Tag: Melissa Floyd

What’s Your Chance of Getting Measles Right Now?

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a lot of folks are thinking about their risk of getting measles right now.

But with record levels of measles cases this year, some of us are thinking about our level of risk much differently than others.

rIf you are unvaccinated and exposed to someone with measles, you risk is actually 1,000,000 times higher…

While most of us simply want to make sure we are vaccinated and protected, anti-vaccine folks are taking every opportunity to downplay their risks.

What’s Your Chance of Getting Measles Right Now?

So what’s your chance of getting measles?

“Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases. It is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions. The virus remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to 2 hours. It can be transmitted by an infected person from 4 days prior to the onset of the rash to 4 days after the rash erupts.”

WHO on Measles

That’s actually not that simple to figure out, but depends on:

Those who have had two doses, with no plans to travel, and who live in an area with no reported cases, are at extremely low risk to get measles – the risk won’t be zero until measles is eradicated.

In this kind of low risk situation, kids don’t need early doses of MMR vaccines and most adults can probably get away with just having one dose of MMR.

“Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is so contagious that if one person has it, 9 out of 10 people of all ages around him or her will also become infected if they are not protected.”

CDC on Measles is Highly Contagious

On the other hand, if you are unvaccinated and were at the AMC Theater on Lemon Street in Fullerton, between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. on April 25, then your chance of getting measles is about 90%!

Wait! That’s a little more than the 0.000092% chance that anti-vaccine folks are throwing around…

The odds of being hit by lightning are low because we practice storm safety and don’t run around outside when we see lightning!

To think of it another way, if you knew that your chances of getting hit by lightning were a little over 1 in a million, would that make you think it is okay to go outside and play golf during a severe thunderstorm?

Would you think the risk is so low that you could let your kids play outside if you heard thunder and saw lightning flashes nearby, or would you all rush inside?

That’s right! The risk of getting hit by lightning is low because most of us don’t take chances when we hear thunder or see lightning.

It’s the same with measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

The overall risk is low because most people are vaccinated and protected!

If you aren’t vaccinated and protected, as we see more and more cases, your risk of getting sick, and getting others sick, is going to continue to get higher and will always be much higher than someone who is fully vaccinated, no matter how much you want to believe in shedding, mild measles, or whatever myths help you justify keeping your kids unvaccinated and unprotected during an outbreak.

Remember, you can’t hide in the herd if you are scaring away too much the herd…

Vaccines are safe, with few risks, and are obviously necessary.

You can avoid getting measles.
You can greatly reduce your family’s risk of getting measles.

Make sure your family is protected so they don’t get caught up in a measles outbreak

More on Your Chance of Getting Measles


Alexander Langmuir on Measles

It’s a shame that most people only know of Alexander Langmuir because anti-vaccine folks like to make it sound like he was against vaccines.

How do they do that?

By making up quotes and using some real quotes out of context.

Alexander Langmuir on Measles

Remember the Alexander Langmuir quotes about flu vaccines?

He never really said that “no one should take the flu vaccine.”

And now folks are misrepresenting what he said about measles.

Alexander Langmuir was a big advocate of the measles vaccine.

So what did he really say?

“This self-limiting infection of short duration, moderate severity, and low fatality has maintained a remarkably stable biological balance over the centuries. Those epidemiologists, and there are many, who tend to revere the biological balance have long argued that the ecological equilibrium of measles is solidly based, that it can not readily be disrupted and that therefore we must learn to live with this parasite rather than hope to eradicate it. This speaker, not so long ago, was counted among this group and waxed eloquent on this subject in print.

Happily, this era is ending. New and potent tools that promise effective control of measles are at hand. If properly developed and wisely used, it should be possible to disrupt the biological balance of measles. Its eradication from large continental landmasses such as North America and many other parts of the world can be anticipated soon.”

Alexander Langmuir et al on The Importance of Measles as a Health Problem

Alexander Langmuir didn’t think that measles was a benign disease.

“…any parent who has seen his small child suffer even for a few days with persistent fever of 105, with hacking cough and delirium wants to see this prevented…”

Alexander Langmuir

And he thought that we should work to eradicate it.

“The availability of potent and effective measles vaccines, which have been tested extensively of the past 4 years, provides the basis for the eradication of measles in any community that will raise its immune thresholds to readily attainable levels.”


Alexander Langmuir et al on Epidemiologic Basis For Eradication Of Measles In 1967

Alexender Langmuir, who was Chief Epidemiologist at CDC for 21 years and founded the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), said that “all infants should receive measles vaccine at approximately 1 year of age.”

What else did he say?

“When measles has become so widespread that epidemics are already present in several schools and in different communities within a city or county, more extensive communitywide measures must be undertaken. Then the full resources of the health and medical services of the total community, backed by well-coordinated voluntary agencies, will need to be mobilized. Again, priority should be directed first to the immunization of susceptible children in schools or who congregate in other enclosed spaces. If such immunization programs are carried out promptly and effectively, an epidemic of measles can be contained within 2 to 3 weeks.”

