In rural Texas, a measles outbreak hasn’t swayed vaccine skeptics

Summary

Seminole, Texas, with a large Mennonite population, is the epicenter of a measles outbreak since January, impacting nine counties with nearly 200 cases and the nation’s first measles death in a decade.

Fuelled by "personal choice" and post-pandemic distrust, vaccine hesitancy is high. Many residents downplay the severity: “They’re just making a big deal of it.”

Even a death hasn't driven vaccination rates up. As Dr. Parkey noted, regarding vaccination inclination, “No way. Before Covid I could convince some. Now it’s like, forget it.”

Health officials are concerned about underreporting and potential complications amid RFK Jr.’s influence and deep-seated vaccine skepticism in West Texas.

Non-paywall link

15 comments

I don't feel bad for the adults, because they at least had a choice. The kids though? Shameful.
- As measles are also a gelding disease in men, this might even prevents unvaccinated offspring.
  Maybe we should tell them that they could as well cut their balls off...
- Normally, I'm all for letting natural selection do its thing, but this time it involves children who didn't choose to die of paranoia and ignorance.
  
  "Letting natural selection do its thing" rarely only effects the people we assume deserve it. Nature is not prejudicial to morality, it kills indiscriminately.
  
  It always was.
  Natural selection means your genes don't survive in the long term.
  Either you don't survive to procreate, or your offspring don't because of a behaviour you exhibited as a parent or some trait you passed on to them.
  This is natural selection. The environment is ill suited to absolute stupidity and ignorance, it's just that civilization has protected the aforementioned morons so far. (Mostly as a side effect of protecting the vulnerable, a worthy goal)
  Now that the morons are in charge, well, good luck to those that rely on the support. Nature doesn't discriminate though, so the stupid and ignorant will die in droves too.

If they won't take scientific evidence, more of the same won't sway them. Gotta speak to that reptilian brain center.
- "Catching the measles will make your kids a Beta."
  
  You have to talk to stupid in their language.

Natural selection in action folks

Texas has been extremely proud of their rugged individualism and independence. They actively work at handicapping their government at all levels: they hate the feds; their state legislature meets for 140 days every two years; and they actively restrict the ability of more-local governments to respond to health crises.
On the public health front, they underfund public health and health infrastructure; they've actively refused Medicaid expansion; they banned mask and vaccine mandates during covid; and they have extremely easy childhood vaccine exemptions. On the provider front, they have an almost complete abortion ban with vague laws on 'allowable' abortions that they mostly refuse to clarify, that allows them to charge people with murder, and offers a bounty for turning in anyone who's helped with an abortion, all of which has driven away providers who care about women and children's health.
For me, it's like the Texas ice storms: despite repeated warnings, they've been extremely proud of all the conditions that lead to this situation, and they're going to actively avoid changing anything once the situation passes. You can't fix stupid, and I'm tired of trying.
Thoughts and prayers to the victims, and what are you planning for dinner?
- Yep. Stupid does as stupid is.

Oh no. Anyway….

Of course not. They are stupid.

I don't care HOW many of My Children DIE I will NEVER not be a Republican! I mean Anti Vaxxer! What's the Difference?

15 comments