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Measles cases in Samoa more than double over past week as death toll rises - National
The number of suspected cases of measles on the Pacific island of Samoa has more than doubled over the past week to 3,530 and deaths related to the outbreak rose to 48 from 20 a week ago, the country’s Ministry of Health said on Sunday.
Samoa has become vulnerable to measles outbreaks as the number of people becoming immunized has declined with the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying vaccine coverage is just about 31 per cent.
[...] The government started a mandatory vaccination program on Nov. 20 after declaring a state of emergency due to the outbreak. The health ministry said in its statement that 57,132 people have since been vaccinated.
Schools and universities have been closed and most public gatherings banned on the island state of just 200,000, located south of the equator and half way between Hawaii and New Zealand.
Of the 48 deaths, 44 where among children under the age of four. Since Saturday, there have been 173 new cases of measles recorded and four people have died.
Neighboring New Zealand and a number of other countries and organizations, including the U.N. agency UNICEF, have delivered thousands of vaccines, medical supplies and have sent medical personnel to help with the outbreak.
(Score: 2) by Magic Oddball on Tuesday December 03 2019, @08:56AM (6 children)
While Samoa already had a lower-than-acceptable vaccination rate by far, it apparently plummeted further after two died in 2018 due to MMR vaccines being prepared using a muscle relaxant rather than water [bbc.com]. More oddly, neighboring islands like Tonga have a 99% vaccine rate; it's apparently just Samoa that's having serious issues with non-vaccination, which makes me wonder whether the incident was possibly an intentional effort to sabotage the vaccine program.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 03 2019, @11:22AM (5 children)
Don't assume malice where idiocy is enough. We live in a world full of idiots. Just look how many people drink and then drive. You can't fix stupid.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday December 03 2019, @02:56PM (4 children)
Idiocy is easily determined by a bit of investigation. Otherwise always assume malice when there is no evidence of idiocy. Welcome to the 21st century.
Docker is static linking for millennials
Young people won't believe you if you say you used to get Netflix by US Postal Mail.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 03 2019, @03:26PM (3 children)
So not injecting your kid with vaccines is child abuse, but sexually mutilating them and injecting them with a cocktail of hormones is not?
https://summit.news/2019/12/02/britains-first-transgender-couple-to-allow-their-5-year-old-child-to-begin-transition/ [summit.news]
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Tuesday December 03 2019, @06:03PM
Welcome to 2020, stop being intolerant and take the drugs
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday December 03 2019, @06:56PM (1 child)
You try to compare two things that are not comparable which is a fatal compile error.
Young people won't believe you if you say you used to get Netflix by US Postal Mail.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 03 2019, @08:57PM
The two things are both performing medical procedures on children.