The outlet KWCH 12 News out of Wichita published a story Thursday, when there were just six cases reported in just Grant and Stevens Counties, saying that all six were in unvaccinated people and that no one had been hospitalized. On Friday, KWCH updated the story to note that the case count had increased to 10 and that the health department now considers the situation an outbreak.
It was only a matter of time. This is so reminiscent of 2000 and the onset of covid. Maybe my PTSD talking, but it really is concerning.
And, because too much is never enough,
Fresno’s public health department notified Madera health officials of the case because that person recently attended a large faith-based convention in Madera County. Dr. Simon Paul, Madera’s health officer, said his department has been working to notify eventgoers of the possible exposure.
Yay! Superspreader events are such fun! Without more info, I cannot say for sure, but “large faith-based convention” raises a huge red flag for RWNJ antivaxxer MAGAt types. Do I know this? No, no I do not. If so, we shall soon seem though.
Beautiful. This week we should see if the JFK and Dulles exposures planted any seeds. Of course, this might be related to one of those. But mass exposures like this are always concerning. Hoping for high vaccination rates!!
Once the current mess is over and reasonable people are in charge again (eventually), I really do hope one of the changes will be making vaccinations mandatory, with absolutely no bullshit “religious” or homeschooling exceptions. With stiff penalties to parents who try to weasel out of it, and permanent and irrevocable blacklisting for any doctor or nurse who is found providing fake medical exemptions.
I can’t think of airports as vectors without thinking of…
I’m sure it will be fine.
I’m thinking about adding a third mask and resuming wearing gloves during my upcoming train trip. The downside of slow travel is spending much more time with fellow passengers than people tend to do on flights. Eating in advance would mean a 12-hour fast (assuming no delays) if I want to remain masked up the entire time. Hanging out in the space between the cars for some fresh(er) air isn’t really an option, either.
Sip valve on the first layer mask?
In an update Wednesday, March 26, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported 23 measles cases across six counties—up from 10 cases across three counties on March 21. The 23 people ill with the dangerous virus are mostly children, including six who are 0 to 4 years old, nine who are 5 to 10, three who are 11 to 13, three who are 14 to 17, and two adults between the ages of 25 and 44. Fortunately, none of the cases have been hospitalized so far, and there have been no deaths.
Going about as expected for the area. This:
some with vaccination coverage among kindergartners at pitiful levels as low as 41 percent.
brought me up short, though. This could get so, so bad…
OBTW, there is also this:
HHS Cancels Funding For Infectious Disease Tracking - Joe.My.God.
That’s fun. Who needs to track infectious diseases in the midst of fucking measles outbreak!!
Meanwhile:
Why had I not heard about this one??
A report from Public Health Ontario last week noted that the province has seen a total of 470 cases associated with the New Brunswick outbreak between October 18 of last year and March, 19 of this year.
Public Health Ontario said that a total of 34 measles cases in the province that are associated with the New Brunswick outbreak have required hospitalization, including two that needed treatment in intensive care.
All but two of the cases that required hospitalization were in unimmunized individuals, including 29 children.
470 cases… Holy shit, we are headed for a bad, bad place.
OH checking in, at 10 currently reported, more most certainly to come. And why?
Vaccine rates for measles, mumps and rubella — commonly known as MMR shots — in kindergartners dropped in Ohio from 89.2% in the 2023-2024 school year to 88.3% in the current school year, according to ODH’s recent school immunization report.
The usual. Overall numbers rarely tell the story. There are going to be areas of much lower uptake, and that is where this thing will take root.
And KS up to 23 now. It’s pretty much gonna run rampant barring a serious change in vaccine attitudes. Given the leadership at HHS, this is highly unlikely.
In Rader’s study, published online in February in the American Journal of Public Health, his team surveyed approximately 20,000 parents of children under 5 from July 2023 through April 2024, finding only 71.8% reported that their children received at least 1 dose of MMR vaccine — much lower than CDC estimates.
I think I am done for a while…
A Bucks County resident has been diagnosed with measles after a visit to Texas, health officials say
County officials said anyone who visited a Starbucks on South Eagle Road in Newtown during certain hours on March 19 should monitor themselves for measles symptoms.
Bucks county is outside of Philly.
I am not sure that keeping an ongoing count is all that useful, but seeing it continuing to grow is distressing. Everything indicates that this is out of control with no real hope for bringing it back until it burns through the available fuel. Which, of course, is mostly children. It has metastasized to multiple other states and taken root there as well. OH, PA, KS, NM, OK. Was talking to one of my partners here, and he had the same look as I did. “I don’t think I can do this again. And this one will hit us. Kids will be the prime victims.” He’s right, about both things. We are not ready for this, and I am not sure we can be. And it did not have to be like this, God damn it.
Close to home. 
I’m glad I got my shot last week! The infected person is a vaccinated adult, but their symptoms are mild.
“The decision to vaccinate is a personal one,”
I know I’m preaching to the choir here.
NO IT IS FUCKING NOT YOU GODDAMNED GHOULISH ASSHOLES
There is nothing else to say. Leadership has abandoned us. No, it would be better if they had. They are actively working against us. We are on our own. I will keep on if for no other reason than to spit in their faces. I know i say this all the time, but it didn’t have to be like this!