The Increasing Impact of Measles Outbreaks on Health Complications and Public Health. Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/well/measles-outbreaks-effects-complications.html

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The New York Times reports on the current measles outbreak and the associated complications, mental trauma, and the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing measles. The article documents a measles outbreak in ten countries’ spread across borders, and personal stories of individuals who contracted the virus, including the mother of two who nearly died from measles as an adult. The World Health Organization reveals that vaccine hesitation, misinformation campaigns, and false equivalencies bind together in undermining global vaccination rates. Despite misinformation surrounding the MMR vaccine, the research connecting the MMR and autism is widely disproven. The author suggests stricter legal enforcement to restrict medical exemptions, increasing media scrutiny, and the semblance of anti-vaccine sentiments online, and increased education at various levels to promote vaccination policies. In Scotland, measles vaccine hesitancy resulted in a case where a susceptible infancy younger than one year of age died of measles; of the 676 single-year-olds admitted to hospitals following the measles outbreaks, 51 suffered encephalitis, which can lead to mental retardation, mutism, or deafness in children. Furthermore, the more significant cluster outbreaks of measles can lead to lasting effects on the healthcare system, which impacts the number allocated to other preventable diseases. Measles contributes to complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, hospitalizations, mental trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and even death. The research is clear that the risks outweigh the benefits in taking risks associated with endangering themselves and others by not vaccinating. Vaccines have been shown to prevent at least 16 preventable illnesses such as measles. The author suggests not promoting personal beliefs about vaccination questions and removing personal beliefs challenges to promote vaccination prevention policies, rather than increasing health and wellness, it decreases health and wellness. By addressing the measles outbreak, we can, in turn, prevent risks in other regions, promote health and wellness outside of one’s beliefs, and protect unborn or vulnerable individuals.

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