Alexander Langmuir

It would be nice to get back to where we could contain outbreaks in 2 to 3 weeks.

It would be nice if folks really listened to what Alexander Langmuir had to say and vaccinated their kids.

More on Alexander Langmuir on Measles

Fact Checking the Truth About Vaccination Rates in California

In general, higher immunization rates should translate into lower rates of disease.

And it is true that in most states, including California, overall immunization rates are up.

So what’s happening?

Fact Checking the Truth About Vaccination Rates in California

Everyone knows what’s happening!

Clusters of unvaccinated kids and adults.

Pockets of susceptibles.

Abuse and overuse of vaccine exemptions.

And folks who continue to scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.

There are measles outbreaks in this part of northern California...
There are measles outbreaks in this part of northern California…

What’s the truth about California’s immunization rates and the reason they are still having outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases?

“Oh, but wait! What do you mean we have higher vaccination coverage NOW than we did back then? How can that be? I thought rates have been declining steadily for two decades putting us in a terrible position of falling wayyyy below herd immunity levels!?

I thought the reason we are now “in danger of disease outbreaks” is because of the increasing number of children being exempted from vaccines? Hold on, wait. You’re telling me there are LESS kids exempted now than there were in the year 2000 when we were free of outbreaks because of “high vaccination rates”? That can’t be right…can it?”

Melissa Floyd

You aren’t going to get it from anti-vaccine folks…

73% is actually pretty good for a Waldorf school!
73% is actually pretty good for a Waldorf school!

But it’s not surprising that you get misinformation about herd immunity from folks who think vaccines don’t actually create herd immunity.

And it shouldn’t be surprising that you can’t hide in the herd when your herd is a cluster of unvaccinated kids at a Waldorf school.

Vaccines are safe, with few risks, and are obviously necessary. Vaccinate your kids and help stop the outbreaks.

More on Fact Checking the Truth About Vaccination Rates in California

Why Should Medical Exemptions Be Based on CDC Contraindications?

Getting a medical exemption for vaccines isn’t controversial.

Or at least it shouldn’t be.

Why Should Medical Exemptions Be Based on CDC Contraindications?

As many people know though, some people have been taking advantage of the fact that medical exemptions weren’t clearly defined in California’s vaccine law.

Who are the doctors handing out fake medical exemptions in California?
Who are the doctors handing out fake medical exemptions in California?

Are there just a few doctors taking advantage of the California law?

“But at 105 schools in the state, 10% or more of kindergartners had a medical exemption in the school year that ended last month, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of state data.”

Pushback against immunization laws leaves some California schools vulnerable to outbreaks

Is 10% a lot?

In one recent report, Vaccination Coverage for Selected Vaccines, Exemption Rates, and Provisional Enrollment Among Children in Kindergarten — United States, 2016–17 School Year, the median rate of medical exemptions in the US was just 0.2%, with a range of <0.1 to 1.5%.

In West Virginia and Mississippi, states that don’t allow non-medical exemptions and where criteria for medical exemptions are fairly strict, the rates were 0.1 and 0.3% respectively.

And that’s about what you would expect, as there are very few true contraindications or precautions to getting vaccinated.

So yes, 10% is an awful lot and that’s a good sign that it is more than just a few doctors taking advantage of the law.

“If a child has a medical exemption to immunization, a physician licensed to practice medicine in New York State must certify that the immunization is detrimental to the child’s health. The medical exemption should specify which immunization is detrimental to the child’s health, provide information as to why the immunization is contraindicated based on current accepted medical practice, and specify the length of time the immunization is medically contraindicated, if known.”

Dear Colleague letter regarding guidelines for use of immunization exemptions

Why do most other states have so few medical exemptions?

Mostly because there are very few true medical reasons to skip or delay a child’s vaccines!

They include, but aren’t limited to, the contraindications and precautions listed in the package insert for each vaccine (the contraindications and warnings sections…) and by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

They don’t include many other things that are “incorrectly perceived as contraindications to vaccination,” such as things in the family medical history of the child, eczema (unless they are getting the smallpox vaccine), colic, sleep apnea, or being a picky eater.

Is everything a vaccine injury?
Is everything a vaccine injury?

It should be obvious.

Medical exemptions for vaccines should be based on CDC criteria because some folks think that everything is a vaccine injury.

More on Medical Exemptions

Has the CDC Decided to Extended Flu Season Indefinitely?

As most people know, flu season traditionally goes from about December to March, with a peak in February.

That’s really just the peak times of flu activity though.

“While seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round in the United States, flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter. The exact timing and duration of flu seasons can vary, but influenza activity often begins to increase in October. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, although activity can last as late as May.”

The Flu Season

Sometimes flu season starts earlier or goes later and technically, you can get the flu during any month of the year.

Has the CDC Decided to Extended Flu Season Indefinitely?

Does that mean it’s true, that flu season has been extended indefinitely?

Of course not!

It's not too late to get a flu shot! That part is true.
It’s not too late to get a flu shot! That part is true.

