The Measles are back, according to a recent article released by Scientific American (and every other news source out there). The only thing missing from the article titled ”Measles Is Back, And It's Because Your Kids Aren't Vaccinated!” is a large, glowing clip, art finger pointing out at you.

To sum up what they are saying: “You aren't preventing Autism by opting out”. The Center of Disease Control was patting itself on the back in 2000, chalking the disease up to one more notch in the “eliminated disease” belt, right up there with smallpox. Now 131 kids have been stricken by measles since the beginning of the year, eight months ago. Fifteen of them required hospitalization. They are blaming international travelers for bringing it back to the States

The article cites, rather knee jerk in fashion, that fears of autism have obviously resulted in parents foregoing the vaccination route. “The disease has become epidemic in the UK,” says the article, due to a “vaccination rate that has fallen to 85 percent. Already one child has died.” Obviously, because if the Brits are doing it, then it must be fashionable. Illinois, New York and Washington are the states with the highest cases. Amanda Pete has become the new face of vaccinations, totting “Don't listen to me, don't listen to celebs.”

If the outbreak is from the "autism" fear and celebrity trends, wouldn't we be seeing more cases in higher metro areas more prone to celebri-culting? They say "Washington" and it makes you think of sign totting, peacnick hipsters protesting consumerism in the medical field. What it actually is is middle class areas outside of the Seattle scene. Grant County had 12 outbreaks in April, and according to the 2006 census:

• The medium household income is $36,965, $12,000 or so below the national average and $30,000 over the levels to qualify for assistance.
• The average mortgage (not including insurance, utilities, maintenance, and of course predatory lending costs) is a little over $900.

Working these figures out,which may be very close to your own, and factoring in the extreme insurance crisis hitting the nation right now...maybe it's not entirely the fault of the Brad-gelina wannabes out there. But it sure makes great news!

The connection between the rise of Measles and the insurance crisis in America's middle class exists. And the media frenzy of passing the buck to "parent extremist" instead of addressing the real underlying causes is frightening. This is just another example of tabloid journalism. They are using something spawned by celebrity hype to increase readership, but this time, instead of Paris' extensions, we're dealing with people's lives.

If the real reason many parents are forgoing immunizations right now isn't due to the risk factors involved but due to the economic factors involved, whose to claim responsibility? When do we, as a country grow up and begin acting like real parents and start holding ourselves accountable for the lives of our children? When do we start speaking out?

Here in Florida, children are covered up to 6 months old, but after that you are left to your own accord. And that's if you can even contact the Department of Children and Families, as an expose on a local new station pointed out how impossible this was about two months ago. There are too many factors involved to start pointing fingers at the parents themselves. Measles are back because Health Care is unaffordable, not because of Autism.