
Region of the Americas is declared free of measles - upen
http://sciencebulletin.org/archives/5778.html
======
hyperpape
The article explictly makes a distinction between endemic and imported cases,
which answers my initial confusion that there still are measles cases in the
US.

I wish it had described what made a case endemic rather than imported. Some of
the outbreaks in the US have spread rather widely, but I guess that still
doesn't count as endemic?

~~~
bryondowd
My understanding is that his disease has to be able to flourish in the region
to be considered endemic. Any outbreak of measles in the US would be expected
to die out completely after a while, rather than continue moving through the
population indefinitely. This may be wrong, though.

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BorisVSchmid
Must be for a strange value of "free", when you see
[http://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-
outbreaks.html](http://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html)

    
    
      From January 2 to September 10, 2016, 54 people from 16 states (Alabama, 
      Arizona,California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, 
      Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah) were 
      reported to have measles.
    

It looks like that with "free" they mean that there is no self-sustainable
epidemic possible anymore in the Americas, given the degree of vaccine
coverage. Nice.

------
lr4444lr
... until it's not again: [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-
york/brooklyn/measles-outbrea...](http://www.nydailynews.com/new-
york/brooklyn/measles-outbreak-hits-jewish-neighborhoods-brooklyn-
article-1.1346446)

The perils of easy global air travel.

------
raymondh
This declaration of being measles free seems premature when there are still
cases occurring and when such a highly transmissible disease is still common
elsewhere in the world.

[http://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-
outbreaks.html](http://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html)

~~~
maxerickson
The criteria seems to be elimination of endemic transmission.

Which I guess is a meaningful milestone.

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dopamean
The anti-vaxxers here in Austin are doing their best to bring it back.

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splawn
If you love measles and live in the US, don't worry... its not going anywhere
[0]. Thanks to all the anti-vaxxer "do your own research" garbage people.

[0][http://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-
outbreaks.html](http://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html)

~~~
pavanred
Can any one explain how this anti-vaccination thing started in the US, and how
is it continuing?

I do not know much but I know that anti-vaccination and climate change are
heavily politicized in US, if I am not wrong. How did this don't trust the
experts in the field, I know better thing start?

No matter which side you lean politically, I would like to believe most people
would want the best for the kids, and essentially if its health related most
people would take their doctor/pediatrician's advice. So, why are there so
many people not vaccinating their kids? Is there a portion of doctors who
believe in this and advice against vaccinations to the parents? Or are the
parents just ignoring doctors advice and choosing to not vaccinate by
themselves? Or anything else?

~~~
jameskilton
[http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/05/autism.vaccines/](http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/05/autism.vaccines/)

It was a paper written written that tried to claim that vaccines were behind
the rise in Autism.

The paper was later redacted and the author admitted it was completely fake.

But the seed of fear was planted, and no amount of discussion, truth, or facts
can change what many Americans "feel" is the truth.

There's also an ever growing "anti-science" and "anti-intellectual" wave in
this country that this paper did not help with.

~~~
ant512
> There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has
> been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding
> its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false
> notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your
> knowledge.”

Isaac Asimov, 1980.

[http://aphelis.net/cult-ignorance-isaac-
asimov-1980/](http://aphelis.net/cult-ignorance-isaac-asimov-1980/)

~~~
maverick_iceman
To be fair, Europeans display as much ignorance when it comes to GMO foods.

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lucasnemeth
Why the quotes? "The americas", it's not written like that in the original
tittle.

~~~
mc32
It's probably personal preference like putting or not putting quotes around a
book title, movie title, etc. They're not scare quotes but rather quotes to
highlight.

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archgoon
Title is "Region of the Americas is declared free of measles". The current
title "The Americas is declared free of measles" is ungrammatical.

~~~
dang
We reverted the title.

