Measles For Militants?

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disney measles

Over the Christmas season,  a surprise outbreak of measles spread from Disneyland in Anaheim.  At last report from the CDC, the number of infected stood at 102, but – as one journalist grimly jokes – that number could rise in the time it takes to wait in line for the Mad Teacups ride.   A spokeswoman for the California Department of Health complains that the situation changes daily, if not hourly, and that every time a test for contagion is done, it seems a new case is discovered.  Since the outbreak first occurred between December 15 and 20, the infected have dispersed to at least eight states, where they have each had contact with other, non-infected people.  The California Department of Public Health states that 79 of those infections are in California and 52 of them can be linked directly to Disney Parks.  The rest are in Michigan, Arizona, Utah, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Nebraska and Mexico.

How, exactly, did this happen?    That’s a very good question, because it shouldn’t have been possible.  A measles vaccine exists and has been widely administered in the United States, and since its development and implementation, the disease has been declared “eradicated.”  What was once a childhood scourge in our grandparents’ time has since been crushed underfoot by the advance of medical technology.  Americans aren’t supposed to get the measles, not anymore.

scared of vaccineUnfortunately, there are caveats and complications to that categorical statement.  With the disease so firmly under control, many parents now opt to forgo measles vaccination for their children, some in an irrational and decidedly unscientific fear that the treatments are not safe.  This sets the stage for a measles resurgence, but the question remains: From where?

The answer remains elusive, with the theory already having been put forward that migrant workers at Disneyland from third world countries carried the infection into the park, where it spread to tourists.  Disney, of course, would be diabolically concealing the truth in this scenario.  But even if the outbreak’s origins prove to be less sinister, this incident does invite one to ponder the uncomfortable specter of terrorism, and whether a nefarious organization would be able to do something like this on purpose.

It’s disturbing to consider that it really wouldn’t be that hard.  Whether Disney ultimately chooses to hide it or not, the above mentioned migrant worker theory is entirely plausible, and if poverty-stricken third worlders can enter the country seeking work, so can trained terrorist operatives seeking to do harm.  islamistsIt’s no secret that the Islamists have people willing and eager to carry out suicide missions on their side, so what’s to stop one of them – or several of them – from infecting themselves with something far more deadly than mere measles, entering the US, and spending days or weeks doing nothing more illegal than “accidentally” coughing on every American he meets?  Could this be a test, and if so, what could be next?

Again, it’s no fun to think about.  But in the 21st century, we don’t have the luxury of assuming every viral outbreak is an accident.


About Irvine Valkyrie

Irvine Valkyrie is Katherine Daigle, the once and future Irvine mayoral candidate, an independent-minded Republican who is aligned with neither of the two dominant Irvine political cliques.