
Anti-vaccine activists spark a state’s worst measles outbreak in decades - putsteadywere
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/anti-vaccine-activists-spark-a-states-worst-measles-outbreak-in-decades/2017/05/04/a1fac952-2f39-11e7-9dec-764dc781686f_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_hp-in-the-news%3Apage%2Fin-the-news&utm_term=.7886190129e8
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sctb
Discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14280709](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14280709)

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putsteadywere
thank you!

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putsteadywere
TL;DR

"...a discredited theory spread through the local Somali community, by
meetings organized by anti-vaccine groups. The activists repeatedly invited
Andrew Wakefield, the founder of the modern anti-vaccine movement...

Anti-vaccine activists defend their position and their role, saying they
merely provided information to parents.

“The Somalis had decided themselves that they were particularly concerned,”
Wakefield said last week. “I was responding to that.” He maintained that he
bears no fault for what is happening within the community. “I don’t feel
responsible at all,” he said.

...activists started showing up at community health meetings and distributing
pamphlets, recalled Lynn Bahta, a nurse who worked with Somali nurses to
counter MMR vaccine resistance within the community. At one 2011 gathering
featuring Wakefield, armed guard barred her, other public health officials and
reporters from attending."

