Some information was presented earlier in Influenza discussion. To get up to speed, 704 cases have been reported from 22 states. No US fatalities, just as one would expect in a high-medical-care country. Elsewhere in the world, things are different, but we might treat that as just 'reservoir'. Unvaccinated (and perhaps incompletely vaccinated) US folks are targets. Virus itself is among best at human transfers. Its weakness is low variation and mutability and there it differs starkly from Influenza. Latest news on this: Cruise ship under measles quarantine in St. Lucia asking for 100 vaccine doses It's only mildly interesting that this is Scientology's ship. That organization has no official position on vaccination, pro or con. Physician on board has requested 100 does of vaccine (300 people on board and under quarantine). That may be of interest. Or it may reflect a typical US perspective, where folks may not know their vaccination status. Measles does not have strong seasonal dynamics. Just get people into a confined space (school, hospital, theater, cruise ship, etc.). Add one source of infection. Those without immunocompetence (comes from surviving infection or vaccination) proceed to cough/fever/itchy. If they wander, virus gets (in casual terminology) what it 'wants'. Does not care about fatalities or hospitalization costs. Only 'wants' more copies of virus self. == 700 cases is no epidemic - 700 thousand US cases in 1950s could be described in that way. I see no chance of a repetition. Instead, that measles is very good at showing where access points are, and it will. Without this probing, vaccine lovers would not know whether 92% or 90-whatever % actually constitutes herd immunity against this 'one-trick dog'. US, being rational (when alternatives are exhausted), will get 21st century about this. If not in 2019, then next time, or the time after that.
My vaccination against childhood never protected me. Still doesn't. Concur with 700 versus 700K with MMR. This really would not have been a news story at all pre-2000. My beloved home state has a significant population of Amish and even though there are holes in the wall for 'personal beliefs' Indiana and close by states worked WITH the Amish communities to maintain herd immunity. Speaking of which since I'm now a retired squid, this thread prompted me to see if I'm still current with vaccs, and with the exception of influenza (which I skipped this year) I'm goooood! Evidently, the military vaccination schedule is veeeeery different than what the CDC!!! Adult Immunization Schedule by Vaccine and Age Group | CDC
