The Scarlet & Black Horoscope: August 30, 2019 Unreliable Notes: Move-in day! By Noa Goldman `22
[email protected] An Unsolicited Opinion: On vaccine exemptions By Katherine Moody
[email protected] At 3 p.m. on April 24, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a media statement reporting 695 cases of measles in 22 states. This is the highest number of cases in the United States since the disease was eliminated from the country in 2000. Measles has no known reservoirs in the United States; outbreaks occur when an infected traveler transmits the disease from abroad. Three large outbreaks – two in New York and one in Washington State – are responsible for the record high. Because measles is a highly-contagious disease, outbreaks typically appear in clusters and occur in population groups with low vaccination levels. Both the New York and Washington State outbreaks are examples of this phenomenon. When individuals refuse to get vaccinated or to vaccinate their children, they jeopardize not only their own safety and health, but also that of their communities. Babies cannot receive the first dose of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine until they are 12 months old, nor can they receive the second dose until they are at least four years old. Not everyone can receive the vaccination. Many individuals have health conditions, such as cancer, that suppress their immune systems and prevent them from being vaccinated. In a society with a high vaccination rate, herd immunity protects those who can’t be vaccinated. Herd immunity defends the population because disease cannot spread if enough people are vaccinated.