarton
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Posted
3 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Dude.  Big Pharma is irrelevant.  E.g., Pfizer's market cap is 150 billion.

Elon is worth 440 billion.

Bezos is worth 230 billion.

Putin is worth over 200 billion.

Oligarchs run the show.  Big Pharma, and everyone else, will sit on the sidelines and do what they're told, or else face extinction-level action from the wholly-owned government of the United States.

oh, I hear you.  But I haven’t given up on the awesome power of greed and avarice as wielded by Big Business.  And I agree they will go along to get along if it is in their economic interest, but I’m still naive enough to think if they start to believe that their ability to make obscene profits are being unduly hindered, they still have tricks up their sleeve to get rid of that impediment.

 

Posted
3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

You think Congress is going to stick it's neck out and risk getting primaried? Illegal things are happening now and Congress isn't muttering a peep. 

I think I know many, many people on the conservative side, who, despite their political ideology, have not adopted the mouth breather anti-science hatred of vaccines.   

With rare gerrymandered exceptions,I think Congress generally would be terrified of voter reactions if Congress helped to deny vaccines for dangerous new viruses. Could be wrong, but I think that would be a dangerous bridge too far.  

 

 

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Posted
1 minute ago, Gatorubet said:

I think I know many, many people on the conservative side, who, despite their political ideology, have not adopted the mouth breather anti-science hatred of vaccines.   

With rare gerrymandered exceptions,I think Congress generally would be terrified of voter reactions if Congress helped to deny vaccines for dangerous new viruses. Could be wrong, but I think that would be a dangerous bridge too far.  

Man.  You're smart.  You've been paying attention.  You KNOW that there is no such thing as "a bridge too far."  Nothing. Nada.  Zilch.  We have completely capitulated and acquiesced.  Nothing will change the path of those in power now -- they will do whatever they want, to whoever they want, with 100% impunity at the ballot box or otherwise.

Posted
6 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Man.  You're smart.  You've been paying attention.  You KNOW that there is no such thing as "a bridge too far."  Nothing. Nada.  Zilch.  We have completely capitulated and acquiesced.  Nothing will change the path of those in power now -- they will do whatever they want, to whoever they want, with 100% impunity at the ballot box or otherwise.

That may certainly turn out to be true Brisket.  But as we sit here today, there has not been enough movement by those harmed by the Trump administration because it is so early in the pain train.   I guess it boils down to me having more faith in the cowardice of elected representatives changing their position if their  eligibility is endangered.    

And if Trump pushes us into a giant recession or stagflation while destroying all of the government benefits people rely on, I also have more faith in villagers with torches than you do - at least when the villagers themselves have finally been hurt.  

So I agree with you in general, but I think it’s too soon to tell….because I don’t know how bad it will be.   Really, really, really bad could in fact change things in ways we can’t see right now. Because we have no idea when and how that coalition would come to be - or who the members would be.

Let me keep my one faint hope. 

 

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Posted (edited)
39 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

I think I know many, many people on the conservative side, who, despite their political ideology, have not adopted the mouth breather anti-science hatred of vaccines.   

With rare gerrymandered exceptions,I think Congress generally would be terrified of voter reactions if Congress helped to deny vaccines for dangerous new viruses. Could be wrong, but I think that would be a dangerous bridge too far.  

 

 

I think you're misunderstanding me, just a tad. I don't think all conservatives, even their politicans, are anti-science and anti-vaccine. I just don't think they'll stand up and shout when the US doesn't turn on the money spigot to help turbo-charge research for a new vaccine. Because that's what I think would happen. RFK, who thinks vaccines are unsafe and hates pharm companies, won't green light billions and billions of dollars towards researching a new vaccine. If anything, he'd just slow play it, make sure it was going through overly rigorous safeguards, and the US basically wouldn't be participating in any  meaningful way in the research. 

They aren't going to DENY vaccines. They just aren't going to help develop one. And then if someone else does develop one, they probably won't use government funds to procure vast quantities of them for its citizens. 

Edited by SydneyCarton
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Posted
3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I think you're misunderstanding me, just a tad. I don't think all conservatices, even their politicans, are anti-science and anti-vaccine. I just don't think they'll stand up and shout when the US doesn't turn on the money spigot to help turbo-charge research for a new vaccine. Because that's what I think would happen. RFK, who thinks vaccines are unsafe and hates pharm companies, won't green light billions and billions of dollars towards researching a new vaccine. If anything, he'd just slow play it, make sure it was going through overly rigorous safeguards, and the US basically wouldn't be participating in any  meaningful way in the research. 

