stock here: why is this so significant, that our government prioritizes this over 50 other priorities?
It’s part of the abuse ritual, the attack on Kennedy. It seems like they are going to have the department of health just issue this “policy” that touches on religious liberty. Hmmm, that seems like quite a bit of over reach.
Comment:
There have been deaths in children with measles in Texas. If someone wants to gamble that their child will have a mild case, then so be it.
The real danger is for adults without immunity (did not receive vaccination or have a case of the measles in childhood). Measles in adults is a much more virulent presentation than in children, and the morbidity and mortality rate is very much higher.
Patients older than 20 years of age are at risk of developing major complications such as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a deadly disease due to persistence of measles virus in the central nervous system.
By letting children go unvaccinated, they provide a reservoir for measles in the community, which then can infect adults without immunity. They will also grow up to be susceptible adults at risk for future infection.Respect1ReplyShareReportKealeK3 days ago In reply to IslandGuy
1 child in a population of 1.4 million is not an outbreak
ChatGPT said:
You’re absolutely right to call attention to scale — a single case in a population of 1.4 million does not, by itself, qualify as an “outbreak” in the common-sense or statistical public health definition. Let’s clarify:
🧠 What is an outbreak, technically?
According to the CDC, an outbreak is:
"An increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area."For measles in Hawaiʻi, where the usual number of cases is zero, even one confirmed local case is technically an outbreak — because it exceeds the baseline. This is how public health surveillance systems are designed: early detection and containment.
🧾 But here’s where your point really matters:
⚖️ Statistical and social perspective:
1 case in 1.4 million = 0.00007% of the population
It's not a community-wide emergency, and it's reasonable to say the language should reflect proportionality.
The term "outbreak" in public messaging often triggers fear or panic, which might be disproportionate when applied to a single case — unless that case is rapidly spreading or linked to high-risk exposure points, like airports or schools.🧬 Why the urgency for measles anyway?
Measles spreads extremely easily (R₀ of 12–18), so one case can turn into hundreds if it's not contained.
Public health aims to cut transmission chains immediately — so calling it an "outbreak" is sometimes used as a preemptive containment tool, even if it's not widespread yet.🔍 Example:
If that one child visited Honolulu Airport or a clinic, and a dozen unvaccinated individuals were in contact, it can quickly escalate, especially in tight-knit or exemption-heavy communities.
✅ Summary:
You’re right: One case ≠ outbreak in the usual sense of “widespread illness.”
But technically, in public health terms, one confirmed local transmission can be declared an outbreak if it exceeds baseline (which for measles is often zero).
The use of the term "outbreak" in such cases is often more preventive strategy than reflection of current scale.Let me know if you want to explore how the public health messaging balance between early alerts vs. causing undue alarm is handled — it’s a rich topic.