New Zealand Measles Outbreak Prompts Travel Warning

New Zealand is asking travelers to make sure they are immunized for measles before traveling to its biggest city, Auckland, as the country faces its worst outbreak in over 22 years. From a report: "If you're thinking of traveling into or out of Auckland, you should make sure you're vaccinated at least two weeks before you go," Associate Minister for Health Julie Anne Genter said in a statement this week. "This includes children from 12 months old," she added. Measles cases are rising globally, including in wealthy nations such as the United States and Germany, where some parents shun the vaccines mostly for philosophical or religious reasons, or concerns, debunked by medical science, that the vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) could cause autism.

In the US more than 1,200 cases have been recorded across 30 states in the worst outbreak since 1992, while other countries like the UK and Germany also recorded higher number of cases this year. In New Zealand, 849 cases of measles have been reported so far this year, making it New Zealand's worst measles epidemic since 1997.

Are you happy

[stealth_finger]

This is what you get for giving up your guns NZ. Attacked by a vicious invasion of measles mere weeks later. I hope you're pleased with yourselves.

-NRA spokesperson

Re:

[null etc.]

This is what you get for giving up your guns NZ.

The only thing that can stop measles is a good guy with a gun.

Technicality

[Roger W Moore]

Well, I suppose it is true that shots prevent measles...

Re:

[Kinthelt]

If they had banned measles in New Zealand, the outbreak would have been prevented.

-David Hogg

Re:

[bobbied]

We need background checks before you can legally acquire the measles..

Only licensed carriers may transport the virus across state lines.

Re:

[Solandri]

The anti-vaxx capital of the U.S. (Portland, OR) [portlandmercury.com] actually has the highest percentage of population who do not follow a religion [marketwatch.com].

I suspect what's going on is that people are hard-wired to believe in things with insufficient evidence. And if it isn't religion, they latch onto something else to believe in - like energy crystals, natural living, or anti-vaxx conspiracy theories. It makes sense from a survival standpoint. If you try to avoid danger because of "a hunch" and are right, worst case you miss ou

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[account_deleted]

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Re:

[bobbied]

Ignorance knows no boundary, but is spread through the human race pretty evenly.

Take heed... Lest you too fall.

Statistical Fluctuations

[Roger W Moore]

Ignorance knows no boundary, but is spread through the human race pretty evenly.

Let's hope that means Westminster and Washington are currently just temporary, statistical fluctuations.

Re:

[gweihir]

Most average people understand nothing. And then you have the morons below average...

Child Poverty

[monkeyxpress]

NZ has a lot of child poverty. It wouldn't surprise me if many of those left unvaccinated missed out simply because their parents didn't bother to do it (it's free in NZ). I had friends who were teachers in the poorer parts of Auckland who had numerous students turn up with a jumbo pack of crisps for their lunch. I mean, that isn't even a cost thing, it's just a dysfunctional family life.

NZ has a lot of space, and it is easy enough to shove problem people out of sight and out of mind. The middle class there

Number of cases in Germany

[djgl]

According to https://survstat.rki.de/Conten... [survstat.rki.de] we had

6198 cases in 2001
4722 cases in 2002
801 cases in 2003
155 cases in 2004
812 cases in 2005
2368 cases in 2006
586 cases in 2007
946 cases in 2008
599 cases in 2009
801 cases in 2010
1640 cases in 2011
186 cases in 2012
1845 cases in 2013
510 cases in 2014
2604 cases in 2015
361 cases in 2016
1032 cases in 2017
677 cases in 2018
535 cases in the first 32 weeks of 2019

My question

[slick7]

Are these outbreaks due to uncontrolled, unmonitored mass movements of people? Most first world nations have greatly diminished the spectre of childhood diseases. To travel from a first world country to almost anywhere else positive proof of vaccinations is a given. Shouldn't the same requirements be instilled in travelers to first world nations or anywhere else as well? Children are the the worlds future, they are more precious than gold. They deserve that much respect. Any nation that doesn't see to the n

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re: My question

[jrumney]

The only common requirement is yellow fever vaccination certificates when you are coming from an area with yellow fever into a tropical area without it, to prevent introduction of yellow fever in those areas.

Re:

[AHuxley]

Re "Are these outbreaks due to uncontrolled, unmonitored mass movements of people?"
Relax the passport related health questions, get lots of extra new health problems.
Make people wanting to enter a nation prove they have the correct healthcare, get less health problems.

Re "Most first world nations have greatly diminished the spectre of childhood diseases."
First world health care will do that for its citizens.
Re "Shouldn't the same requirements be instilled in travelers"
Nations stop asking health ques

Re:

[alvinrod]

Perhaps it's due in part to that, but if it's like the U.S. the outbreaks are more so due to FUCKING IDIOTS that decided not to vaccinate their kids. If you can't even get everyone already in your country to do the intelligent thing to prevent diseases like the measles from spreading, having more people enter the country won't matter a whole lot unless they're all from parts of the world that don't vaccinate. It doesn't do any good to lock the barn doors when you've already got a gang of thieves inside.

Re:

[ChromeAeonuim]

I agree. Someone from another country might be the spark, but the blame still rests on the dolts who willfully created the conditions that everyone knows can create an outbreak. It's like dousing yourself in gasoline then being surprised when a stray cigarette but lights you ablaze; sure, you didn't light the spark, but what kind of braindead halfwit puts themselves in that position in the first place?

Same thing here. I don't like the whole 'blame immigrants/foreigners' angle because the immigrant proba

Re:

[F.Ultra]

These deceases where greatly diminished due to high vaccination rates but when the antivaxxers started to get enough foot hold of their crazy ideas and enough people started to no longer vaccinate their children the deceases once again could rise to above noise levels. I.e while measles was greatly diminished it was not completely gone (completely eradicating a decease is very hard) and all it needs to get a foot hold again is for the community vaccination rate to go below a certain threshold (and in large

Re:

[makomk]

The European outbreaks of measles are apparently at least partially the result of mass migration from poorer countries. I'd be surprised if the same was true of New Zealand though.

Re:

[AHuxley]

New Zealand allows mass migration too :)

Provide proof of health to cross border

[davidwr]

Here's a solution for serious communicable diseases that have an incubation period longer than a few hours:

* Border authorities will determine if you've been in an area where a disease of concern is active and which you don't have documented immunity for.

* If you have been in such an area, you will be denied entry or kept off the plane or boat until it is clear you are not infected.

This isn't a complete solution but it will help a lot. It will also make it inconvenient to travel to areas with endemic illne

Re:

[AHuxley]

How this should work in any normal nation.
Want to enter New Zealand?
Get a visa. Have full private health insurance.
Fill in heath questions about past health conditions and list if/when immunized. Show that paid full private health insurance.
Have a bank account with funds to support travel in New Zealand.
Not healthy? No private health insurance? No back account? No New Zealand.
Not able to show an approved by New Zealand record of been vaccinated?
No New Zealand.
Travel to New Zealand is somethin