Summary

Seminole, Texas, with a large Mennonite population, is the epicenter of a measles outbreak since January, impacting nine counties with nearly 200 cases and the nation’s first measles death in a decade.

Fuelled by “personal choice” and post-pandemic distrust, vaccine hesitancy is high. Many residents downplay the severity: “They’re just making a big deal of it.”

Even a death hasn’t driven vaccination rates up. As Dr. Parkey noted, regarding vaccination inclination, “No way. Before Covid I could convince some. Now it’s like, forget it.”

Health officials are concerned about underreporting and potential complications amid RFK Jr.’s influence and deep-seated vaccine skepticism in West Texas.

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  • Stern@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I don’t feel bad for the adults, because they at least had a choice. The kids though? Shameful.

    • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
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      2 months ago

      Normally, I’m all for letting natural selection do its thing, but this time it involves children who didn’t choose to die of paranoia and ignorance.

      • Fluke@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        It always was.

        Natural selection means your genes don’t survive in the long term.

        Either you don’t survive to procreate, or your offspring don’t because of a behaviour you exhibited as a parent or some trait you passed on to them.

        This is natural selection. The environment is ill suited to absolute stupidity and ignorance, it’s just that civilization has protected the aforementioned morons so far. (Mostly as a side effect of protecting the vulnerable, a worthy goal)

        Now that the morons are in charge, well, good luck to those that rely on the support. Nature doesn’t discriminate though, so the stupid and ignorant will die in droves too.