Surprisingly, local media in Las Vegas did actually run a story this story, with that quote.

And the CDC?

The last Situation Update: Summary of Weekly FluView Report, from March 21, says that “overall influenza activity decreased since last week, but remains relatively high for this time of year.”

“CDC expects flu activity to remain elevated for a number of weeks.”

Situation Update: Summary of Weekly FluView Report

So flu season isn’t over yet.

But that hardly means that it is never going to end!

Flu season has peaked and is starting to wind down.

But since you might expect flu activity through April and May, as we see in most years, it isn’t too late to get a flu vaccine.

“Vaccination can still be beneficial as long as flu viruses are circulating. If you have not been vaccinated by Thanksgiving (or the end of November), it can still be protective to get vaccinated in December or later. Flu is unpredictable and seasons can vary. Seasonal flu disease usually peaks between December and March most years, but disease can occur as late as May.”

Misconceptions about Seasonal Flu and Flu Vaccines

That is the standard advice that is given every year. It is never too late to get a flu vaccine if you are unvaccinated and want to get protected while there is still flu activity in your area.

What about the idea of twice a year flu vaccines?

“In adults, studies have not shown a benefit from getting more than one dose of vaccine during the same influenza season, even among elderly persons with weakened immune systems. Except for some children, only one dose of flu vaccine is recommended each season.”

Misconceptions about Seasonal Flu and Flu Vaccines

And yes, there have been fewer flu deaths this year, but that’s compared to one of the worst flu seasons on record!

Compared to this time last year though, there are more pediatric flu deaths in Clark County, Nevada.

It’s a good reminder that flu season isn’t over, although thankfully it won’t go on indefinitely, but still, it’s not too late to get a flu shot and get protected for the rest of this year’s flu season.

More on the Myth that Flu Season has been Extended Indefinitely

Bob Sears Doubles Down Against California Vaccine Laws

Bob Sears wasn’t a fan of SB 277, the vaccine law that removed non-medical exemptions in California.

Not surprisingly, he is actively rallying folks against a new bill that would close a loophole in that law. It seems that some doctors were writing medical exemptions for anything and everything, from eczema to swollen lymph nodes.

Bob Sears is pushing misinformation that SB 276 takes away all medical exemptions.
Bob Sears is pushing misinformation that SB 276 takes away all medical exemptions.

Of course, the new law wouldn’t take away medical exemptions. It would just take away fake medical exemptions.

Is everything a vaccine injury?
Is everything a vaccine injury?

Yes, take a long hard look at their list…

A very few actually are actually standard contraindications and precautions to commonly used vaccines, so could likely get you a medical exemption to one or more vaccines. GBS within 6 weeks of a flu shot, a precaution, not a contraindication, would be an example. But even in this case, the exemption would be for flu shots, not all vaccines.

“Events or conditions listed as precautions should be reviewed carefully. Benefits of and risks for administering a specific vaccine to a person under these circumstances should be considered. If the risk from the vaccine is believed to outweigh the benefit, the vaccine should not be administered. If the benefit of vaccination is believed to outweigh the risk, the vaccine should be administered. “

Vaccine Recommendations and Guidelines of the ACIP

What about all of the rest of the diseases or “severe reactions” on Bob’s list, like pneumonia, palpitations, eczema, hair loss, IBD, difficulty swallowing, skin infections, testicular pain, HSP, Multiple Sclerosis, and Kawasaki disease, etc.

These are not vaccine injuries, even though they are sometimes in a package insert. I’m surprised that he didn’t list SIDS and autism too…

And this is why California needs to fix their vaccine law… Folks, including pediatricians, pushing the idea that everything is a vaccine injury.

More on Bob Sears and California Vaccine Laws

If It’s Genetic, Where Are the Older Adults with Autism?

Remember when anti-vaccine folks used to ask why there were no autistic adults?

“Where are all the adults with classic autism? Where are the hand flapping, head banging, self-abusive, spinning, screaming, rocking, stimming, non-verbal and violent 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 year olds wearing autism helmets and diapers? Where are the grown-ups at the mall experiencing violent tantrums, seizures and GI tract problems?”

Robert F Kennedy, Jr on Is the Autism Epidemic Real?

And we had to point out that there were?

If It’s Genetic, Where Are the Older Adults with Autism?

Well, not surprisingly, they have moved the goal posts.

What’s the new thing they are talking about?

Can Bob Sears sink any lower?
Sadly, most autistic adults don’t live into their 60s…

Where are the older adults with autism?

Where are the autistic senior citizens?

“I am different, not less.”

Temple Grandin (born August 29, 1947)

They are around, if you look for them.

Are they rarer than autistic children or autistic young adults?

Almost certainly, but that, tragically is because most of them have already died. Sadly, most don’t make it into their 60s.

It is well known that the mortality rates of autistic adults are much higher than the general population.

At least it is well known to those who aren’t trying to push anti-vaccine propaganda and who want to continue to make you think that vaccines are associated with autism.

More on Older Autistic Adults