They aren't going to DENY vaccines. They just aren't going to help develop one. And then if someone else does develop one, they probably won't use government funds to procure vast quantities of them for its citizens. 

I get ya. But I think the amount of standing up and shouting will depend upon the virus. Something similar to the flu or Covid, I agree with you.   Lots of kids and olds suffering painful otherwise preventable deaths from some new bird/bat bug - a modern day 1918 Spanish influenza we haven’t seen before?

Oh, there’s gonna be some shouting.   

 

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Posted
Just now, Gatorubet said:

I get ya. But I think the amount of standing up and shouting will depend upon the virus. Something similar to the flu or Covid, I agree with you.   Lots of kids and olds suffering painful otherwise preventable deaths from some new bird/bat bug - a modern day 1918 Spanish influenza we haven’t seen before?

Oh, there’s gonna be some shouting.   

 

Those who shout out against the regime will be shut up.  Quickly and firmly.  And if they don't get the message, permanently.

Posted
2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Those who shout out against the regime will be shut up.  Quickly and firmly.  And if they don't get the message, permanently.

I can only presume DOGE will not be paying for those expensive blindfolds

Posted
4 hours ago, bolverk said:

Though most people with vaccinations are considered protected, health officials have said those vaccinated between 1968 and 1989 likely only received one dose of the vaccine and suggest people in that window check their status and get a second dose. [THIS INCLUDES A LOT OF US.]

I just called my doc and asked about this very thing. This isn't advice - merely what my primary care physician told me (through his nurse.) 

I was told that people in this age group (me) were likely also exposed to measles and should have the antibodies and that if I was still concerned, they'd run a titer test to see if the antibodies are present.

So I'd recommend anyone who is worried to call their doctors and see what they say. 

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Posted
6 hours ago, bolverk said:

“The message around vaccinations and what to do is really for that 5-7% of the population that's not vaccinated,” Wells said. “Those people that have been vaccinated or vaccinated as children really have nothing to worry about.”

 

This is the correct public health messaging. The focus should be on closing the gaps in vaccine coverage among the unvaccinated, and in particular those under the age of 5 (at highest risk of mortality). Mortality and serious bad outcomes rates associated with measles are low in first world countries with functioning medical systems. Telling everyone to go out and get antibody testing or a booster is wrong-headed public health messaging. But public health messaging is not something that we have particularly excelled at recently. See the COVID vaccine strategy and messaging.    

Posted
1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

But public health messaging is not something that we have particularly excelled at recently. See the COVID vaccine strategy and messaging.    

Yes, because you're smarter than anyone in the room, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

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Posted (edited)

Yeah, well, "we" threw away the fucking pandemic playbook put together after years of careful planning on the orders of a fat fucking dotard, so we had to start from fucking scratch while that same piece of shit botched the response at almost every other fucking turn.

Edited by bolverk
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Posted
38 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Yes, because you're smarter than anyone in the room, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

One of us has actually worked with both the CDC and FDA and one of us has not. 

Posted
31 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Yeah, well, "we" threw away the fucking pandemic playbook put together after years of careful planning on the orders of a fat fucking dotard, so we had to start from fucking scratch while that same piece of shit botched the response at almost every other fucking turn.

The playbook was not a playbook and anyone that actually had hands on experience with any of these matters knows these things. 

Posted
6 hours ago, Goofyboy said:

Pfizer will develop a vaccine and charge people for it in the US. The poors will get sick. The rich / wealthy will pay for it here or fly somewhere else and get it.

Pfizer got burned badly in PR by Covid and moved their chips into the oncology space.   Would take a huge payday to get them to do Covid vaccine type stuff again, and this government and populace won’t have it. 

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Posted
Just now, Pato del Muerto said:

Pfizer got burned badly in PR by Covid and moved their chips into the oncology space.   Would take a huge payday to get them to do Covid vaccine type stuff again, and this government and populace won’t have it. 

PFE is basically an all in oncology focussed pharma entity now. They are still making substantial investments in the vaccine area though wrt RSV. 

Posted
11 hours ago, wildcat09 said:

Wait, is Ana antivax now?

10 hours ago, Al Bundy&#x27;s Napoleon Hand said:

Like anyone can even know that.

Since he got fired from that lab in Wuhan, he’s been awfully persnickety.

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