Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Beginning of Something Much Larger (or not)

Every once in a while, I see something that makes my jaw drop



Mom thinks her daughter has measles, she wants to take her daughter to see her (vaccine friendly negligent) doctor in the morning. Instead of debating quarantine, a discussion about oatmeal/baking soda baths ensues.

So, what is likely to happen? There are no reports of measles in Kentucky at the moment (yes, I asked). Most likely and the best case scenario, the OP's daughter has some other viral rash and will not have measles at all. She'll recover, mum and friends will retain their "measles are not a big deal if you just do the right thing" (oatmeal/baking soda baths, it appears) smugness.

Hopefully, mum will sober up and call the practise with her suspicion before going there. There is a reason that there are elaborate regulations to prevent measles transmission in a medical setting.

If this turns out to be measles and mum did indeed take her daughter to a doctor's practise this morning, I predict we are going to see more cases, like for example here, here and here. The worst case scenario is that an infant will be infected in the waiting room (more likely in practices tolerant of non-vaccinating families), and ultimately dies, like we have previously described.

10 comments:

  1. Oh boy. I sincerely hope that a) the child doesn't have measles and b) that if it is measles, that the mom called the doc before bringing her daughter in.

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  2. Two words: "Job Security". (I write that in jest.)

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  3. I just love the mummy medical advice; the first one is actually describing chicken pox and treatment. Keep us posted on what the child is diagnosed with if you can.

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  4. Like that big poster on the wall of the dentistry school: Thank you, Nutella, for keeping us in business?

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  6. doctor was unable to diagnose anything but "unlikely to be chicken pox" this morning (lazy and inexperienced?)...

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  7. Pshaw, it's not like there aren't tests or something like that /eyeroll.

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  8. Horrifying...Winchester, KY is my hometown...I will be cautioning my friends who still live there to be on the look out (though to my knowledge, all my friends vaccinate).

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  9. Anon - as I said, it most likely is not measles. The closest *suspected* measles case at the moment is two states away (in Illinois). It was the total blockheaded thoughtlessness that struck me. That is the stuff measles transmission in medical settings is made off, with sick and vulnerable exposed and this is all totally outwith crunchy momma's control.

    She could very much control what to do before taking her girl to the doctor's like

    1 vaccinate, so her daughter does not risk measles in the first place
    2 call ahead get an out of hours appointment

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  10. Could be Fifth's. Hope it's not measles! Can't understand how the doc can't diagnose anything, though.

    Unless by "doctor" she actually means "homeopathic consultant" or whatever.

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