Extremely contagious and spreading unchecked, the latest measles outbreak has now topped seven hundred across the country with no way to see an end. It takes seven to twelve days for symptoms to appear. A person can spread the disease four days ahead of the appearance of the rash and four days after. Ninety percent of those who are not immune either by vaccination or from having already had the disease and who make contact with some who is contagious will become infected. What this amounts to is the opening round in a new war against an unseen enemy.

Measles is a particularly virulent and tricky virus. The bodies normal immune system is worn down over the first eight days, as demonstrated in the video below and then the virus, in a series of maneuvers is able to take control, starting with the lungs and working outward over the entire body.

Two culprits stand out in the making of this latest outbreak. The most visible, at this time, are the thousands pouring through our borders unchecked, untracked and at least some-unvaccinated. Those who put illegal immigration over the welfare of our country are woefully uninformed. In 2016,  eighty one percent of Guatemalan children under the age of two were not vaccinated. In 2017, world wide 20.8 million children had not received the necessary series of measles shots. What are the realistic chances that those unvaccinated travelers got the shots before joining a caravan or paying a smuggler?

The second culprit is the group of Americans who believe that their child will get sick from receiving the inoculations. The most frequently cited danger is autism, they say. Research shows that genetics, exposure to certain chemicals and infection are the major causes of autism, yet we are allowing increasing numbers of people to opt out of vaccinating their children. This is the 21st century. We can send men to the moon, ride in driverless cars, or transplant a whole human heart. We should not and need not be regressing in the area of health protection.

Former First Lady, Roselynn Carter says it well:

“We fought 30 years ago to make parents aware of the need for vaccines and to make them accessible and affordable. We’re fighting a different battle now.”

School districts do act as a partial defense with their vaccination requirements before attending public school. However, most kids begin school at four or five years old. That leaves plenty of time to contract and spread a disease. The recommended age for the first MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) shot is twelve to fifteen months. In 2017 there were 19,938,860 children under the age of four  in the US. If you assume one quarter are under the age of one year. That is five million children unprotected and at risk. There are also those of all age groups who cannot be vaccinated due to a health condition.

The Center for Disease Control puts out this warning: Measles is a highly contagious disease. It can be serious for young children. Protect your child by making sure he or she is up to date on vaccinations, including before traveling abroad. Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. Measles starts with a fever. Soon after, it causes a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Then a rash of tiny, red spots breaks out. It starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body. Measles can be serious for young children. It can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and death.

Every person coming through our borders should be detained, given a physical, and in the absence of proof of vaccination, be inoculated. And every parent who chose to not get their child their vaccines should be required to home school.

Photo credit: Pixabay.com/Tumisu/Pixabay License