The outbreak now spans four counties.
All cases are in unvaccinated people or people with unknown vaccination status. Of the 48 cases, 42 are in children, including 13 between the ages of 0 and 4. Thirteen people (27 percent) have been hospitalized.
The outbreak now spans four counties.
All cases are in unvaccinated people or people with unknown vaccination status. Of the 48 cases, 42 are in children, including 13 between the ages of 0 and 4. Thirteen people (27 percent) have been hospitalized.
Apparently 42/48 of the cases are in children. I just… ugh. In no particular order, I wish parents were smarter, I wish the government had the power to force kids to get vaccinated no matter how braindead their parents are, I wish kids had more ability to get vaccinated without their parents permission (it’s limited by age & by vaccine, even in supposedly liberal states like California), I wish there was less braindead fearmongering propaganda about vaccines, I wish people would recognize the importance of vaccines before the issue starts to affect them personally, etc
An article I read earlier on this included a quote from a (I think) public health official in the area, who said that it’s not the church to blame for the low vaccination rates, but that many of these people don’t regularly access healthcare. Knowing what I do about rural access to healthcare, it seems plausible that this isn’t attributable to anti-vax sentiment (though regular access to routine healthcare is a big help towards “innoculating” people against anti-vax ideas).
If you’re not familiar with the cultural context of healthcare in rural America, a friend who is/was a rural doctor says that Dr Glaucomflecken’s short, humorous videos captures her experience remarkably well.
Fortunately, most rural areas have a Kroger, HEB, or a small hospital. No access to a primary care provider doesn’t mean you can’t go to a small chain to get the vaccine. If they cared, they would.