Last week, a case of "travel measles," i.e., a case picked up elsewhere and brought here via the miracle of air travel, appeared in Oakland County's Orthodox Jewish community. This week, "several" cases of mumps have been diagnosed, in Oakland and St. Clair counties, WXYZ is reporting.
What mumps looks like. (Photo: Wikipedia)
Both diseases are vaccine-preventable -- the two Ms in the MMR vaccine stand for mumps and measles, with the third being rubella, or German measles -- but vaccines have been widely questioned by health-care charlatans like Dr. Jenny McCarthy, whose degree was granted by the College of Google Bullshit. Also, Michigan has one of the laxest vaccine policies in the country, allowing parents to refuse immunizations for their children on philosophical grounds, rather than strictly medical ones.
But we digress.
Measles is highly contagious, and cases can worsen into a wide range of complications, including encephalitis and death. Mumps can also develop into encephalitis and is a cause of infertility in men who contract the disease after reaching puberty.
WXYZ is a reputable news organization and not a renegade pirate ship like Deadline Detroit, and must include this careful both-sidesing passage:
Some people say they believe in the vaccine and it works.
...There are some people who say they understand why some parents refuse to get vaccinated.
"I mean I do understand not wanting to put the disease in their children but at the same time I don’t want my children sick either," said Kimberly Perpich.
Perpich, as well as the other some-person quoted in the piece, appears to be a rando stopped on the street in Greektown to offer her opinion. Because that's what counts, right? Our opinions? Our feelings? Our gut instinct? Our "common sense?" Certainly not medical research. (Although a doctor is interviewed, too.)
Lately, we've seen a trend of woke teens getting vaccinated against the wishes of their common-sensing parents and noted pediatrician Dr. Jenny McCarthy. Deadline Detroit approves of this trend, especially for young men who might like children someday. And everyone, really.
