Recent measles outbreaks and infant deaths from whooping cough have seen a renewed public interest in vaccination. Usually, vaccination is seen primarily as an act of personal protection – getting yourself vaccinated against measles, for example, will (in most cases) protect you from catching the measles. Vaccines also protect from disease through the action of … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Measles
Enforced Extinction: Disease Eradication
I want to take a step back from the details of particular human diseases – how they are transmitted, what they do when they infect, how they can be prevented – and talk about one of the broader goals of disease control, eradication. Eradication of a disease in simple terms means completely removing a disease … Continue reading
Battling measles (and why vaccination is critical)
It always strikes me that a strident movement against vaccinations is only possible in a society where vaccine-preventable diseases are mostly invisible. I want to talk about measles, one of the most contagious viruses known and which, thanks to a very effective vaccine, is on the path to eradication. Australia was officially declared measles-free last … Continue reading
shot of sanity 