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Vaccinate your kids!

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The Will County Health Department has confirmed an outbreak of mumps, a contagious disease caused by a virus, on Lewis University’s Romeoville campus. According to university, one case has been confirmed and seven more probable cases have been reported among students. As a result of the outbreak, starting Dec. 10, all students, faculty and staff who cannot provide evidence of immunity are barred from the campus by Illinois Health Department mandate.

Lewis announced the outbreak on Tuesday and canceled several events scheduled on campus.

News of Lewis’ mumps outbreak comes as health officials nationwide are confirming the resurgence of measles in 27 states, including Illinois. […]

“The best defense from the mumps is MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination, which is available at many healthcare facilities, including major pharmacies, clinics, doctor’s offices, immediate care facilities or local health departments,” Lewis said in a press release.

* Also…

Measles, a childhood disease that was all but wiped out by 2000 due to widespread vaccination, is making a comeback worldwide, including in Illinois. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that 220 cases of measles have been confirmed in 26 states and the District of Columbia. […]

The CDC said the rise in measles in the United States can be traced to outbreaks in countries to which Americans often travel — including England, France, Germany, India, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Also, the agency said, measles is spreading in the United States in communities with unvaccinated people. For example: In 2017, 75 people were sickened in a Somali-American community in Minneapolis with poor vaccination coverage. A multi-state measles outbreak in 2015 — 147 cases — was tracked to an amusement park in California and further back to a large measles outbreak in the Philippines in 2014. Unvaccinated Amish communities in Ohio were disproportionately sickened in a 2014 outbreak associated with the outbreak traced to the Philippines.

Measles can be prevented with vaccination. A 1978 goal by the CDC to eliminate measles from the country by 1982 fell short, widespread vaccination programs caused the agency to declare measles eliminated in the United States by 2000.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 3:46 pm

Comments

Unless there is a medical necessity that prevents vaccination then all kids should be vaccinated. And if you as a parent will not vaccinate your child then shame on you. I fully support banning children who have not been vaccinated from school until they have been vaccinated. And I also support forced vaccinations if the parents refuse to act responsibly.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 3:49 pm
The rumor that vaccinations cause autism has been debunked but there are celebrities still spouting that. Parents who don’t what their child to get the MMR vaccination can get their child individual shots of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (German measles) vaccine. It does require extra trips to the doc to get the individual shots.

Comment by Nearly Normal Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:02 pm
== Parents who don’t what their child to get the MMR vaccination can get their child individual shots of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (German measles) vaccine. It does require extra trips to the doc to get the individual shots. ==

Any idea where the individual doses are available?

Comment by Name/Nickname/Anon Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:04 pm
I couldn’t agree more. No students should be allowed in public schools without vaccinations. This should also imply to illegal aliens also….

Comment by Steve Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:10 pm
Imagine if you were offered a chance to drink from the Fountain of Youth and you were like, “Nah, I heard somewhere that it actually puts live youth in you and mercury and you can get autism as a result.”

Scientists have worked very hard to give you the opportunity to not live (or die) miserably, and people say no. It. Is. Insane.

Vaccinate your kids! And yourself! (if Rich does it, it’s okay?)

Comment by lakeside Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:11 pm
I’m surprised Lewis doesn’t require vaccination before allowing students on campus.

Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:17 pm
3 of our grandchildren have cousins (on the other side of the family) who are not vaccinated. It drives us crazy that they are exposed to these kids. Luckily the unvaccinated ones live out of State so our grandkids don’t have to see them often.

Comment by Suburbs Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:17 pm
Re vaccines–talk to your doctor or health department.

Comment by Nearly Normal Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:20 pm
Steve, thank you for raising this; as a country, we have got to support access to critical health care for all, including access to insurance and Medicaid for undocumented people. I couldn’t agree more.

Comment by lakeside Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:25 pm
@Soccermom; Lewis is predominantly a commuter school. I believe less than 1000 of the 6000 +/- students live on campus.

Comment by Bogey Golfer Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:25 pm
It would be hard for any staff old enough to have had mumps as a child to prove their immunity.

Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:37 pm
How selfish of people who choose not to vaccinate and subject not only their own children to preventable diseases, but then endanger the lives of others. Should be mandated.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:52 pm
No less than 100 years ago, these diseases killed thousands annually and left survivors deaf, weakened, or sterile. I would argue DCFS should be called on these parents for medical neglect.

Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:55 pm
===to prove their immunity===

A simple blood test will show whether someone has been vaccinated and whether a new vaccine is needed. I had to do that when I signed up to take a grad class.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:56 pm
—I’m surprised Lewis doesn’t require vaccination before allowing students on campus.—

I’m not.

It’s a religious university - Roman Catholic. Exemptions for ‘religious reasons’ are handed out like candy.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 4:59 pm
- lakeside -

All the immigrants are gainful taxpayers . They don’t need Medicaid they are enriching America with their excellent jobs and 1600 SAT scores. To think otherwise is wrong.

Comment by Steve Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 5:15 pm
Is there a Venn diagram for where people stand on vaccinations and climate change?

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 5:31 pm
–Is there a Venn diagram for where people stand on vaccinations and climate change?–
No it is one large circle.

Comment by P-town Cynic Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 5:49 pm
- TheInvisibleMan -

My kids’ Catholic school does not allow any students to enroll unless they’re vaccinated.

Comment by Tina Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 7:44 pm
== It would be hard for any staff old enough to have had mumps as a child to prove their immunity. ==

I’m 65+ years old and have my medical records from my pediatrician.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 9:50 pm
The dingbattism of the anti-vac crowd is a terrifying lesson on the power of social media to spread dangerous stupidity.

Today, whatever your gadget of choice, you have unprecedented, instant access to the wisdom of the ages. Copernicus, Newton, Einstein, would envy the possibilities of the Information Revolution.

Or, you can troll to find comfort and reassurance in millions of like-minded knuckle-draggers who are just as stupefyingly, willfully ignorant as you are.

Don’t let anyone tell you that a classic liberal arts education is anachronistic.

It teaches you how to think, to put to the test the information you consume.

And for crying out loud, turn off the TV box, get a library card and read a book. Not a cable TV yakker book, but a real one. Costs nothing.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 10:08 pm
–All the immigrants are gainful taxpayers . They don’t need Medicaid they are enriching America with their excellent jobs and 1600 SAT scores. To think otherwise is wrong.–

You’re really giving Kass a run for the money for the Rupert Pupkin, Fox-wannabe-chanter-in-mom’s-basement award.

I hope Lou Dobbs gives you a call this War on Christmas season.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 10:16 pm
===I couldn’t agree more. No students should be allowed in public schools without vaccinations. This should also imply to illegal aliens also….===

I seem to recall seeing that most Latin American countries have better vaccination rates than the US.

Comment by Graduated College Student Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 11:41 pm
Our daughter who is fully vaccinated contracted measles this past summer.

Comment by John K Thursday, Dec 6, 18 @ 8:38 am
==Our daughter who is fully vaccinated contracted measles this past summer.==

I’m searching for the point there, but am failing to come up with one beyond sometimes vaccinations don’t work. I think that’s known by most people.

Are you suggesting vaccinations not be mandatory because they don’t work sometimes?

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Dec 6, 18 @ 8:59 am
My child is fully vaccinated. However, it boggles my mind how cruel people can get to children in regards to this.

Also, if you and your children are vaccinated, why the fear of the unvaccinated?

Comment by Anon Thursday, Dec 6, 18 @ 11:17 am
===if you and your children are vaccinated, why the fear of the unvaccinated?===

Some children cannot be vaccinated for legitimate health reasons, like cancer treatment. They need herd protection.

Idiots who don’t vaccinate their kids for stupid reasons are not only putting their own children in danger, they can actually kill kids who truly need protection.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Dec 6, 18 @ 11:19 am
===boggles my mind how cruel people can get to children===

I doubt people are actually cruel to unvaccinated children, but society ought to be a lot more cruel to the moronic parents.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Dec 6, 18 @ 11:21 am