Would you trust the HHS to deliver correct info?
Well, no. We already understand that information about various outbreaks (not just measles) is not being made public the way it would have been. Some states are taking over the mantle of vax recs but of course the states that aren’t have some of the populations that most need this message.
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Contains map of counties and their vaccination rates.
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The measles outbreak in Canada, particularly in Alberta, is worse than the US.
“Canada is the worst affected of North American countries, reporting brisk measles activity and 5,006 cases this year (4,646 confirmed), according to the government’s latest data. Ontario was the focus of earlier activity, but most of the recent cases have been reported from Canada’s western provinces.’
Another Canadian baby dies from measles as South Carolina reports outbreak | CIDRAP
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How Alberta Became the Epicentre of Canada’s Measles Outbreak | The Walrus says the following:
This is sad.. but not dissimilar to some of what I saw on Facebook discussions after the death of someone I knew from covid (from a church that literally preached against vaccines).
It’s not super clear from the article what the root cause of the vaccine skepticism there is but it’s clear that it at least worsened in the wake of the US right-wing anti vax movement. (I come from a region where there was left wing resistance to vax pre covid, and I know some places it’s religious but not necessarily political …and some communities have been influenced by certain people…so the reasons interest me.)
Still, parents will sometimes ask if anything could have been done to prevent their child from becoming sick with measles. Or, worse, share that they wish they had been “allowed” to vaccinate; some community members could be putting enough pressure on parents that they feel they don’t have freedom to choose.
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In Canada, Quebec and Alberta will only pay for the COVID vaccine for vulnerable groups. Otherwise, the person must pay C$150-C$180 for the shot. So while the vaccine is available for all, it will be unaffordable for many. So much for “socialized medicine” being the answer to all problems.
Quebec joins Alberta in ending free COVID-19 shots, may charge $180 per dose | Globalnews.ca
The measles vaccine is free for all Canadians.
Most people in the US are under either socialized medical insurance (Medicare, Medicaid) or privately socialized medical insurance (employer or union group plans), but the insurance system in the US functions worse and more expensively than in other rich countries.
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Canada is on track to lose its place among the nations that have eliminated measles, as international health officials convene this week to review that designation
Gift article (though I am reviewing whether or not to keep my sub after yesterday)
Pretty sure Alberta is the far right side of the political spectrum in Canada. Don’t know about Quebec.
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Canada election 2025 results in charts indicates that Alberta and Saskatchewan were the provinces that voted most heavily for the Conservative party.
Canada is no longer considered to have eliminated measles:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/livestory/canada-measles-elimination-status-9.6973195
Will the US be next?
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Countries lose their elimination status after 12 months of sustained transmission. If the outbreak cannot be extinguished by January, the anniversary of the first cases in Texas, the United States will lose what is known as “elimination status” as determined by the World Health Organization, which it has had for 25 years.
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I read there are a lot of cases in Colorado City (AZ) in the fundamentalist community that Warren Jeffs controlled. Very little vaccination going on there are they don’t let a lot of the women and children out of the community. They haven’t had many deaths as the community tends to be young and healthy.
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Measles in South Carolina:
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