Herd Immunity, Please
Pertussis, known as Whooping Cough, is back with a vengeance to remind us how very dangerous the antivaccine movement, ignited by conspiracy theorists and fanned by RFK, Jr., really is.
The beats the “people should have a choice” drummers miss is herd immunity. Herd immunity is how we give viruses like Corona few enough hosts that they can’t evolve, and ultimately evade, our vaccines. Herd immunity is how we eradicated Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and all their complications.
As a reminder, Polio can cause paralysis and other neuromuscular damage.
My own grandfather, originally a pediatrician in the 1940’s, switched to psychiatry because he couldn’t personally handle seeing all the damage the disease was doing.
Why on earth would we bring back these illnesses that can devastate entire populations? (See Snallpox and Natuve Americans). It makes no sense, there is no logic or science behind vaccine denial. It is herd stupidity when we need herd immunity. It is part of the MAGA broader plan to undermine faith in science and the media, schools and the judicial system. It's part of their plan to destroy us.
But the saddest part of all to me as that the skeptics are so selfish in their ignorance that they don't give a damn if they kill someone else's kid. Heaven forbid you harm a fetus, but your germs can go kill any free/standing human.
Long story short: hound your senators to no vote RFKJr, educate young families wherever you see them, support science and research, and arm yourself with masks in case facts fail.https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/12/24/whooping-cough-cases-us-record-outbreak/