Washington declares public health emergency as measles hits anti-vaccination "hot spot", Portland

[Demovictory9]

Washington officials have declared a public health emergency as an outbreak of measles spreads across an anti-vaccination "hot spot" near Portland, Ore.

Clark County, Washington, has seen 23 confirmed cases of measles as of Tuesday, according to a statement from the public health department.

Twenty of those who contracted the highly contagious virus were not vaccinated against measles. The immunization status of three people have not yet been confirmed and at least one person has been hospitalized.

Clark County, which is just across the Columbia River from Portland, Ore., is a “hot spot” for outbreaks because of the high rate of nonmedical vaccine exemptions, The Washington Post reported.

An estimated 7 percent of students in Clark County were exempt from compulsory vaccines upon entering kindergarten by claiming personal or religious reasons in the 2017-2018 school year, according to state data.

Roughly 2 percent of children across the country forgo required immunizations for nonmedical reasons.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/426593-washington-officials-declare-public-health-emergency-as-measles-outbreak

[leftyladyfrommo]

1. I had measles when I was little. I was really sick.

It is good that there is a way past those childhood diseases that sickened and killed so many children.

[tblue37]

11. Measles can make kids very sick, and can be lethal. nt

[MiniMe]

12. I did too

I was pretty sick.

[Solly Mack]

2. If people actually loved their little disease vectors they would get them vaccinated.

This, of course, does not apply to those who have actual/verifiable medical reasons for not getting immunized.

[former9thward]

3. The hipsters in Portland reject science.

They have voted to keep fluoride out of their water several times. The city residents now are putting others at risk. Maybe that is where we should put a wall.

[MissB]

4. I'd point out that this measles outbreak is in Washington, not Portland Oregon.

Though you are right about the lack of fluoridation in Portland. It’s a shame.

[former9thward]

5. Clark county is right next to Portland.

Hundreds of thousands of WA residents and Portland residents go back and forth everyday.

[MissB]

8. Yes they do go back and forth.

But these are *residents* of Clark County Washington that didn’t vaccinate.

We do have plenty of anti-vaxxers in Portland as it is, though apparently not a big enough cluster to produce an outbreak. Many of the community exposure sites listed in the news include churches in Clark county.

[Blue_true]

6. I didn't know that Portland Oregon was in Washington State.

Plus, the article pointed out that a lot of the exemptions were for religious reasons, maybe hipsters do that, but generally that tactic is done be far out religious people that believe God solves all their problems and stupidity too. Now, I am not saying the left does not have antivaxxers, we have a good number of those thoughtless people.

[former9thward]

7. Check a map.

Portland is next to Clark county in WA and hundreds of thousands of WA residents and Portland residents go back and forth everyday.

[Blue_true]

9. I have been to the region on business, I don't need to check a map.

My experience with Portland hipsters is they relish living IN Portland and no where else. You would realize that if you had several business meetings end during the 5-7pm timeframe there and tried to drive back to Portland. I have travelled between Portland and Seattle on business, southern Washington becomes rural really fast, with a lot of religious isolationalists picking that part of the state to live in, including across the river from Portland in Vancouver and I think Richland. Washington. They have jobs in Portland, but don't want to live in the more liberal city. Understand that I am not fully disagreeing with you that some hipsters or liberal leaning people aren't mixed up in the stupidity, we have antivaxxers on our side.

As a aside, one thing that amazed me about the region around Portland was the number of churches there, I was amazed that there were so many, it reminded my of the snake charming part of the Bible Belt.

[LanternWaste]

10. Having a bad day, huh?

I get it... it's fun to pretend to be smart. It's petulant to do so at the expense of others. It's churlish to rationalize it as anything else.