If you are not vaccinated for measles in New York City you will have two options; vaccinate or face a fine. New York City has declared the outbreak of measles a public health emergency.
Measles are back in the United States. According to the CDC, in 2018 there were 372 cases reported. The virus has spread so quickly, that as of April 26 the number of cases reported were close to double those of 2018 (704). If the virus continues to spread at its current velocity we can expect 4x the number of cases of 2018.
Measles is extremely contagious. If you are not vaccinated for the virus and have never had it, you have a 90% chance of being infected if you are around someone carrying it. And while the measles virus does not actually kill you, it does reset your immune system and thus you are more vulnerable to an infection that can.
The reason for this outbreak is the number of people who have chosen to skip vaccinations for fear of negative consequences. As technology has advanced, so have vaccines. As a result they have become much safer than they were. These days you do not hear of deaths caused by the vaccine itself, and we have made the mistake of believing they have always been safe and used for good… they have not.
In a recent episode of throughline, the show investigated the history of vaccines in the United States, the first anti-vaxxer to take his case to court, how vaccines were used to target immigrant communities in California, and a horrible incident in the early 20th century where 9 children died of tetanus from the vaccination itself.
While I am a strong proponent of vaccines and believe in general they help to keep our communities safer with them that without, it is important to empathize with people who do not.
For some of us, vaccines have been a God-sent. Others have not had the same experience.
