Minnesota Has Huge Outbreak of Measles in Children – After Disease Was Eradicated Over 15 Years Ago

How Can This Happen – Oh, Conservatives Were Involved

The Washington Post reported on a measles outbreak in Minnesota that is taking a terrible toll on children of Somali refugees.

Health officials are grappling with the largest outbreak of measles in Minnesota in almost 30 years, which is mainly sickening young children of Somalian immigrants who fell under the sway of anti-vaccination activists.

The state has reported 41 confirmed cases of measles since April 11, and the outbreak is the largest this year in the United States, which had essentially eradicated the disease in 2000 before discredited research stoked fears of a link between vaccines and autism.

 How can this be taking place?  Oh, some asshole who is crusading against vaccines got to talk to the families.

“The outbreak started among Somali Minnesotans who have a low vaccination rate for M.M.R.,” he said, referring to the shot for measles, mumps, rubella.

He said the community was “targeted” by members of the anti-vaccination movement, adding that vaccination rates in the community had been as high or even higher than those in the white population, but that began to change in 2008.

Members of the community came to believe incorrectly that they had an unusually high rate of autism and that the cases were related to vaccines. But later studies showed that their autism rates were not out of line with those of the state’s white population, he said.

 And of course one individual responsible here steps up to the plate, NOT

The Post reported that one of the anti-vaccine movement’s founders, Andrew Wakefield, was among those who had met with the parents. Asked if he felt at fault for the outbreak, he replied: “I don’t feel responsible at all,” according to The Post.

The evil that some men do does live after them.