Discussion question:
Distrust of health authorities has led to a recent surge in vaccine-preventable diseases –especially Measles. This is especially important because Measles is extremely infectious and Measles infection can lead to "immune amnesia." Briefly describe immune amnesia, and the broader public health impact it can cause. What approaches should health authorities use to help bring Measles back under control?
A post of approximately 200-350 words directly addresses one of the week’s discussion topics and cites appropriate evidence to support your ideas. Your initial response and follow-on discussion posts should cite evidence from sources such as journal articles, reports by governmental and non-governmental organizations, news articles, and/or class lectures. Personal correspondence with global health practitioners or personal experience may also be used, provided that other forms of evidence are also presented. You may choose whatever citation style you are most comfortable with.
Response to these two discussions sepereatly with appropriate evidence and citation in 100-250 words long:
1. Everyone has heard of measles, but most people don’t really know what it really does. I learned a lot from this discussion; for example, “Immune amnesia.” I had no idea it could be caused by Measles. I learned that Immune Amnesia is when “…the contagious infection can wipe out the immune system's memory of other illnesses” (Deol, Taran). This is a worrying issue that is caused by Measles. Measles only has one natural host, humans, and is highly transmissible through aerosol droplets. According to Ashley Hagen, measles “In a room full of exposed people, 90% who are unvaccinated will develop the disease…” The current vaccine for measles is 97% effective according to the CDC. Still, Measles is having a surge in prevalence due to distrust of health authorities, leading people to not get vaccines, which has led to an increase in many vaccine-preventable diseases and deaths. According to the WHO there has been a 300% rise in cases between 2018 and 2019. This surge is particularly dangerous as the disease has a way of not only leaving the immune system weak but also “… leaves patients especially vulnerable to secondary infection,” (Hagen, Ashley). That leaves a person highly vulnerable for years to come. This causes many public health problems, as a higher prevalence, will lead to higher mortality and mobility. I think the main issues of this problem is distrust of the health care system and lack of access. Some people may not have access to get to a healthcare facility. Some may not have insurance and feel as though they are unable to get the vaccine. Lack of knowledge. Others don’t trust doctors. I think the best approach for the health authorities to get measles under control is to inform and educate the public about where they can get vaccines for free, and have easy access to vaccines everywhere (at work, at schools, grocery stores, etc.). I think it’s also important for them to be VERY transparent. The more you force the more resistance you will get. You need to convince people that it was their choice to want to get the vaccine. A campaign to promote vaccines would probably help. I think information and easy access is the best approach to help bring measles back under control.
2. Following the publication of Andrew Wakefield's article in 1998, which asserted a relationship between vaccination and measles, mumps, and rubella, vaccine worries surged (Kata, 2010). Despite the fact that the data was proven to be fraudulent and the study was unable to be replicated, there is still widespread fear among parents that vaccinating their children will result in autism. The previously eradicated disease measles has returned and spread among children, leading to immune amnesia.
When people contract measles, their immune system forgets about every pathogen they have ever come into contact with, including every exposure to germs or viruses in the environment, and every immunization. The damage is almost complete and irreparable. Following the measles infection, the bodies must nearly completely relearn what is good and harmful (Dutchen, 2019; BBC, 2021). According to C. Jessica Metcalf, an assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton, if a person acquires measles, they could die three years later from something they wouldn't have died from if they hadn't gotten measles (Emory University, 2015).
Evidence has shown that health misinformation has an influence on people’s opinions, especially regarding vaccinations and whether they can cause adverse effects on one’s health (Loomba et al., 2021). People’s perception of health information is shown to predicted the vaccination, which would be effective in helping health authorities to inform the public and potentially bring Measles back under control. For example, Gavaruzzi and colleagues (2021) have shown that parents who are more emotionally competent have a more positive view of vaccines. Political identities, or tribalism, may influence opinions. Showing people a video addressing vaccination misconceptions was significantly more beneficial compared to simply showing a video on vaccination facts (Yousuf et al., 2021). As a result, health authorities should pay close attention to misinformation in the media, particularly well-known ones, in order to prevent the spread of measles and potentially bring it under control.
