this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2025

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206

More US states report measles cases amid vaccine misinformation (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

11 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The Texas outbreak could take a year to get under control, one health official said – during which time it may spread to more states. Yet the parents of the six-year-old girl who died of measles in Texas have spoken against measles vaccination as misinformation continues to proliferate, including from figures such as the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.

“I never thought in 2025, we would be looking at this resurgence of measles,” said Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health. “And I didn’t know it’d be in my backyard, either.”

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'll say it again. These Mennonites are never going to change their stance on vaccines. Most are stuck with beliefs dating back to the early 1700s. Hell the couple in question with the six year old who died speak a broken English + Early 18th Century Low Germanic language.

These people are beyond back woods. Asking them to change is about as likely as having the sun set in the East. Their daughter dying from a preventable disease isn't some lack of prevention, to them it was the will of God.

You might as well walk up to a seven year old and ask them to perform triple bypass surgery. These people are unable to understand a vaccine. They lack the quantifiable knowledge to even begin to comprehend a vaccine.

People might ask how many of their children must die before they vaccinate. The answer is 100% of them. Likely fully explaining vaccines and microbiology to them would likely be seen as human arrogation in God's will. They would rather be wiped from the face of the Earth than to believe they have some sort of say over God's will.

That is the kind of people we are talking about here. They will unquestionably follow the "laws" of their religion even if it means the painful death of everyone they love. You CAN NOT CHANGE these people. It is impossible.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Said it before, will say it again: While I am aware that it violates the dignity of those in question, I am strongly opposed to to the excemption of people from public health measures for religious reasons. I do not care if your god commands you to suffer. If your beliefs are standing in the way of protecting uninvolved members of society, it’s your beliefs that have to take a backseat, not other lives. No exceptions, no compromise. If they do not want minding the society they exist in, they can leave.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

What law that allows persecution of these people won't be abused by fascists to apply to people they don't like? We all want laws where we throw people out of society we don't like, but there's a reason fascism needs democracy to exist. I'm obviously for some sort of solution, but preferably one that doesn't have all of the tools for fascism to use against their political enemies.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Slippery slope arguments help tackling issues at hand how exactly? ;)

This isn’t an issue that just spontaneously arose. This has been an issue ever since the implementation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

How do you suggest they "leave" society against their will? That's literally deportation—very abusable by fascists today. Unless you are suggesting they can voluntarily leave... which is a "solution" I guess. Who will be doing this? This would be a federal thing so you want to fund the DEA to make these arrests? Yeah blowing up the DEA budget won't help fascists either.

It's not a slippery slope if that's literally how this country has been working for as long as you or I have been alive. These laws require funding and budgets and law enforcement agencies to enforce these laws. This is literally drug enforcement, it's or course going to be the drug enforcement agency to do the presidents bidding. An executive branch agency mind you.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

What are you on about? The law I mentioned specifically means that they are excempt from measures that would go against their religious convictions unless these convictions do not withstand ‘scrutiny’.

What I am saying is that if a group of people is posing a public health risk because of their religious convictions, they should be treated as a health hazard and for example be quarantined, even against their will - if they are unwilling to compromise on these convictions.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think the rest of the world should ban all travel in and out of the US. Force them into quarantine.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Yes. This would also have the added benefit of keeping viruses from spreading.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Now of we can just stop the state from providing this information, measles will disappear!!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't think they want it to disappear, rfk said it would be better if everyone got it

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Want to know what's crazy? RFK wrote a book about it during the height of covid. It's very highly rated on Amazon and Goodreads. Science be damned. We are fucked.