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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.
Unfortunately, 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. 
It’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.
Fight terrorism – get your kids vaccinated!
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I thought that they already know who brought in the measles – a woman vacationing from Europe, if I remember correctly. Not from Mexico (which had a much higher vaccination rate than ours.)
You know who are the worst people to spread infectious, conspiracy-theory- based contagion are? Comfortable well-off people who have walled themselves off from lower economically classed people. It is no secret that bio terrorism could be easily accomplished and should be addressed, but to throw the first punch below the belt at the undocumented immigrants is really irresponsible.Don’t mix in hatred AND panic. Ebola anyone? Use your brains people!
I think the cow-like complacency of Americans in general have made questioning science-based research OK.
And the holy grail of “freedom ” should extend to those who wish to be free of disease personally. YOU may choose to not vaccinate your children, but if YOUR children infect MY children then whose freedoms are more important?
Vaccinate your kids America!
Duh! Didn’t we learn this stuff 60 years ago? Stoopid!
The Personal Belief Exemptions is another explanation of this phenomenon. Rand Paul and Chris Christie are on the spotlight on this issue:
“The vaccination controversy is a twist on an old problem for the Republican Party: how to approach matters that have largely been settled among scientists but are not widely accepted by conservatives.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/us/politics/measles-proves-delicate-issue-to-gop-field.html?_r=0
This is one of the stupidest piece-of-shit articles I’ve ever read on this site. First, Ms. Daigle asks us to believe that some penurious, unvaccinated immigrant from Jalisco braved hopping freights, hitch-hiking, walking, paying off a coyote, dehydration or hypothermia, avoiding La Migra, hiking from the border to Anaheim; and then heads for Disneyland? Which usually requires a loan from the World Bank just to walk through the gate?
No? Don’t believe that? Well, how about . . . TERRORISTS? That means some terrorist organization asked someone to come down with measles, then head for the park to sneeze on a few people. I’m no lawyer, but I do watch “Law & Order,” and know that an offer of proof has to be made before we can take this utter demagogue seriously. She provides none.
We KNOW how this outbreak occurred; and it occurred because flub-a-dub parents, fitting Ms. Daigle’s demographic in Irvine and relying on screeching internet lunatics, refused to vaccinate their children. We need to tell our legislature that we, the people of California, demand vaccination for everybody. The antivaxxers shouldn’t get a vote. Ever.
At least Ms Daigle did not blame the Central American children, as some people have suggested in other websites.